The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-02-20

wors ed muller, sealskin gloves and silk
| wrlstets. These garments altogether
must weigh between twenty and twenty
five pounds.
| In the next window are seen several
varieties OF blanket or snowshoe suits.
They take the place of the dress, basque
and sacque in the other window. They
are made so as to display all the varie.
gated border of first quality blanket.
The. prettiest are the white ones with
the s.!p., green, yellow and blue borders.
The scque has big hood tied with a
silk bow, and hanging like pointed bag
between the shoulders. When it halls
or SHOWS the girls pull these hoods over
their heads, and the long, cylindrical
points, sticking high in the air, look very
eomlcal. When the girls wear these
snowshoe suits they put on buckskin
moccaSins trimmed with colored porcu-
pine quills in the place of arctics.
Il dressed up in the full rig of girl
friend L In staying with" said l4-year-
old New York girl yesterday" and it
made me waddle like a big Dutchman.
| couldn't get my knees anywhere near
each other, and l felt as if [ were in a
steam bath. One thing is certain, you
can't get hurt when you are dressed that
way. felt as if it would be perfectly
safe to go on the roof and roll over on to
the sidewalk. You feel as if you were
done up inside ball Of worsted.'
But the Canadian girls find no trouble
about locomotion. They walk very beau
tifully, and the impression of stiffness
and unaprroachableness that they give to
stranger bellies their natures. The
young men say that they thaw right out
in the society Of any man who pleases
them, and are as ardent in affection as
they are enthusiastic in sport. The sport
they like best is tobogganing. tobog
gan is nothing but. thin, fiat board,
curved up in front and provided with
handles at the sides. The young men
build slides on the snow down the noun
tain side, coat them with ice, and then
ride the girls down them for hours at
time. One youth said to-day that hay
ing to drag forty pound toboggan up
the mountain, hour after hour, was what
drives the men to drink. Up on the top
of the lide, which is decked at the sides
by evergreens and lighted at night with
on to the toboggan, slows her legs under
the roll of the board ahead, grasps the
side handles and holds her breath. The
young man gets on behind on one hauDch
with his right leg free to steer with. He
pushes the slender board to the edge of
the preciritous alley Of ice and gives a
strong kick, and down they 60 like a
shot iron i gun. There is a second S
pause, t,TsI, whirl and roar and a
minute of bated breathing as the slender
sled shoots in its groove of ice between
the black lines OF spectators 1t is a
dangerous sport, but there is secret
about it. A ride on t0boggan is like a
galvanic shock. The friction of the rapid
molten on the thin board over the rough
ice electrifes and thrills the rider. Every
nerve tingles and every muscle becomes
rigid. Though it lasts but few seconds,
they are seconds Of strained enjoy
ment.
The Marquis of Lansdowne opened the
grand slide named in his honor. Half
the girls in town were there His Ex
cellency climbed the hill and mounted
the steps of the slanting wood platform
fifty feet high and 100 feet long that gives
the toboggans the needed impetus.
While the birchen toy was being put in
place he flung eff his coat of otter and
beaver fur and stood before the deli GIFTED
youths in the full flannel uniform Of the
Lansdowne Toboggan Club. Imagine
how they yelled. His companion, Mrs.
Searle, wife of the President of the club,
sat on another toboggan. The noble
Marquis bent his unlimbered muscles SO
as to sit down and wheel his legs under
the curved dashboard of his sled, and,
grasping the slender rail by his sides,
called out: Quite ready, thank you, y
to Mr.. CorStine, who was to steer him,
and who at once leaped upon one haunct
on the toboggan, and with vigorous
kick sent it flying down the precipice
His EXcellency was pleased to put uI
his noble hand to keep his hat and hail
from blowing off together. Lord Mel
; gund put his lordly trousers on either
side of Mrs. Searle on her toboggan, anc
: Mr.. Searle as steerer leaped on behinc
and sent his wife and her blue-bloodec
: escort tearing down the icy declivity close
, upon the ruler of the Canadas. The
, road was kept clear for them, and they
saw no mishaps. They soon departed tol
, the masquerade skating carnival at ths
, ladies were in command of the festivities
They left the Joys efthe slide to hundreds
f of rosy girls, who sped DOWN the ice will
, fushes checks, parted lips and sparklin.
: eyes, each girl leaned back upon th'
shoulder of her steerer in full surrende
to pleasure. Sometimes one toboggal
/ ran upon another, sometimes boboggar
at full speed dashed into those who wer,
, quitting one that had come to halt, 9th
, ers dashed out of their grooves and tool
rows of Outstanding men and women OF
their feet as though a Gatling batter.
, had raked them but at all this the girl
sent up peals of laughter, and urged tn
T steerers to hasten back to the SUNNI
, with their sit down board. Letter from
! Canada.