Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-01-06
.C0AATING..
BY HENRY WARD BERCHER.

Mr.. BonRer:-lfow long is ii since you had a
siedP Did yOu ever have one? Perhaps you
were brought up where there was no snow If
so, pity you. No one can be a perfect man,
rounded into perfection on every side, who
has not had chilblains, been rubbed, snow-balled,
and who has not been upset on an icx hill and
rolled over, sled and boy, in a promiscuous heap.
You may put on all your armor, and make be-
lieve that you are as good as another, but If you
never slid down hill You shall not be elected
honorary member OF the HyperbOrean Boys
Sled Club.
Blessed be New Bedford. What now? you
will ask. Moved with a sympathy for the vel
fare OF the boys, once upon time the alderme
set apart a hill street in that beautiful, and,
ever since, blessed city, for the especial use of
sleds. They devoted it to all boys and girls I'M
der seventy years Of age. One street there was
where sleds were not obliged to keep out OF the
way Of wagons and horses and policemen, and
angry old gentlemen, who had been tripped up,
or sent flying over the boys heads. Nay, night
after night, snow was carted upon the bare spots,
or water sprinkled when 1t would form ice.
Was not this an enlightened view OF an alder
mans duty? Ought not every boy to vote.
when he grows up, for such wise councillors?
May the winter fall lightly on their heads, and
the summer sing sweetly over their graves,
while nodding flowers beat time.
We have just had sent to us from Pennsylva-
MIA a new sled, and, sure as you live, its name
was, in large letters, Dexter. But, fine in every
other respect, it has one original feature worthy
OF note. An iron rudder is ingeniously fastened
between the runners in front, with landlords
at ached in such q way that the boy can steer
with it or use it as brake. In this way one
may mount his feet upon the sled and sit as free
as king, guiding his sled as easily as all kings
are known to guide their kingdoms.
Perhaps no improvement will ever enable
sled TO give more pleasure than the rude old
rattletraps that country boys knock up for
the mselves. This was the most primitive form
of our recollection; two slaves of a barrel,
fastened together with cledf at each end, the
board at one end being wide enough to furnish
point of contact for the owner. These re-
quired some skill in management; yet, as they
could be made in ten minutes, a whole school,
upon a sudden snow, could be started down hill
in an hour Of two, with such laughing, scream
ing and hallOOing as would wake the seven
sleepeTs. Next in rank the board-runners
shaped out of solid plank, and foored over
strongly. Coarse, ungainly and heavy, as they
were, some great sliding has been done on them,
1t Is not the handsOmest horse or sled, or editor
that gets along best-is it? Then came to our
admiring eyes the framed sleds, with open sides,
line runners well shod with steel, and at length
irol- framed underpining all through. To all
this is, in modern days, added a blaze of paint,
and names lofty as the stars. We admit that
great Inn rOvements are made in beauty, and in
Convenience; but is any better sliding done on
these sup, Rhine sleds than used to be, and still
is, done by the old, rude, homely iVmmoreS of
country make? For that word see Webster
or all positions, the worst, the most ineXcusa-
Bile, is what used to he called a LeIly-plamper or
when one lies down upon his sled, with head to
the front, steering with his toes. The position
is ungainly, the head is thrust forward and ex-
posed to danger, and in case of need, the body
IL in helpless position.
Next Is the side-saddle saddle posture or when
the boy sits curled up upon the rear OF the sled.
with one leg under him, and the other project
ed backward for a rudder.
The upright posture, with legs extended over
the sides, or carried forward between, or even
in front of the runners, is the true position for
bold boy of the sled. He has the use of his
whole body, and the perfect control of his sled:
and IL he comes TO harm, il must be set down to
that large account OF profit and loss which eyery
spirited boy runs up.
Let no man revile the joys of ice-clad hills, or
ride ule the task Of Juggling a heavy sled up the
hill for the sake of rushing down again. All,
yes-but that downward rush is ecstasy
8. Clear the coast! Here goes! Right behind
n Is rit va sled, Away we 60, every yard quick
through the air as il shot from a catapult, and
strike down again with jar that makes the
sled cresk; Clear the coast! here we come!
glorious! There is sturdy old farmer Who
never could find out what boys were made for
HE won't get out ofthe way-not he. He shakes
his cane As a warning. ToO late-we strike him
just above the ankles and he goes over our head
like shadow, but we hear him come down
behind like substance! In q second we are
away and out Of reach and hearing. OF course
there is fuss and we are called up and the mas
ter, with twinkle in his eye, sc0lds us and says
We must say We are sorry; and everybody saws
served him right, the old curmudgeon, he ought
to have kept out of the road; and we lind our
selves the heroes of the school.
Then who will forget when our pretty cousin
wanted to take a cruise on our sled, and how our
sisters too were the guests of proudly polite boys
and how the courtesy OF the hillside was shown
to the girls as ardently and disinterestedly as
ever it could be in after life on more important
occasions.
Perhaps the teacher was willing TO show his
cOndescensiOn, and take passage on a double
sled. Great was the hurrah raised for him. and
ecstatic the yell universal, when, by a dexter
GUS turn at the bottom Of the hill, the sled went
out from under him, and he made the few re-
naming yards Of distance without help, and
turned up quite like heap of dirty snow.
All, Mr. Bonner, let you horses slide; come
chester hills, and spend day in ..coasting,"
and come back declaring that OF all races. none
for pleasure, can beat sled, with good fellow
OH it, upon a mile-lOng HILL with a smooth and
lev tIack-Ner York LedQer.
Germany and Russia.