The Republican journal., 1877-02-08
Observations of Mon and Things.



never indulge i'll. 1t runs wild on the hill
sides. and is hunted on moonlight nights in
winter with sled. 1t is a kind Of eN-hill-era-
ton that even a Good Templar may indulge in.
1t is a sort OF pous way OF playing " Old
sledge, without the cards. 1t is a comfortable
way of going coasting, without experiencing
the dangers of the sea
| Belfast is peculiarly adapted for sliding.
| Many of her streets are set up endwise, with
| sufficient pitch to enable water to run down
! them without being pushed. a week or two
| since we had a new moon on trial, and the hills
being in excellent condition. those who enjoyed
sliding had an opportunity Of getting their I'LL.
| | had an opportunity, and got full
| In my more Youthful days was wont tot AXE
the girls out sliding. It was then the fashion
10 seal yourself OH the Sled. while the girl
| would occupy a seat on your knee, her left arm
| round Your neck, and your right arm round
her waist. simply this position WAS fun, even
| though YOU did not slide at all. | remember it
| ALWAYS took me good while to get ready.
don't know why. but it did. i thinL that /
could enjoy an hour OF such sport now, in =
| good warm parlor, simply substituting 4 chair
| iOl u Hitt nut iii VIZ lt~Nltl3
| Fashions change. They don't slide now rs
| they did. Your GIL don't sit on your knee any
more. You don't use one slei Sliding has
been reyoutioni2ed and YOU now sle on
| hobs
| My experience ON hobs HIS not been site
cesson Of successes. got the loan of Il bob
and invited :harming girl TO 20 ont sliding.
! ''rIaS a lnqllt f,lI eyaninU moan w.. q.
fall rs Il New u ork alderman. ana the nigh1
was as light handful Of swans down.
| We climbed tie hin; our hearts were full OF
| gladness, and our countenances covered with
perspiration.
Webster de1es Il bob as ia thing that plays
| loosely" He could not have got a better def
milton If he had sat up all night thinking Of ii.
| If Webster We're living, he would receive II con-
granlatory letter from me- on the success Of
| tina definition.
For the benefit of those hanighted readers
who know nothing about Sliding, except back
| sliding. will remark that Il bob is built oi Two
sheds and L board. The board is securely tas-
tened to the rear sled, while the front end rests
on Il rocker which turns on bolt. You get on
| to the board in the same way that clothes
pin gets on to line. You bi,ect yourself, and
arrange your legs equally on either side Of the
board The person nearest the forward Sled
| steers. He steers with his feet by moving the
| sled to the RIGHT or left. 1t needs a man with
pair OF cool and collected feet to steer 4 bob.
Everything depends on him. ltlooksas simple
rs an idiot, but somehow would rather avoid
this subject. Let me simply say that no Texas
steer was ever wilder lhan mine.
At the top Of The Mill waited till all the hobs
had started. took particular pains to note
how each company arranged matters, and |
concluded that ! understood the whole thing.
st. Paul remarks that If any man thinks that
he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing vet
as he ought to know" predict that Paul had
been trying to steer bot when he made that
sage remark.
My companion and arranged ourselves OIL
the sled. We arranged very satisfactory.
don't remember that ever felt better, or thai
the world aud life in all it, aspects ever seemed
brighter 10 me than it did al that moment
Signalling a small boy to give us push, W,
started. TO start was to 90. How We went
Ii Seemed aS il Ne were -iGln. Through the ain
on Il huttered sunbeam. NotWith-taudin oul
speed, | lid not FORGET my companion, and
turned my head aud asked, Are You -wher
just then the forward Sled -truci, something
and turned round to what ii wa. Th:
piece of curiosity On The part Of the sled pre
| vented ine finding out whether She wa on not
and had tendency 10 entirely ,iisillln1p my
plans.
| was intent ON getting clown the hlIl Tia
when the sled turned round, did not let tha
| make any difference with me. / had advertise
- -. ,,,,,,. "a, mn, aiId 80 | went My com
panion With delicate politcnc77 that ,hal
never cease 10 appreciate, followed un after me
her movements reminding me Of Iuth'+ wort
WHITTIER thou &oest, will 20
There ia rule III philosophy that Wien lrlo, /
| ty cease, attraction VIII cause body to ltI Il
The &round II works he same way with two
bodice, even though one ii item Ut the trlni
nine "ehtef. It did nof make an exception d
our cate. Nv velocity ce.t,rd about twenty -liy,
feet from where ! left The sled, and suddenly
sat down on the snow. Stature la, kindly AZ
ranged portion of oar anatomy especially tt
| at down on, but sometimes when in i great
| hurry, "e do not use ii. | neglected to ,lo st
on hi OCCASION, and instead At duWu ou the
bac!- of nay ne,L
A | tool NY -ru, ltluueht law I comet
| coming toward me. Il Wn- different from any
| had ever g1aed "a before. II Waa clothed III
4 soft, white light, ,nd appeared 10 wear i psur
OF stfpfd 4to"l-ihg3. | htd scarcely time tu
| contemplate the beauty vi the heavenly phe-
| nolnrnon, or wonder il l,errhanre it might not
b" protoplasIn, evolved from millions OF
| ,,tl,., ~.
| me IN the stomach, and knocked the astronomy
| and wind all ont Of me. NV arms mechanically
| shut together. like pair ot lee ton@s. and EN-
braced hundred ami some odd pounds of the
charmngpst bit Of temininity and dry goods.
| that ever wore crimps.
| drew her head from my stomach. and filled
| up the hole with snow, and ended up the fair
one, and asked her if She did not think that her
parents would he anxious about her, if she
stayed ont any later; and She said that she had
| thought Of the same thing herself, and then we
| meandered homeward, under the soft light OF
| the moon. We lid not talk of love- and flow
| ers, and things, but we each one wondered
| whether we would ever be good for ANYTHING
| again. and whether it would be worth while to
| try and live on longer. Our parting at the gate,
| was as short is Soda cracker.
| | have carefully read the obituary notices
| since then, to see if my fair one has uied /
| have walked by the house to see if there was
Grape on the door, but | have not called to en-
| quire for her health | have Il foreboding that
| hereafter there will be GOODNESS between us,
| for that bob-Sed has made a breach in our
| friendship, wide enough to drive a load Of hay
| through.
| | do not wish to say word in disparage-
ment of sliding but | would enforce on my gem
tlemen friends this preraution. Before inviting
your girl 10 slide on Il bOb-sled, learn how to
steer. Sit up nights and practice, but if you
| value her friendship, don't fail to thoroughly
| understand hob-sed, before extending an in
viation to her to slide with you.
Secretary Morrill, has been sick ior some