New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-03-07

supper meal of Spartan hugalitY, consisting Of
hot cofee bread and butter, cheese and CRACKERS
It never taxes long to get through with supper;
which is disposed Of amid hail storm OF Jokes ana
personal remarks, which testify TO an intimate
knowledge Of the men with each others GharacssIs
and individual peculiaritieS. and display bheis
admirable eOod-humor and the perfect undeistana-
ing which exists between them. After supper they
all troop back to the long room above mentloned'
where there are songs mostly of the comic variety,
and Rotations and wild stag-dances winch range
all the way from the latest fashionable waltz 70 inc
maddest of cancans. and consumption OF t0Oacco
that would have delighted the heart OIL c0lomai
Dutchman. Everybody Is expected 70 supply ms
share OF the evenings amusement Which Wltn IeI
of young men who sing and dance and reeite ana
perform gYmnastc feats as well as do tbese, V
Immensely amusing and altogether mover ana
attractive to stranger. After honr or two OF
nnalloved finn which nuts everybody IN n good
humOr and does wonders to cement reenng OF
friendship and good fellowship among the members
of the club, the lmprOmptu concert Is brought 20
close with God Save the Queen las everything IN
Canada is wound up by singing. with barred heads
and standing, the National anthem, and the men
start OF again their hOmewRrd journey IN tine
same long.drawh Indian file, and over the same
track back TO the Club HOnse. where they dIspefse
and go home to sonnd and dreamless sleep alter
live-mile tramp, much of it mt sharp trOt, over
road which to legs uDaccustomed To TINS sort OF
thing seems dreadfully steep and wearisome .
The Saturday afternoon tramps differ from those
on Wednesday evening only IN their being OF o
greater length. The club assemblies at the CLUB
House at o'clock, and sets out in the same order
as on Wednesday nights for some one OF the little
villages which lie some six or seven miles from
Montreal where there is an hotel which can supply
a decent dinner. 1t is far pretter sight, though,
than the evening tramp, for 10y daylight one can
see the long line OF blue tnques and the scarlet legs
and the with their gay borders winding
in and ont among the trees. thrown strikIngly into
relief against tho dark green OF the pines and ever
greens. The tramp is always straight across couh-
try as nearly in Decline for the destination OF
the afternoons tramp ne is practicable mere are
plenty of walls and fences 10 be crossed but tney
offer no obstacle to the snOwShoer, VINO vaults
lightly over the fences and walks quietly over the
walls which always have drifts running mp TO each
side of them in the level and wind.Bwept country
around Montreal. The dinner Is much Ike the sup
per Of the Wednesday before except that IL rs very
substantial for the men are Iavenously hungry
after their long tramp; and that 1t IS queter, lot
great appetites, like great passions. are apt To We
silent But after dinner there is another concert
and more dancing, and a further consumption OF
the soothing plant 50 dear to the heart "God save
the Queen" once more sung and the men are on on
their way hOme which they reach at 10 or IL
o'clock having covered their tn elve or fifteen miles
in from three hours to three hours and half, tho
time depending on the condition Of the snow.
Ii il impossible TO describe the charm OF snow
shOelng aud hard to explain 1t. Perhaps 1t comes
partly from what Theoplile Gauter calls the " Ia"
tOxicati0n of snow" which takes possession OF one
so easily it certainly partly from the spirit
of good humOr and good fellowship which seems to
lie universal among those who practise snowshoe-
ing and partly from the pleasure Of exercise IN q
cold dry air that is crisp braeing and eXhllerat-
ing. The elasticity of the step in walking on the
sprlngy shoes is delightful and there is fasclna-
ton in going over swamps and places where one
can never 90 at other Seasons OF the year, ana at
this only on snOwshOes. Whatever the cause may
be, and shall not trouble myself to Try 10 expialh
It. the fact remains that of all the pleasant winter
sports that Canada affords. and there are MANY OF
Them snOwshOeing Is by far the peasantest, the
most health-gl and the most fascinating