Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1875-01-23
On Skates

"Yuu see,' said my friend EcGict
as be cut pigeons wing on The
CLASSY surface at the rink, went OF
on one foot and came circling around
on the othcr-"you see, it is an eX
ercise which brings all the muscles ir
to play, and must be healthy. In fac,
Dio Lewis says its better than iiing
on horseback"
1t looked so easy and 50 nice that
winkcd at the boy who had skates Il
lend and he came over.
That's right, old.boy :" called Re.
gIet as he sailed around with hand
some girl on each arm and lovely
blonde hanging to his coat-tails,-I'lI
bet hundred dollars that you'll learn
all the fourishes within an hour.
l was highly gratifed at this ex.
preston of confidence in my ability,
and kept hurrying up the | oy as he
fastened on the skates. The impu-
dent saucc-bOX said I'd better strap a
pillow on the back of nv head before
started out, but passed the insinua-
tion by in silent contempt.
"Now then" said Reglet, circling
up with q dozen French fourishes,
the main thing is to have confidence
in yourself Strike right out, like a
pioneer getting away from a troop of
wolves, and Ill bet hundred to one
you'll make a skater"
| struck out | 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 a capital
hit, and the other two said that was
certain to combine grace with muscu-
lar effort when | got started fairly.
| didn't feel much like starting out
again, but | had to do it. Reglet
helped me up, said that be could al
ready see an improvement in nv
health, and he warned me to shove
my feet as saw him do. | 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
my whole body got down.
Reglet sailed up and said be never
saw that beaten, and the blonde de-
clared her belief that | was an old
skater, and was just playing off on
them. The rink danced round and
round as / 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 vour cheek until your own
wife won't know you," called Reglet
Offering to help me up.
! wanted to go home and sit down
behind the coal stove and ponder and
reflect. but he dragged me to my feet
and the blonde wanted to know if |
wouldn't please give them the Prince
of Wales flourish p | glanced at her
and tried to smile, and they all edged
off to give me fair show.
"Come 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 ont
for something to supper: 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-eight ton of boards and shing-
les had struck me in heap but was
deceived.
"You struck an air-bubble or you'd !
have madsra splendid SHOW" said
Reglet as he pulled at me.
The blonde said had come within
hairs breadth of cutting one of the
5randest flourisbes known on ice, and
hey wanted me to try once more.
old 'em | had to go to funeral, and
hat | would be back in half an hour,
1ut it was no use
"See how easy it is," said Reglet as
le pushed out and swung one leg
pushed out and swung one leg.
couldn't pull it back. 1 tried to,
md yelled to Reglet that I'd give him
fifty dollars to grab me. He was too
ate. | clawed and waved and totter-
ID and fell, and when | came to my
senses again Reglet said that if l
would go through the same perform
lnce every day for two months, he'd
warrant me that | could eat hun
lred hot biscuits per day and never
AVE a touch of dyspepsia.
l am in bed yet, and q friend has
written this from dictation. The doc
or says that two ribs OH the left side
re fractured, the collar bone is bro
len, the bones of one elbow mashed
nd the spinal column is three inches
ut of true, but be is laboring away
n hopes Of mending me up by spring.
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