Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-02-03

EU S~ iilugS VI OVCSS ouN
then the levelest
grassy slope you ever saw.
1t was pretty hard for tine haymakers
in the summer to swing the scythe and
rake the hay up aud down or back and
forth across the steeply rising ground.
Mr.. Swazey, who owned most of the
slope, declared it was standing tempta.
tion to rival the vineyards ne had seen
on the river Rhine by planting terraces
of grapes across its bosom.
It remained for Ella Waldron to dis
cover the true purpose for which this hill
was formed $50 she ssld). 1t was in the
carly winter of 1SS- when the snow Gov
cred the whole expanse that she caught
the inspiration as she looked up its
dazzling cloak of pure white to where,
half mile above, Swazey's south gable
just peeped over skeleton trees.
"What a toboggan slide.' she ex-
claimed.
Twenty seconds later she was before
the gate, starting up the high road with
the intention Of unburdening her mind
into the responsive ear Of Will Swazey.
One Of the towu boys was just com.
ing along on the way up the hill. 1t was
Dick Carson, Wills chum.
"Good afternoon, MIS- Waldron. I'm
going up to"
"Oh, Dick .' interrupted Ella, unable
to restrain her enthusiasm. 'rve got
such an idea You know the Swszey
hillside, behind the house-such a TO-.
boggan slide, And we can form club,
you know aad-and 1 was Just starting
up to see Will about it. Don't you
think it's a perfectly splendid ideal"
"H'mw exclaimed Dick. "Seeing
that was going to propose the same
thing TO Will, think the idea is pretty
fair"
NO, were you really Well, come
along then and we'll
moo, guess not, returned Dick,
with a pretense Of doubt. ~ guess III
turn back and mail an order to New
York for toboggan and an outfit"
"What forl There's plenty OF time
Besides, it isn't settled yet "
"Oh, yes it is--if you're going 70 tell
Will you want il.
"Oh, you tease" cried Ella with
little flush "COme along, now, and
don't be saucy.'
And this explains how the Luna To-
boggsl Club came to be formed, and
perhaps little more besides.
There was great excitement over it and
enormous curiosity, you may be sure, un
til finally two crates of toboggans ar
rived from New York with boxes OF tn,
regulation Canadian costumes for boyi
and girls.
But the winter seemed to nave passed
then, for the air was mild and the snow
had vanished. But change came and
one February afternoon big fakes begar
to fall, faster and faster and next morn
ing they were falling still aud the bill
was sight to behold
Everybody was late to school, 70
everybody must look over his toboggaI
and his suit, to make sure they were al
right, and then they all lost more tim,
as they gathered about Will Swazey b
the gate and listened to his mothers in
vitatiou 10 a great Inauguration sprea,
at their Louse after the sport was over
For of course the Swazey house, just a
the top of the hill was to be the head
quarters of the club.
Words eau hardly describe the ga
excitement of the night. Children AM
parents alike came. the former wrappt'
40 10 the cars in their brilliantly coloret
suits, and dragging their toboggans, th'
latter merely as spectators of the exhIla
rating sport.
And such a scene as it was on tn
crest Of this snow covered hill, with tht
moou shimmering on long, glass
crust sweeping down and away for yer,
nearly half mile
But when it came to taking the frs
plunge at this new sport, there was som
hesitation.
"Come along Ella; let US take th
lead" and Ella responded with aO alac
rity which, it must be confessed, sh,
really did not feel.
Everything was in readiness, the
were seated aud wrapped in carefully
Will behind to do the steering; the
there was little push of the foot, tn
toboggan moved over the brow Of tn
lncline--whizl they were of like fash
gone almost as soon as started, into tn
deep shadow Of the town outskirts.