Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-03-20
THE OUTER EDGE.
HarDer's Weekly.

freaks of balmineSs steal in upon the
wintry air; its hard dull bitterness of
cold is broken: the spring-time will
soon come, and the voice of the turtle
be heard in the land.
Well, [ can't say I'm sorry. [ tried
to make the winter pleasant to my wife
sideration the misfortune of their hav-
ing been borne IN the South, and en-
deavored to ameliorate, as far as in me
'ay. the inevitable drawbacks of a severe
Innate to a languid Emphatic tenn
permanent like Lulu's Her mothers
Mrs Fithian's-iS more Of a bilious
and gains thereby that somewhat sharp
and acrid quality which neutralizes the
general tendency to calm.
have certainly tried to make Lulu
comfortable Double windows and out
side doors have been arranged all over
the house; hedges were planted to break
the fierceness Of the blast; all her IA
vorite flowers are nicely bundled in
straw; big heater in the cellar and
blazing CRATE fires in almost every room
cause me to persplre at every pore when
I'm within-doors, and have actually
tided over for a friend of mine his an
nual attack of rheumatism. He came
down here on a visit; the weather was
inclement, so that he staid in the house
the most of his time, and ne has told
me since that it was better than a course
of Russian baths to him.
Two refractory servants and a scandal
in the neighborhood served to occupy
and amuse Mrs Fithian, and I sent
down a small dry-goods box full of light
literature land a case Of Berlin wool to
Lulu.
AS Heaven is my JUICE, I never had
thought for my own recreation; it
was enough for me that Mrs. Fithian
was comfortably occupied and my sweet
Lulu amused.
But one fatal night [ met Bill Banta
on the train. and he began to tell ME
about the ice on the bay, how it was
like vast eXpanse Of snowy sea trans
figured in the silver flood of the moon;
how the sombre green of the hemlocks
on the shore formed a splendid con-
trast to the white background of some
thing Or other in the distance; and Bill
went on telling about it till the people
about Us stopped talking to listen. Banta
I can't say that [ always got the hang
oft all, but that was my fault, of course,
and it certainly sounded very nice in
my ears that night. I plainly made
out from what Bill said that there was
skating on the bay every evening, and
the thought Of it was certainly fresh and
mylgOrating.
i suppose it don't matter much"
I said, whether fellow is a little out
Of practice or not?'
"Oh no. said Banta. Its like
swimming, you know; You'll never for
get how to swim"
I didn't pursue the subject, nor think
It necessary to tell Banta I had never
learned to swim. The fact is, [ was
never much given to outdoor amuse-
ments, and can safely say that if the
thermometer had never got above eighty
IN my house, [ should not have so long
ed to skim over the ice Of the bay IN the
keen frosty air.
But [ thought OF that furnace of a
front-room Of ours, where the plants
couldn't live, Lulu's spaniel sickened
and died, the parrot lost its active pro-
family, and only the cockatoo and Lulu
seemed to thrive.
Here Bills voice came to me again.
She's the finest skater on the bay"
he said; she's grace personifed. If
you want to see the very poetry Of mo-
ton, look at Mrs. Walter Jones in the
full fervor of the outer edge"
. Mrs. Walter Jones p [ echoed.
Yes-she that was Nellie Devoe,"
said Bill, speaking in lower tone:
. and, by-the-way, perhaps it wouldn't
be safe for you to be brought under her
destinations again. BY Jove she's
more beautiful than ever; and as for
skating-whew l tell you candidly,
Dolph, when [ see her in the bewilder-
ing undulations of the outer edge it
charms me- Ny whole soul is electri-
fed can't go on and skate: I'm COM
PEELED to pause and admire.
q Does Mr. Jones skate? [ asked.
Bill laughed IN that disagreeable
chuckling way of his, and said that Mr..
Jones only came down as an escort to
his wife.
And mighty forlorn time he has
Of it, Dolph,' pursued Bill, standing
shivering there on the brink, and en-
deavoring to follow the flight of the
DGdulllul C1SdtliI0 uo HAS captured DuU
can't tame. He should have earned
to skate and to waltz before he married
Nellie Devoe. [ always believed she
married him out OF spite"
"Here we arew | said, and the train
stopped, / hurried on ahead of my Cab
bling companion, my BRAIN somewhat
confused and shaken. 1t was natural
that Bill should think Nellie Devoe on
" married Jones out of spite: but had
reason to know to the contrary. And
| very soon found out that Jones didn't
mind shivering on the brink to please
her. He didn't skate himself, but was
the most liberal fellow in the world as
far as other people; skating was con-
cerned. He humored Nellie, as did
Lulu, and was willing to freeze for his
beloved, as to roast for mine; and
Nellie told me many time, while she
was endeavoring to teach me " the outer