The true northerner., 1879-02-07
COhSTING.
rProm N. otuclnnsti Rnquirer.l

CFrom the Cincinnati Knquirer.l
The bows were coasting down Syca-
more street hill, last evening, when
John Sanscript and his wife came along.
They had been mp ON Baltimore street,
visiting, and were on their way home.
~Just see them boys, now" said John,
as he braced up at the intersection OF
Mulberry street. at really reminds me
of the days when / was lad. Do you
know, Jane, that / used to coast down
hill on sled that wsy?"
did you, John?" =
~Why, yes; but that's fifty year agol'
Sanscript scratches his head con-
templatively and then mutters, soto
u0ce:
"Durn my1granddaddy's buttons, if I
don't try it." :,
"Try what, dear?" anxiously asked
Mrs. s.
@Pm going to coast just once, to re-
vive recollections of fifty year ago."
"Now, John, If were you"
"But you are not me, 30 don't inter
fere. Here, sonny" Ito a lad who had
lust puffed up the hill with his sled) |;
"here, sonny, I'll give you quarter to
let me slide down on your sled once"
The bargain was eagerly nailed and
clinched.
"Be keerful, old man." urged the boy,
as Sanscript squatted rather awkwardly
on the sled; "be keerful, say, and
don't let her funk one way or 'tother
tin she brings up or you'll git mashed" :"
"Never mind, younker," assured John,
~I'ye been here afore-some years afore,
but"
But what will never be known, for just
then the sled, of its own accord, started
down the hill, and even John himself
has not been able to recall what he was
about to observe. The surprise at the
sled's unexpected movement was gen
eral.
"Look out! yelled the boy.
"Oh, John!" screamed Mrs. San
script.
"Whoa, there!" yelled John.
, But the sled wouldn't whoa. 1t seemed
to have set off down that hill to beat it
best time John had chance only t.
clutch hold of both sides and hold hi
: breath for fear the wind would blow of
the top of his head. The only though
he had time to foster was that the DO.
must have creased the sled's runners a
practical joke. And, if this was coast
ing, he had never coasted, if his recol
lection served him right.
!; Two-thirds way down the hill the sle'
l struck an ice hummock, and immediate
|, ly his course was changed to paraboli
: curve.
Whack bang! crash! clink!
!. The bringing up was awfully suddel
! and uncertain. Sanscript and the sle
disappeared as abruptly as a shootin
star. The latter lay shivered to atom
: against lamp-post, and Sanscript la
!, shivering in the grocery cellar just OF
1 posite. When the off runner of the sle
: collided with the lamp-post and stoppe
the vehicle, Sanscript rose like circus
d leaper and went right on turning twent
somersaults to the second. He wen
: through the grocery window as the Gil
: cus-leaper goes through paper hooI
:. The grocer appeared soon after all
= compromised upon John paying tn
following bill
y window sash SlO.l
3 Crushed cheese ...................... IL,
7 Hogshead molasses Observation-Disclosures. 49,
Christmas goods. ......................... L.
. rOtal.................................s71. Total s71.;
= = Then the boy came in with bill c
: $5 for his sled, to say nothing of tn
7 loss of q suit of clothes, surgeons bi
: for plastering sundry skinned surfaces
and the bill of hackman who conveye
. the fainting wife home. In the coole
moments of afterthought SanscriE
> reckoned it up and discovered that
: had cost him $109.78 to recall recollet
tions of fifty years ago, and require
= : but one minute and five seconds of oil
. Father Time in which to do the reco
lecting.