The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-03-20

rage and rare presence of mind
bart OF a boy OF thirteen years.
never seen it equaled and
hether it has ever been excelled
So young.
son b Saturday morning in the
NJ part of winter. School "didn't
- on Saturdays, it was our play
The mill-pond was frozen over
g enough to bear about the bor-
fbut in the middle the ice was thin
nweak. A dozen or more of us went
dol to the pond to skate. The day
wane and bright, butcold and bracing;
thur bit shrewdly it was nipping
ann eager air, and we coursed around
thpnd In lively, exciting chase, until
thiood was well warmed up and our
faglowed with excitement and pleas
unSome of the more daring youths,
2 wl under high speed and coming
dovith the wind, allowed themselves
tole swiftly as an arrow over some
of weak places in the ice, where had
Infested only for a moment they
woLave broken in ; but, under the
yelf with which they simply shot
acri the ice merely bent and rolled
benz them like a wave, but did not
brea This was dangerous play in
dee&d, fortunately for their safety,
the ! did not persist in doing it.
Az morning wore along there were
occaa accessions to our number,
whicroused new ardor as they oc-
curreom time to time, and trials of
speed feats of skill kept up the en-
thusi to the highest point so that
with ward skating, backward skating,
|cuttirhe ring, attempts at spread
eagle outside edge; chase the fox,
ollow' leader, tag, Id other diver
Ions, were in c. lstaut v irl all
rounhe circuit of he pr ~ | up
pd ds it from one END y a ler,
We in those p YES u en- ice
rmeco be wea At the
lexis ade by our kate ". the
solid ibeeame so distii - ked
that it'd very much the .nce
of recourse around th| At
this tirwe were joined by Houng-
er ladsTing less remote most of
us, anono, from witnessi BUR hilar-
ity fro the shore, becs = infected
therewi, came upon tn pond, and
particiled in the sports by running
about The tag and chase upon their
feet, foney were without skates.
Afterghile the skating slowed up,
and prently, in obedience to that in
explical law of attraction, which op-
crates successfully when there are any
Juvenileround, we began to assemble
in bod and then while at rest con-
gratulat s were exchanged between us
on the ftnoon's sport, criticisms were
offered Coach others skates, condo
lence teered to those who couldn't
skate, or ho had no skates to learn
upon ; I boy with one skate still
keeping with irrepressible persever-
ance his rn aesthetic left foot contribu-
ton to thperformances of the day, re-
ceived vCferous applause there was
tweaking tippets, sudden disappear
ances of Ittens and handkerchiefs, and
tossing oeach others caps ; possibly
there mayave been an inquiry made
for match, and i dare say the build
ing of fl was propounded and acted
upon, and suppose the fetching in OF
divers crbked sticks to add to the
flames mahave suggested a game OF
shinney n all events, shinney was
proposed, i'd back we went upon the
ice again, I'D withour sticks were soon
driving bere us the ball improvised
for the occsion out of small cubic
block of we'd. Theayounger lads joined
us in this gme also, running after the
ball in quit as merry glee as any of the
rest.
One of tose lads, whom ] will call
Frank Redwood, was altogether toe
venturesome and he was frequently
cautioned b. the older boys when he
approached 90 ne@ the thin ice and
even upon il, as helwas seen to do, il
pursuit of the ball. but the sport was
exciting, andhe became altogether heed
less, and by and by, hnning in reckless
chase after the ball too far upon the
thin ice, it broke will his weight, and
with wild scream be fell through.
Every cheek blanched Ia an instant an
expression of terror brlke from the lips
of the boys ooh hank lockwood
rs in r. Apparent as lib danger was to
all of us, there had beth no real antici
nation of it there welk no safeguards
against it, and no proviSons to meet il
IN case of accident. Hke we we're, 9
score Of boys, none mor( than thirteen
or fourteen years old /; al the morning
lifted up our sports to TIN very pinnacle
of enjoyment and delight, now, in 6
point of time, a moments space, sud
denly brought face to faca with death
What shall we do? OIL il we only haC
a rope or board, or som4thing to dc
with fear came over evety one, for i
was moment of awful anxiety and sus
Pense. We looked helplesAy into eacl
Others faces no man was near, and be
lore help could be summoned, he would
certainly drown or freeze TO death. L
was enough to terrify every one Of us
~ hushed every voice, it paralyzed ever,
tongue but Franks, who was clingine
70 the edge of the unbroken thin ice
On save me !" he shrieked, "sav'
me save me !" and his cry went to tn,
neart OF q noble boy in that company
1,ausing only for a single moment Il
thlnk, he proceeded quicker thar
thought to act. With surprising sa
gacity and promptness, he got down fla
upon the Ice, thus distributing hi'
weight uDOn tho a,,rfaoa on1 ttullins