Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-12-31
On Skates.

You see, SAID my friend keglet, as
he cut pigeon's-wing" on the CLASSY
surface at the rink, went off on one foot
and came circling around on the other
you see, it is an exercise which brings
all the muscles into play and must be
healthy. In fact Dio Lewis says it is
better than riding on horseback"
1t looked so easy and SO nice that
winked at the boy who had skates to
lend and he came over.
THAT'S right, old boyp' called Reglet,
as he sailed around with handsome girl
on each arm and a lovely blonde hanging
to his coat tails" I'll bet hundred dol
lars you'll learn all the fourishes within
an hour"
] was highly gratifed at this express
sion of confidence in my ability and !
kept hurrying up the boy as he fastened
on the skates. The impudent sauce box
said I'd better strap pillow on the back
of my head before started out, but
passed the insinuation by in silent con-
tempt.
"Now then" said Reglet, circling up
with d dozen French flourishes, "the
main thing is to have confidence in your
SELF Strike right out, like a pioneer
getting away from a troop of wolves, and
I'll bet hundred to one you'll make a
skater"
struck out. I struck in several other
directions besides out. One foot went
to the left, the other to the right, and
whirled around and sat down. The
blonde young lady came up and said that
/ had made capital hit and the other
two said that was certain to combine
grace with muscular effort when | got
fairly started. ...... ..s.
/ didn't feel much like starting out
again, but had to do it. Reglet helped
me up, said that ne could already see an
Improvement in my health, and he
warned me to shove my feet as ! saw
him do. i obeyed. The left foot shot
out, leaving the right some rods in the
rear, and in trying to even up the race a
little something struck the ice. 1t was
myself The back of my head struck
first, and there were five distinct shocks
before the whole of my body got down
Reglet sailed up and said he never saw
that beaten, and the blonde declared her
belief that | was an old skater, and was
just playing off on them. The rink
danced round and round as j sat up, and
the small boy who was grinning at me
appeared to my vision like eight or nine
small boys and eight or nine grins.
"Come, old boy, this exercise will
brighten your cheek until your own wife
won't know YOU" called Reglet, offering
to help me up. go
WANTED to go home and sit down be-
hind the coal stove and ponder and re-
fleet but he dragged me to my feet and
the blonde wanted to know II | wouldn't
please give them "the Prince of Wales
flourish" / glanced at her and tried to
smile, and they all edged off to give me
fair show.
tCome, dart right OFF, yelled Reglet,
and carefully started my feet out on an
exploring voyage They hadn't travelled
over six inches before they got ahead Of
my body. / reached out for something
TO support me, clawed around, and the
back of my head dug a hole in the ice. |
thought the roof of the rink had fallen
in, and that twenty-eigbt tons of boards
and shingles had struck me in heap,
but was deceived. as.
You struck an air.bubble or you'd
have made a splendid show" said Reg
let as he pulled at me.
The blonde said that | had come
within hairs breadth of cutting one of
the grandest fourishes known on ice,
and they wanted me TO try once more. i
told 'em had got to go TO a funeral and
that / would be back in half an hour,
but ii was no use.
See how easy IL Is" exclaimed Reg,
let as he pushed out and swung one leg
around. a- sa ass
pushed out and swung one leg. /
couldn't pull it back tried to and !
yelled to Reglet that I'd give him fifty
dollars TO grab me. He was too late.
clawed and waved and tottered and fell,
and when / came ~ my senses again
RegIet said that If | would 60 through
the same performance every day tor two
months he'd warrant me that could eat
hundred hot biscuit per day and never
have touch of the dyspepsia.
am In bed yet, and friend has writ
ten this from dictation. The doctor
saws that two ribs on the left side are
fractured, the collar bone Is broken, the
bones of one elbow smashed and the
spinal column is three inches out OF true.
but he is Iaboring away In hopes OF
mending me up by spring. IN. quad, IN
Fireside Friend. ~
A CALIFORNIA Justice was asked to fix
the hail in the case of thief. lie wanted