The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-08-30
SAVED BY "OLD CORONATION"


The following somewhat singular story
is told in one of our Maine exchanges by
. gentleman who recollects the circum-
stances, and was himself "a part of the
event. 1t illustrates the value of SELF
control and presence of mind IN danger
that quiet but really superior courage winch
can avert fatal panic by skilifuiIy coiiceai-
ing what would cause it.
1t was---I do not remember the precise
ycar-but it was when L was seventeen
ears old, ard when nVeo In the New
Fnrlard village where l was born, and
from which l had hardly ever been away.
1t was pleasant old town, built in Colonial
davs, and containing but few inhabitants
save those who were descended from the
hills, and was situated on the eastern side
If lake two miles long and less than
mile in breadth. That lake, or pond as we
called it, furnished most of the pleasure
Tor the people in the village. There we
swan, and tished, and boated III the sum
1ner, and when the cold of winter had SUI
fened the surface of its pure waters, there
we skated till the unwelcome snow came
TO impede our course. On the East there
was a succession of green fields and or
Chards, while its western shore was Hheu
by primeval forest of pine trees. Chly
one clearing had been made among theso
old cone-bearing trees, and that was IT,
cent one, and embraced but few acres
>, he Great trunks of the trees had been
taken to a ship-building town on the Ken
ueheck for spars of vessels, while the
branches had been piled i'll heaps among
the huge rocks that occupied SO Huch Oh
the ground. r,. A.,
only holiday that New England knows
much about, and about which the rest OF
the world knows so very little. For three
nirhts before, the cold had been severe for
that time of the year, and the newly form
ed ice on the pond was rs smooth and clear
as a looking-glass The Portland stage
and an extra carriage that followed it, had
brought in most of the family friends that
were expected to join i'll the family reunion.
T,raye bows came from the stores Of Bos-
ton and the saw mills of Oldtown. Brave
girls. beautiful in the devotion they showed
Tor the families they were supporting at
home came from the cotton mills of Lowell
and Manchester. Houses where plain and
almost scanty food had been served for
many a week, were well filled with plente-
ousnesS now, for tomorrow was Thanks
giving. What were we all to do the next
,lay, 1.-The meTiest, gladdest day." of all
the year, besides go to church and eat 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.
Skate, of COURSE" l answered.
"But why not try the ice to-night?' he
asked.
could see no reason and so we bound
on our skates and flew as it were over the
CLASSY surface of the pond to the cove, about
which were the piles ofpine bOughs. Once
there, we conceived the idea of how grand
il would be to skate back to the village, col
lect together the women and girls, take a
picnic place them all in Sleighs and on
hand sleds, draw them to this place, and
To eat supper on these rocks, amid the
glare of burning tree tops. We were not
long in carrying out our plans, for almost
every house had its sleighs and skaters,
aud those who were destitute of either,
united with some of their neighbors. An
hour, and the little lake was covered with
the merriest skating party that 1T had ever
Witnessed. And the supper, the bonfire,
the song, the merry making. l shudder
To- think of such bOisterous sport, with i'm
bending 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
Jesinous pine needles were w,smouldering
among the limbs or lingering in the stumps
and roots. 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 our leader was
soon obeyed. Zach little vehicle was rang
ed from ten to twenty feet apart, according
to the length of ropes or leading lines which
we had; and three or four skaters were sta
toned between them. Then, two much
longer ropes were stretched from !either
sides of the long lines, of which some twen-
ty more skaters took hold. With shout
and whoop, such as Indians give when
rushing to battle we started on the ice. The
line, first straight or waving a little where
the poorer skaters were soon took the form
of a crescent and with clamor of voices
and the grating of skate irons we sped over
the ice.
Ny strong friend and ! were on one of
the sides ropes, and we held the place near
est to the sleighs. We had not proceeded
far before perceived that the ice was bend
ing up in front of us and | could scarcely
hear 1t crack, amid the noise of the skaters.
] spoke not a word, but looked intently
into my companions face. l only thought
so lOug as we kept in motion, as we were
then doing. But l knew very well that
if the true state of affairs was discovered,
panic would run along the line-sOme ska
er would drop out, and then the sleighs
and their precious burdens must sink to the
bottom.
| cannot forget the horror of that mo-
ment--a moment that seemed an age. l
was faint myself, but only shuddered lest
skaters should fall. 1 could not speak, for
fear; but almost feared lest the other vol
ces should stop and the cracking of the ice
should be heard by the women, who would
be sure to scream. My thoughts were on
God, my eyes were fixed on the face of my
friend. | was fairly drawn along up the
curving ice, that seemed to rise higher
before us every moment. Cold sweat was
Oh my forehead, but could not loosen my
hand from the rope to wipe it off. My
friend noticed that l was lagging-I who
was SO expert skater. His eyes caught
mine, and by that sort of intuitive knowl-
edge we sometimes have in time of great
dangers, he became aware of our dreadful
situation, heard the cracking of the ice
and saw it-felt it rising in front of us.
What did the strong man do? Flee like
a coward from the dangers he had brought