The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1875-06-16
SKATING ON WHEELS.
The Bells of Brighton Gone Mad Over a
Rink.

A thrifty Yankee has opened a skat-%
ing rink ut Brighton. England. NJ. D.
Conway who visited it, thus writes
In front of it stood Gt was about4 ia
the afternoon) several scores of carriag-
es, with liveried servants, and some Of
them marked with devices indicating
the presence of aristocratic families,
The rink covers about one acre of per-,
divided off into what is termed the
are just learning. All have 10 60,
through the nursery" for it does not
follow that the skater on ice can skate:
scene is most singular. Considerably
over thousand gentlemen and ladies'
are gliding about, sometimes hand ill.,
hand, or arm-in-arm, sometimes the.
gentlemen leading backward, as he
ho.ds both hands of his fair partner and
at all times manifesting plainly that.
here is the paradise of filtration. The.
accidents are fortunately few, for a fall
on this stone pavement can beEo slight
matter. A noted belle of Brigton Is at
this moment laid up by an accident spf>
fered at the rink. AL her upper teeth
were pressed through her upper lip, the.
teeth becoming dislocated, and she has
been under the combined attentions Of
the surgeon and the dentist for week.
A second beauty has broke her thumb,
and Il third her leg; but they are report
ed to be heroic, feeling that they suffer
ed for great cause, and complaining
only that some little interval must elapse
before they can again fly over the rink.
One thing was especially observable, +
thought, that no company of English
ladies ever appeared out of doors in
such really beautiful costumes before.
1t is true that when | selected, by the
invitation of Brighton friend, the la
dy that seemed to me the most beautiful
and the best dressed, l was informed,
she was all American; but the compla-
ccncy with which | learned this did not
prevent that these was not an ugly or
addressed women among egallent six
hundred There was not highly col
Ored, not sensational, not q 'loudn
dress among them. The dresses We're
short, though not so short as is usual
among fair skaters in America, aud
they were all free from any AeaYiness.
There stood on the sides of the rink look
ing on few ladies dressed in tie
tight French fashion, which IS just be-
ginning to appear among us, but thats
fashion was in strong contrast with the
loose lraperies. of the skaters. If the,
new fashion should become general over:
here there will have to be q special ska
ting costume for Brighton, for it Is diff
cult to see how in the tight style any Of
those young DANES could perform the
graceful curve aud brave eyolutions
which now excites so much admiration.
am told that the physicians declare
that for sanitary advantages the seaside
air and bath are Of little importance
compared with this new exercise, which
is gradually finding its way to all pla,'
ces of resort. The rink has already
raised the price OF real estate in Rrigh,
ton which has now become the city Of
butterflies. I suppose there never be-
fore were gathered; elsewhere on the
earth so mapy rich people with so much
in finding something to do
with their money,ssand who needed
what the fortunate Yankee has supplied
to thcm-rerpetual amusement,