The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1890-12-25

ing regretfully on the sh2ooWy sloe OF
but straightens her back,
drops her shoulders and smoothes out
her wrinkles as the music Of the bells
PLAYS variations on a half forgotten
theme of coy sleigh and comfortable
wrappers, all winding up with a crash
ing crescendo of hot oysters and merry
reel.
And to those young hearts, suscepti-
BILE to frolic as to sentiment and throb-
bling for ever changing excitement. what
q delicious bound it sends!
Oh, the bells, sleighing bells.
What a world of merriment their melody fore
tells.
Yes, sleighing is glorious. IT'S the
next best thing to flying to sit in the
light, strong cutter and glide over the
smooth surface without noise or jar,
seeming scarce to touch it. Your glossy
black, catching TIE lively inspiration Of
his bells, shakes his head in huge frolic.
stretches out afresh and spurns the snow
in lighter wreaths from his ever quick
ening heels. Now for a brush! See that
yellow jumper just ahead. Hu-y-a-ah!
and tho reins tighten, the clean head
goes straighter out, the snow wreaths fly
higher still behind the strong hoofs. We
are off! We close the gsp-the yellow
sleigh gains once mora length, two!
Once more we close and fly along neck
and neck! How the bells peal and
shrek! How the horses race now as it
for their own honor! How the clear,
keen wind whistles past the fur tipped
ears, exhilarating like huge bumpers OF
champagne, as we fly along side by side
for three hundred yards! just ahead
looms huge "pung'' loaded down and
creeping over the snow. Now is the
time; now or never! Straighten back,
brace knee! Down comes the 1.-the lash
over the blacks tanks, and what squirt
we have! The brown mare strains every
muscle; her driver lays fiat back on the
ribbons-now he plies his whip like mad
He laps us again; for a hundred yards
you could cover them both with blan.
ket! Once more we forgo a length
ahead. We near tho pung-we gain a
1ength-two. Hu-ya-a-ah!a and the brown
is in the air! We feel her hot breath on
our necks; we just Craze the pung, fear
fully close, and wind in just before herl
Oh, that was glorious!
And if anything can add to the fun it
is to have particular somebody tucked
in beside one, with . pair of bright eyes
that dance to the merry music of the
rich laugh, with tiny hand that rests,
in pretty fright, on tho tense arm that
guides the black a thought too near the
scrapers of the yellow sleigh. And it is
a problem of easy solution-given, a
neat cutter and fast horse, to find any
unknown quantity of tender femininity
alongside.
But haven't forgotten my story?
Ihad just sprung the lock of my valise
and wiped from my brow the drops that
haste brought there even that bitter day,
when Jones tally-ho rang through the
frosty street. Giving final caress to
the mouche on the wounded chin reflect.
ed by my parting glance at the mirror,
rushed down with my baggage. Tom
sat with the reins twisted round his
heavy gauntlets, beaming and trium'
plant, and his mustache one solid cake
of ice. The horses stood stock still
covered with rapidly freezing foam, and
blowing out volumes of mist that form
cd in delicate frostwork around thei,
nostrils.
"What did I tell your Look at thu
Kittens" was the drivers salute; and a.
If to corroborate it, the gray mare made
terrific lunge forward, while "Jalap'
stood straight up and paved the air.
"So-ho! steady, boys" and the ieuten
ant braced himself hard against the gray
while the flexible wrist brought the lonl
lash over the sorrel's neck. $50, there
steady now. Bundle in quick now, OLE
boy, while they are quiet
In bumped my valise, signal for TIL
brutes to execute another war dance
Over the back seat tumbled, and, a
two pairs of heels threw a binding shower
of snow and icicles into my eyes and
down my back, went headforemost into
the folds of the buffalo.
Before the conglomerate mass Of valise
and man was righted, we were off ~
the road in a full run, the sleigh jump
ing along like a football and Tom plying
his whip like mad, keeping them at .
full run while he yet had them well il
hand.
"W-what do You me-meanr gasped
humping about the back seat in huge
discomfort, as the biting wind, rushing
down my throat with the force of {
norther, nearly strangled me. "Wh-h,
don't you st-opp-'m?'
Gail right, my boy" Tom answered
cheerily through his set teeth; and b.
braced every muscle afresh while tn
cruel lash descended on the fagYinl
horses. "All right! you know I mus
bring 'em in quiet for Uncle Bob to see
So, lads, so-o-oi now steady" One lonl
sway Of his broad back brought then
down to canter, then into swinging
trot, and turning into the mayors lane
we drew up at the door.
There! hold the ribbons! won't b
gone second. Bets ready, I know;
and, forcing the reins into my reluctan
hands, Tom sprang out and disappeared
in the doorway.
Now, after all my TRADE about racinI
and sleighing and such stuff, one nigh
reasonably suppose me very Phaetou
or at least q Hiram Woodruff. But
was always strong in theories and-i
confidence: that stuff was all talk-pur
imagination. Practically, I never wa
the least bit horsey in my tastes, and al
ways hated to drive unless knew m
beast to be perfectly harmless. In fact
ever felt tingle of brotherly sym
pathy for that bard Of Cockaigne VIII
sang:
There's something IN . horse
That can always honor, but never can indoors
Neither was ambitious of the fate G
Phaeton; SO, keeping one eye fixed o
the gray's ears and the other ON II
sorrels heels, went hand over hand q
the taut reins until felt safe to stradd]
the front seat, and finally brace mysel
against the dasher. The gray still keF
his head out and bore steadily On Ii
bit, but the sorrel seemed to have ha
enough go in the late scamper an
pulled dead against him. Congrat,
lating myself that the doctors hor.
acted as q counter irritant on tt
drawing propensities Of his mate, b