Connecticut western news., 1882-04-05
Canada Letter.

ED. NEws;-Before the spring is here l moro than merely in nsme, while the ground is yet white and the air frosty and clear,
 while the sound of sleigh bells yet ring upon
 the air, and furs and warm wraps are a neces.
 sary part of sveryone's outfit, will write you
 about the winter amusements and sights of
 this city, where surely, if anywhere in the
 world, they understand how to enjoy winter
 pastimes, and protect themselves against cold
 In the first place, the houses arc oil provided
 with double windows, serving effsctually to
 keep the cold at bay, and one wouldn't guess, from the halmy atmosphere which reigns within, that king Winter hslds high carnival without, save when called to the window by
 the merry jingling of bells, one sees the mer-
 ry sleighs, bearing their gay freight, and
 drawn by the fine horses which abound here.
 On bright afternoon the scene on Sher.
 brooke street is gay one. A constant sue.
 cession of slsighs arc passing, slsighs of .
 kind and luxuriousness peculiar to Canada,
 where among the heavy robes the bright
 faced occupants, muff1ed to the ears in furs,
 defy the assaults of the cold. The high
 backed seats protect from the wind, and
 Canadian winter wraps are the most comfort
 able things possible, brought to perfection by
 years of experience. The children wear
 blanket coats, with ,gay sashes, and bright little ,oquss coming down over the ears, and
 giving pretty effect to the faces beneath.
 Snow-shoers and tobogganers also wear these
 warm bright garments, so that party of the
 kind is gay spectacle. One often sees them on moonlightsd evenings, starting of for an expedition over the mountains, happy, gay voiced pa'ty ofyoung men and maidens The snow shoe races are very pretty to watch, and although the large, fiat shoes seem so clumsy, are easily worn. At a race I was watching this winter. :some Indians were competing, but didn't equal in speed, although they might in endurance. their pale faced brothers, who beat them in their own field The proper place to keep snow shoes when not in use, is in the window. Che can hard. ly pass house where pair of some size is not to be seea in aA open window. An odd and rather picturesque kind of decoration.
 It is wonder that toboggans have not been introduced into the states by some enterprise ing American, in quest of some new thing, for they are very swift and can hold several sliders at once, after the manner of double ripper" They have no runners, but are fiat upon the ground, one end curling over, fur l nishing support for the feet of the foremost ] person. The different tobogganing clubs of the city have especial sliding places reserved | Tor their express use, snd hardly night | passes without merry meeting there, wind ing up often with gay little supper and dance.
 Tue winter has been . very mild ono here, there being no snow until the New Year, and since then no great depth, only enough to make moderately good sleighing part of the time The winters festivities have been varied; skating carnivals have beer held at he Victoria Rink. and 1t is one of the pretti. 'st sights to watch them, az hundreds of spec ,ators do. In the centre of the rink is a yrotto, carved of ice, and whose variously lued lights cast their changing tints upon the ray skaters, now red, then yellow or blue. At either end is a Cleopatra's Needle, also of ce, and around the galleries are the flags ol many countries, among the Union Jack. the fussian flag. the Spanish and the French ;leaming forth the familiar stars and stripes But the throng of skaters in fancy dress who nake blaze of color like an immense kaleid. scope, as brilliant and as constantly chang ng, keep the attsn tion sncbained, and it is Ike fairy land to watch the scene. There 'ere Oscar Wildes, three or four of them, in slvet suits, Knickesbocksrs and the inevita- le sunaower or lily. There were flower irls, tho Queens of night and of morning, .