Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1879-12-18
Uncle John on the Advent of Winter

The last rose of summer has faded and
gone. Fans and parasols have been laid
away, and busters have become an abomi-
nation. The summer of 1879 has taken its
place on the shelf, and its joys and pleas
ures, along with its dust perspiration and
heated misery, now exists only in memory.
No more summer night strolls in the
moonlight; no more delightful plunges in
/ the water; no more mosquito music, and no
more flies in the butter.
Well, let it GO There are some pleasant
features about summer, but give me the
crisp and bracing air of wIntcr-the invig-
Grafton which comes from exercise In the
frosty air.
never like the languor and laZiness that
seem to attach TO warm weather. When
the mercury is fooling around the 100 de-
grees mark on the thermometer, people
seem to move and breathe as If they were
maintaining life under protest. You rise
in the morning as if it was great exertion
to get out of bed, and even the operation
of eating is performed rs if it were pen
atty inflicted for some kind of crime.
There is nothing like cold weather to stir
up a mans energy. 1t brightens the eye,
hasteps the pace and stimulates the ambi-
ton. Even the averoge tramp, on sharp
and frosty morning, enlivens his gait SO
that you can see him move without taking
sight by telegraph pole.
Winter is not looked forward too with
longing by the very poor; who dread the
necessity of coal and, clothing; but for
tunately there are not many people in the
United States, proportionately, who are
in danger of suffering from want. The
''hard time" exist no longer. Business of
all kinds is booming, and everybody feels
confident and happy because of the sus-
picious outlook. All who arc ready able
and willing can get renumerative employ
ment, and hence nobody need quake whe n
the whistle of winter is heard.
Winter in the country is the jo'liest of
the seasons. Farmers don't have the benefit
of the theatres and kindred amusements
such as we have in the city; but they have
glorious sleigh rides, joyous social gather
ings and many accessories of pleasure that
city folks never experience.
City folks don't know what winter fun
is, unless there has been a mighty change
since. / was boy, some fifty years ago.
1t ,Nakes the blood in the old mans veins
jump and thump even now TO think Of the
sleigfing parties we used to have in the
county. None of your starched affairs,
with driver perched up on box in front
and the sleighers sitting liked starched
mummies in the seats. None of your dress
parade sleigh-ridng through streets, pass
ing hundreds of other sleighers, all starch
ed and stiff and conscious of being on ex-
hibition. No dragging through chocolate
colored snow, no humping on stone pave
ments, no twenty-five dollars to pay to the
liveryman the next day for your alleged
fun.
Such Is city slaigA riding.
But the country variety, when1 was boy,
was a very different thing.
The old two horse sled, with the box full
OF clean straw. No seats, no starch, no
dress-parade. A dozen boys and girls squat
ted miscellaneously in the straw, with
enough buffalo robes to keep the party
warm. The whip cracks and away we 60
Over the country roads through the spot
less snow, and nobody looking at us but
the man in the moon, who seems to roug-
ishly wink his left eye. Everyone is talk
.A~JCo lAAC luC LuOOuUSdIlS
in the snow, cheeks glow like carnatlon
roses, and happiness reigns supreme.
But the sleigh-rides are not the only at
fractions of country life in the winter time.
There are the singlng-schools, the spelling
bees and social parties.
An, yes, the spelling bees, how used to
enjoy them! Two rows of boys and girls,
words fired at them by the
local school teacher, and the havoc made
in the ranks by misspelling! Well re-
member once when all was spelled down |
but myself and Matilda Jane Tompkins. |
Matilda was a sweet little girl and was
sweet on Matilda. We were on opposite |
sides, of course, and as the hard words |
were given trembled for fear she would |
miss first. At last l spelled Cincinnati
with two cts" and the look of pain she |
gave me showed that she would rather |
have missed herself | saw Matilda Jane |
about year ago. She has grandchildren
older than she and | were at the time of the |
spelling match, and she has got into the
habit of wearing her teeth in glass Of
water at night.