Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1875-03-01
From the Aldine for March.
LOVE AND SKATING.


The stars all gleeful dancing
While oil along the suow.bound shore
The giant trees seemed praucing.
night for glad, exultant love:
For wooing aud for winning
The little god with welLarched bow.
Sent shafts at random spinning.
soft mittened hands close held in mine
Set all my nerves a-quiver:
The blood went tugling through my veins,
While skating down the river
Tho roaring flames leapcd mady up.
The sparks fell ia a shower;
With Jealous care guarded Nell
From their consuming power.
But SKATING sparks not burning ones
We're doomed 10 bring me sorrow
For Nell went gliding or with one,
And Tilted me the morrow.
Then forcciy skated 1 alone
Ny sorrow mutely nursing
TIE trearlrse- witetrfng skating girls.
In my stern anger cursing:
"1hc lee Is their true counterpart.
Anurng. smooth and glowing.
Yet surging coldly underneath
Is Deaths dark current flowing
$50 sparkling, trusting, glad and gay,
They skim with as the river
They lure willing hearts away,
Then turn and freeze the gver
"ueeeitful, graceful skating girls
III shm YOU all forever
And scorufully. alone IN glide
Adowu liie's frozen river"
Thus, musiug, moved slowly on
How weary was growing
The waspish frost assaulted my ears
From artic ice-chfrs blowing.
A AHppling laugh, breezy rush
pleasant, furry Gutter
And Hitte Clyde was bv my side.
My auuts adopted daughter.
Her great brown eyes flashed into mine
Full Of starry shining.
go, Hal You awful cloud she cried
"Comr. show your silver liningFr
She fluttered round me like bird.
Wrapped in her snowy ermne
What thoughts within her bosom stirred
could not well determine.
Her face was like the rosy glow
That hcrnlds in the morning:
knew her heart was pure as srow
Her lite asked no adoruing.
tiny glove fell at my feet
She challenged me TO catch her:
Her skating skill was something rare,
No other lass could match her.
She few away like white-winged bird.
Back fiHging me her laughter;
Ipieked the dainty gauntlet up,
And swiftly followed after
Her hair like golden pennou stIeamed.
Her whteplumed hat from under;
She flashed electric DER the ice,
doomed along ike thunder
In swiftest run between two points
The winning had been easy;
But skating 20 a dying goal
To say the least, was breezy
did e'er YOU chase butterfly
Through fields of scented clover,
And weary sit, with empty hands
When the vain flight was over D
Straight forward she would shoot awhile,
Like swiftly bounding arrow;
But when heard her quick <-drawn breath
The space had grown so narrow
Something went by mc like a fash
And she was gone 20 whitherl
turned; in seeming unconcern
She skatcd hither. thitherl
She doubled curved, and shot ahead.
My wits were in confusion
The north winds stingiug wasps were hived,
The cold was delusion.
Her ostrich plume stayed in my hand,
Once. when crasped and missed her;
But she was rods away. at once
The very wild winds sister
dimy saw, all mp and down,
That eager Aroups waiting;
Our race, like Gilpin's, betted on,
Ours WIS the only skating.
knew at length that Kittie's zeal
was fading. surely waning;
Courage the bird / soon would hold,
Yes, truly was gaining
But suddenly she wheeled about,
With radiant face to greet me:
"Wby, Hal how slow YOU are p she cried
Poor fellow. couldn't YOU beat me -
GIVE won" cried, Miss Kitte Clyde
lour strength has all abatedr
"The match quoth She was not of strength
For proof Of SKILL skatedT
just then. with shamed aud dropping face,
Those watching crowds she needed
"Oh shield me, Hal from their sharp eyes %
Her starry ones mute pleaded.
SO with her hand tight clasped in mine
We skated down the river.
o. blessed spark that lured one Nell
Away from mc foreveri
For Eitiirs eyes with softcned light
Now shine within my dwelling:
feel their glow within my heart.
Il crowns the tale Tn tcllingi
Thus skating down the years we glide
| Through every shade of weather;
! And whether fair or whether foul
We meet it both togetheri
I