The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-03-22

" Come, Katy, and learn I" Of crying, "ill stay
just five minutes more - or " Dear mother, pray
Wait till tomorrow want so to playp
Now she is old and wrinkled and gray,
And knows no more than they do at Cathay,-
Foolish and old, and never a ray
OF comfort for her who once was so gay;
And all because she would have her own way.
Somehow or other, Y is always to-day;
She never has found, I'll venture to say,
Any tomorrow. Poor Katy Delay
Marta W. Jones, 81. Nicholas.
The HISTORY OF SKATING.-It can
only be copjectured when skating was
first practiced, but it was certainly very
long ago. In that ancient collection of
Scandinavian songs and legends known
as the Edda," Uller, the handsome god,
is described as being the possessor of a
pair of skates. This proves that skating
Is at least thousand years old. 1t is
supposed to have been introduced into
England about the twelfth century, and
into the central parts of Europe some
what earlier. 1t is curious, that although
all northern nations possessed the
sledge, those of America knew nothing of
the skate, while the people of Europe
did not have the snow-shoe. The course
of invention varied, according to re-
quirements. In America, in high lati-
tudes, the SHOWS are heavy, and open ice
is comparatively rare. In the cores
ponding parts of Europe, there is much
more clear ice, and proportionately less
snow.
The ancient skates were nothing but
the shin.bones of oxen or other large
animals, pierced with holes to receive
the cords or thongs which bound them
to the feet. Philosophers History of
London" written in the thirteenth
century, is the earliest English book in
which skating is spoken of; and we
learn, from its description, that the per-
formers upon these bone skates kept
themselves in motion by striking
against the ice with an iron-shod pole.
Sometimes specimens of these bone
skates have been discovered, in the
progress of excavations, in several
European countries; and very we'll
preserved pair, so found in England
some years ago, can now be seen in the
British Museum.
1t is unknown when or where iron was
first employed in the construction of
skates. 1t was probably in Holland for
skates of a pattern very much like that
of the ones we have now, not only were
known in that country, but were ex.
tensively used by all classes of its people,
long before the pastime Of skating be-
came general elsewhere. Skating is
something more than a pastime in Hol-
land. There il is one of the useful arts,
and is universally practiced and highly
esteemed. 1t offers very convenient
mode of travel in winter over the canals
that almost entirely supply the place OF
roads in the Land of Dykes; and people
skate from farm to farm, and from town
to town, and to church, and to market,
often carrying heavy burdens. The
Russians have constructed an ice-locomo-
tive, with roughened driving .wheels to
lay hold of the slippery surface, and it
has proved a success but in Holland.
every man is his own ice-locOmOtive.
And so is every woman hers-for it has
long been customary for ladies to skate
in Holland; whereas in other countries,
until recently, this most excellent OF
outdoor exercises for them has been
almost tabooed.
The first skaters in our part of the
world were the honest Dutchmen of the
"Province Of Nieuw Netherlands" who
doubtless brought their skates with them
in that celebrated vessel, the "Goede
Vrouw,"-which, we are told by the
learned Diedrich Knickerbocker, had
one hundred feet in the beam, one hun.
dred feet in the keel, and one hundred
feet from the bottom of the stern-post to
the tafferel." The Dutch certainly de.
serve high honor for having introduced
skating and Christmas presents into
America, if for nothing else. As they
did 80, the wo, thy st. Nicholas must be
esteemed the patron of all American
skaters.-,T. Nicholas.
The POPPY AND THE BEE.-A wilC
bee, which had flown far without hav
ing breakfasted, at length entered gar
den-the first he had seen.
"What Paradise p he exclaimed.
The first thing that attracted his at
tention was full. poppy; but accustomed
only to mint, wild thyme aud such-likt
fare, he approached the gaudy beauty
with some diffidence.
"a little pollen, please ?' he at length
ventured to say in the hum blest manner
Be of! be Offp' was the ill-naturet
reply.
The poor bee was almost fainting with
hunger and fatigue, and asked leave Il
rest himself for little.
Be off" returned the naughty flower
81 don't encourage idle Migrants like
you. Stay at home, and you will moi
have to complain of being tired sit upor
your own stalk, and you won't hav,
to support yourself by begging. b.
offl"
Did the silly Poppy imagine that but
terHies, bees and such-like creatures, wer,
nothing else than wandering blossoms
However this may be, it was overheard
one day talking to itself after thi
fashion:
"What is a flower born for, should
like to know, but to see and to be seer
and admired? These pansies, with al
their pretensiOns, are such set of flats
60 low-born and ill-bredp
With the gardener, the great Judge O
plants and the arbiterof their fortunes
the pansies were especial favorites; anC
he took great pains and no small pleas
ure in rearing them.
1t 80 happened that he passed just a
the Poppy was exclaiming her last " b,
Off and scornfully shaking her CLOWN,
petals after the retreating bee.
Looking angrily at the flower he said
"What is sweeter than honey? and hov
should we have honey without bees ant
how should bees live If all flowers wer
as vain and empty-headed as your
So saying, he plncked 1t up by the roo
and threw it over the garden wall.
The bee cheerfully resumed its flight
and soon alighted in the midst Of plo
of mignonette, where it was RECALLED will
the sweetest nectar.
Boys WoRK.-"I wish, John, yo1
would drive a few nails for me in tn
wood-house," said Maggie to her brother
81 have been wanting them this len
time, but always forgot to ask you"
"Wby not drive them yourself, Mag
gie" asked her father.
Why, 1 don't know how, father.
don't believe I could do boys work" sh
said doubtfully.
U(tOma NV o;rI ill 49, =.