Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-03-28
7oices. "we're getting ready

"Not now, cried Johnny, ego ahead.
Now, Sammy Green" he said in a low
voice, ''I'm going to teach you to skate
while the rest are racing. Get up and
balance yourself again. Therei Now
take hold of my arm, when / strike out
with this foot, do you strike out with thai
one, and we'll push along bravely."
Sammy clutched his friend, and set his
feet in order. "One, two, three, and on
cried Johnny. "Of" indeed 1t was, Ior
Sammy was so anxious 20 go fast that he
ierked Johnny to one side, and losing
his balance, slipped off his feet, and
brought his friond down beside him with
A great thump. It was the back OF
Johnny's head that felt it, and he saw
stars for a minute. But he got up pleas
antly enough. "Oh, never mindP he
said. as Sammy began to apologize; "fel-
lows always fall down when they are
learning. Wen do better next time
Just keep steady and swing out slowly,
Slow as the Turks say, and youH DC
skating splendidly pretty soon"
Sammy braeed himself and tried again.
That time he succeeded in slipping
several yards; and when Johnny stopped
him by main strength from another tum-
bic, he looked around with flash of de-
light in his eyes, that would have done
your heart good to see. So at 1t they
went again, and tried and failed and tried
and succeeded fifty times in the course OF
the next two hours. AT that time Sammy
could skate and skate alone!
But where had Johnny's wits been that
he had not looked after the racing a
little
"Time's up," called Mr.. Hunter.
"I.ast ten start ~ and start they did, just
as Johnny, happening to think, left his
pupil to himself, and turned about to join
the sport.
MAY go yet ?" he cried to Mr.. Tur-
ner.
"Aye aye my boy" said the gen
| tleman and away he shot after them,
while Sammy sat down to watch, and whis-
pering over and over to himself, oh,
hope he'll win hope he'll win y
But Johnny's head acked with that flrst
| fall of his, and he was tired, and little
cold. Moreover, the ten had gone fully
one-third of the distance before he had
started. There was little chance of his
winning in that race.
"Why didn't gthe boy start sooner ?"
| demanded Mr.. Hunter. He's the best
skater on the lake"
"Please, sir" said little Sammy, "he
has been teaching me to skate"
| "He might have taught you some
other time, 1 Think" growled MIR. Hun
ter.
$50 he might, sir, so he might but
the boys and girls were laughing at me,
| and he said he would show me how when
they were so busy they could not look.
That's how it was ~
"And can YOU skate now without fall
ing downs"
"Oh, yes. sirl The last time 1 tried, 1
went ever so fari'
"HumI indeedr' said Mr.. Hunter; 'rll
try your skill, maybe, when the cup is
disposed Of"
All eyes were now turned to watch the
eleven figures darting on toward SINNERS
Point Johnny was not so far behind
now, and hardly had the others made a
swift curve and turned back on their
course, before he passed them like the
wind, making graceful bow, swept up
on line with the point, and whirling,
was after them again. They could hear
the sharp ring of his splendid new skates
on the ice and one of them, who could
not resist turning his head, saw that he
was gaining on them.
THAT boy certainly makes the quickest
time" said Mr.. Hunter, land ought to
have the cup, even if he gets in after the
others. But he should have started when
they did. 1t will seem hardly fair to the
hundred boys and girls who were on
] manu- at nave NoAS
their best to give it to him. Still, II he
really wins, I'll talk to them about it.
But Johnny was not going to win.
Some thoughtless boy had whirled stick
: far out on the ice, to show the strength of
, his arm, perhaps, and the cleaning edge
7 of skate struck against it. There was a
= shock, halt, almost fall, and the ten
skaters brought up, one after another, at
the goal, leaving Johnny quite in the
/ rear.
, He came gliding up, however, a mo-
5 ment after, in time to hear Mr.. Hunters
: decision.
E ''Maria Blake went to SINNERS Point
d in five minutes, forty seconds and a hall,
S that being quicker time, by four seconds,
l than was made by any other"
'Hip, hip, hurrahl' cried Johnny EN-
) ersen; ''three cheers and tiger for Maria
, Blaker Then there was great deal oi
|. hurly-burly for a while, of hurrahs and
/, laughter, of shrill voices, and demands 70
j see the beautiful cup of silver which had
been handed to the happy girl.
What was Mr.. Hunter saying? The
2 sound of his voice reached them through
/; all the noise, and a hundred bright faces
turned, full of eager interest, his way
4 Children" said Mr.. Hunter, Sammy
r Green has new pair of skates, which
Johnny Emerson has been teaching him
, how to use. Now, if Sammy viii skate
clear to SINNERS Point and back again
= without falling down, l will make him a
r New Years present of new suit OF
= clothes"
What great leap Sammy's heart gave
"I never can do it in the world, - he whis
: pered to Johnny.
= "Yes, you can, if you'll only keep
COOL" said Johnny; "and I'd rather see
you in a new suit of clothes than TO have
ten silver mugs myself"
J "Then I'll try; and won't mind a BIZ
if they do laugh at my awkward motions.
r Mother has been sewing nights, more than
| two weeks, to try and earn me something
e to wear; and if only could win, she
could take that money and get her new
, dress. I'll try my very best"
: Sammy says he'll do it," shouted
c Johnny. "Clear the track -
e Then all the children get out of the
' way, and the widows son braced himself
/ for the start Steady, now, steady" said
e Johnny, Zone, two, three, and-off"
I Sammy's soul was in his eyes. He be
b gan to glide carefully along, flinging ou
i his arms to keep his balance, then, NOV
ing a little more steadily, he fixed his
: eyes on the distant point, and forgot
everything but the skating.
n Nobody laughed at his bob-tailed coat
now nobody ever thought of it. On he
went, sometimes wavering little, then
> bracing himself again, but never quite
Y halting.
"He can't make the turn, I'm afraid, u
o sighed Maria Blake. "That's such a
hard thing to do at first. See he is al
Y most there ~
Then not another word was said, till
Y the bov had made broad curve and
r faced them, on his way back. Johnhy's
heart beat so hard you could almost have
4 heard it. Once he thought his scholar
h would fall-but no he had only stopped
r a little because he was tired-he was at i
, again steadier than before, and if yoT
/ ever saw roses, they bloomed on Johnny:
checks five minutes later, when painting
/ and trembling Sammy caught his hand
] and, overcome with joy hecause the prizt
! | was won burst into tears