Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-03-28
Youths Department.
A SILVER MUG AND A MULBERRY
SUIT.
BY AMANDA T. JONES.

Johnny Emerson had a new pair of
skates. Santa Claus was to blame for
that, but in this case Santa Claus had
another name, think for am very sure
that when was in the store at Hunters
Corners, on Christmas Eve, saw the lit
tie old gentleman buying them, and heard
Mr.. Hunter call him Grandfather En-
erson." Still further, / had seen ten
dollar greenback taken out of his pocket
slyly, and handed over the counter, and
there was not cent given back in
change.
Dear mes" I thought, "Santa Claus
is either very rich or very generous"
Now / only paid two dollars for those /
had bought to give poor widow Green's
boy whom caught crying in the corner
of the fence because he had no skates.
q got called Santa Class myself for my
pains Just as if was little old man,
with an icicle on my nose, pack on my
back, and streaks of SCOT down my
cheeks y
Ten dollars So Johnny Emerson had
a new pair of skates; and if he wasn't in
hurry to try them New Years morning,
then / am Just little mistaken He was
the swiftest and prettiest skater at Hun
ter's Corners while Johnny Green, whose
mother had been too poor to buy him
skates, and who never dared ask the boys
to lend him theirs, had never skated a
stroke in all his life.
"Now, Johnny" said the mother, as
the boy buckled on his skates by the fire,
instead of waiting till he reached the lake.
"you must surely be back by one o'clock,
or the turkey will be cold and all the plum
pudding eaten up"
"Cold turkey is good enough" an
I'll haI hax
mince pie than plum pudding any day :;
but I'll try and be back by one. don't
need to skate more than four hours at a
time" And off he went to join the other
boys at the skating place.
Now, all the village children, nearly,
were on the lake by nine o'clock, chatter
ing, screaming and laughing, with happy
hearts, bright oyes and cheeks the color
of juniper berries; and oh, how grandly
they skatedi sweeping off like the wind,
gliding slowly back, whizzing away again,
in squares, in circles, and in paralelo-
gains, and triangles-it fairly takes my
breath to think about them.
Sammy watched them awhile, with
wondering eyes, and then sat down and
put on his skates. How his heart beat az
he walked out step or two on the ice.
think he was trembling good deal, for
dAlCl LuAhuNC VI N"Os NO"A hO lNiAf dAh
nearly broke his arm striking against Joe
Hunters new scarlet sled, "Wildfire"
1t was bad enough to fall and be hurt,
but it was certainly worse to have doz-
en- of his mates catch him at it, and raise
great shout, as if getting hurt was the
funniest thing in the world. Sammy
wanted to cry, but like sensible boy, got
up instead and tried again. This time he
made out to slide a little, but threw out
his arms so awkwardly, and made such
droll faces, that the laugh was louder and
longer than before.
whats all thisg" said Johnny Emer-
son, as he whirled in among them
"Oh, it's only Sammy Green trying TO
skate" said Alice Parker, land he does
look so queer in his old patched trowsers
and bob-tail coat, that used to belong to
Santa Claus, 1 guess. Only see how
awkward he is"
Just then three men road up to the
edge of the lake, and shouted to the chill
dren that they had something to say
which was important they should hear.
So they all flocked together like so many
red-winged fiamingoes, eager to hear
what was coming.
Mr.. Hunter stood up in the sleigh and
held out beautiful silver cup. Il will
give this cup" he said, ''to that boy or
girl who shall make the quickest time,
skating from this bent to SINNERS point
and back again. Who'll try for it,"
~ IN answered a hundred shrill
voices, and such clapping of hands, and
hurrahing, asking questions, that the gen
tleman could hardly finish what he had
| to say.
"All right" he said, as soon as he could
make himself heard. 'Now you may go,
ten at time, starting off at a given sig
nal, and when the first ten have tried il,
another may follow. will mark time for
you, and these two gentlemen will stand
by and see that you all start fairly. First
ten will start in five minutes. Fall into
liner
Then what hubbub there was among
the girls and boysi But Johnny Emer-
son stood still, thinking, and this is what
he thought:
would be good time to teach Sam
my to skate, while the rest are so interest
ed watching the races that they won't
| trouble us. l believe I'll do it, It's a
pity if he can't have little fun on New
Years day, as well as the rest of US fel-
lows. / need not go with the first ten,
but if I'm not too tired | will race with
the last. It's hard work teaching boy to
skate, though. Nobody knows when he'll
! tumble down, and have TO be hoisted up
again; and for the matter of that, half
| the time he drags you down after him,
| and bruises you rather more than is pleas
ant. But I'll stand it, for / want Sammy
| 80 bax-a o little finn -