Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-03-21
THE ROMANCE OF ROLLER SKATING
The Sensations Felt by the Gliding
Skater-Skates That go 50 Fast O Man
Can't Keep mp With Them.

Its dissipation; most beguiling disspa-
tion," said a knight of the roller skates, as ne
came down upon The STAR man with rush
and bump and swung around on the hand
rail. "A most delightful dissipation"
"Thats all right" suggested the scribe "But
next time don't be SO violent Begin putting
on brakes little sooner. Don't come down
Ike train off the track
"Wen, you'll get used to that" replied the
knight, as one foot shot up and the four little
wheels sang tune in the scribe's ears. "You
zee they haven't any brakes, and the only time
they're to be trusted is when they're in motion
whir-r-r-" notion and ne cut an erratic figure
around the hand-rail, while his feet glided and
n1sked about each other in eccentric curves and
angles. You see they don't stay still" He
bit the last word off suddenly as his chin came
down on the rail. Then he sat on a convenient
bench and took both feet up in his lap, as he
continued the conversation.
Its delightful. When you first get to going
you think you are a waltz; then you are a
whirlwind, and then a cyclone You are whiri-
Ing through space. You are happy. You're
reckless: The music joins in, and You are sail
ton. You might drink champagne until i
y %ab, thought ReTfZ ur- yourself ns IA lord You
might smoke opium until your fancies flew into
the realms of dream-land, with all its flowers
and music and crystal fountains-but all that
don't come near these rolling machines. They
wheel you into the ecstacy of the unknown.
1 non glide ns round oI,d. and round and round
and you don't know whether you are
going or not. You'd forget about the wife
and babies at home, you'd forget your dinner.
you'd forget-and keep on going. Everybody
else Is going, the musics going, the walls are
dancing, the floor is slipping out from under
YOU You are picked up and whirled up into
the clouds. And then
Well, you wouldn't mind a little thing
luxe that Just pick yourself up and go on
you puts her little hand in yours it don't
matter If you never saw her before): YOU put
your arm under hers and take hold of the
hand On the other side. Then YOU go IN
double. You don't have to say anything: every
round you make you get closer together You
forget your five dollars a week and she forgets
that her papa's a judge. Well, It's delightful
70 get away, and with a sudden lurch shot out
into the whiri.
ia girl goes to skating rink and don't clone
with the rink master, its because she can't stop
skating long enough. THE STAR man put on q
pair OF rollers, and was at once seized with a
desire TO elope. He might have done so If II
naon I oeen Tor the general cussedness of the
SKATES. Ihey are worse than wings for fyinp
Vhey are more erratic than a mule. Go as fast
Is ever you can, they are bound to be faster than
You are, and they have way of stopping to
Kick up when you are in the most interesting
part or the performance. They are worse than
aoucktng mustang. Their chief purpose seems
10 be TO do something unexpected and the best
way 10 learn how To use them is to sit down
TO IL. " No"A
But that comes natural TO a beginner
Inc desire to elop~ strikes you the first time
you sit down. There's lots of fun In roller
tne thing LOT girl with small fortune, and
great deal of romance