Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-10-30
saved by Old Coronation.

years old, and when | lived in the New Eng
land village where was born and from which
had hardly ever been away
1t was the day before Thanksgiving, the
only holiday that New England knows much
about, and about which the rest Of the world
knows so very little. For three nights before
the cold had been very severe for the time Of
the year, and the newly formed ice on the |
pond was as smooth and clear as a looking |
glass. What were we all to DO he next day, |
" the eladdest, merriest day" Of all the year,
besides 20 to church. and cat the feast that
had been so long in PREPARATION That was
the question asked by my strong earnest,
older friend, who had come from Boston to
spend Thanksgiving.
"Skato Of course" | answered.
But why not try the ice tonight he
asked.
l could not sec any reason, so we bound on
our skates aud few as it were over the CLASSY
surface of the pond to the cove above which
were the piles Of pine tree boughs. Once
there we conceived the idea Of how grand it
would be to skate back to the village, collect
together the women and girls take suitable
provisions, for picnic, place them all on
sleighs and on hand sleds draw them to this
place, and eat a supper on these rocks, amid
the glare Of the burning tree tops. We were
not long in carrying out our plans, for almost
eyeryhouse had its sleigh and skaters, aud
those who were destitute of either, united
with some Of their neighbors. An hour, and
the little lake was covered by the merriest
skating party it had ever witnessed And
then the supper the bonfire, the songs, the
merry-making | shudder to think of such
boisterous sport, with an impending death so
very near The sport was over at length
the apples eaten, the cider drank, the songs
sung, the stories told and the once great flames
among the resiDous pine needles, were now
smodering among the stumps and roots. 1t
was nearly time to 90. And so the company
was breaking up into little knots as we
came.
Tie all the sleighs and sleds together" my
strong friend shouted, the last to leave the
spot The order from the leader was soon
obeyed. Each vehicle was ranged from ten
to twenty feet apart according to the length
Of the ropes or the leading lines which we
had aud three or four skaters were stationed
between them. Then two much longer ropes
were stretched from either side of the long
lines, Of which some twenty more skaters took
hold. With shout and whoop such as
Indians give when rushing to battle, we start
ed on the ice. The line first straight, or
waving little where the poorer skaters were,
soon took the form Of crescent; and with a
clamor Of voices and the grating Of skate irons
we sped over the ice.
My strong friend and | were on one of
the side ropes, and we held the place nearest
the seighs. We had not proceeded far before
perceived that the ice was bending up in
front Of us, and could scarcely hear it crack
amid the noise of the skaters. spoke not
word, but looked intently into my compan.
ions face. | only thought that so long as we
kept in motion as we were then doing, we
might pass the danger. But 1 knew very
well that if the true state Of things was dis
covered, panic would spread along the line
some skater would drop out, and the prec-
ious burden must sink to the bottom.
| cannot forget the horrors Of that moment
"a moment that seemed an age | was
faint myself, but | only shuddered lest some
skater should fall. | could not speak foi
fear but | feared lest the voices should stop
aud the cracking Of the ice should be hear,
by the women, who would be sure to scream
My thoughts were on God my eyes wer,
fixed on the face Of my friend. | was fairl,
drawn along the curving ice, that seemed t.
rise higher before US every moment Coli
sweat was on my forehead, but | could no
loosen my hand from the rope to wipe it of
My friend noticed that | was aggng--I VIII
was so expert skater. His eyes caugh
mine, and by the sort Of intuitvc knowedg
that we sometimes have in times of grel
danger, he became aware'of the dreadful si
uation, he heard the cracking of the ice an
saw it-felt it rising in front of u.s.
What did the strong man do ? Flee Xix
coward from the dangers he had brought U
to, and escape for the land Did the aari
seize him that had overpowered mo2 ia
otherwise. Raising his voice, SO that b
could be heard above the din of the skater
and the merry voices Of the women, he shou
ed; "All sing so We will keep better step
all sing Coronation And without lowerin
his voice he sang:
Gan hail the power Of Jesus name
Letangels PROSTATE fall
Bring forth the royal diadom,
And crown him Lord Of all"
The order came 50 unexpectedly that fe
joined in singing this stanza, but in the ne,
almost all the voices were heard | felt
sort of relief when the soprano, alto, tenC
and bass voices all struck the words
Grown him, ye martyrs -four God,
Who nom IFS altar call 3"
but | feared the time when the bass Shout
be left to carry a line alone. There wer
but three or four voices in the whole con
pany, but my friend was numbered anon
them. | saw he husbanded his breath fc
this, as a strong man saves his strength lc
some great effort. Nevertheless | could hes
alternating with the musical words,
"EHto the stem Of Jesscs rod,u
the crack-crack-crack- crack-crack Of the ba
tie shell that was betweenus aud eternity.
was a wonderous relief when four parts il
stead Of one, and hundred voices instead
four, took up the words which seemed like
anthem Of praise,
"Extol the stem Of Jo,seis rod,
And crown him. Lord Of ALL"
We were now approaching the middle
the lake where the water was the deepest,
deep that no line in the village could rea
the bottom, and where the ice must be thi
nest, because it is the last to freeze there.
knew this; but felt that now we we're goi
with such rapidity there was no new dang
singled out tree upon the shore we We
trying to make, and calculated if at the ru
they were singing there were verses enou
to last until we reached it. feared lest t
leader might omit verse, as was sometim
done in church, and there might be spa
over which VIC might be left to pass in
lence made dreadful by the cracking Of I
ice
had no cause. There was indeed tn
awful crack-crack. Of the ice distinct
heard during the singing Of one line in eve
stanza Of the hymn; but it was either that
had become used to it, or that it was indie
more faint, that it failed to affect me at fir
So too, there was a little breadth Of ice to
passed over, after the singers had closed I
verse -
"Let every kindred, every triks,
90 THE terrestrial ball,
To him all majesty aseri5ei
And crown him Lord u ALL