St. Paul daily globe., 1894-02-04
WINTER SPORTS.

mean way of following bonspiels, ice
palaces and wiuter sports In general.
The least that could have been expected
| of our home curriers' was for them to pro-
vide suitable cold snap at the Begin
ming of the bonspiel. Did they forget to
appoint weather committee with full
authority to bribe the mercury,
or did they expect the Cana
dians to bring Borealis with
them? Had it not been for the thought
fulness of the Duluth contingent, the
curriers' might have continued to curl in
water. They went home Saturday night,
and immediately sent down cold wave
that would have served polar
bear for an Overcoat. The warm
spell was little trying to
the Duluthlans; anything above
zero. unless accompanied by Lake
Superior blizzard. seems summer
weather to them, and they could not
resist telling fishing yarns or camping
stories; the incongruity of such tales
brought Jumps Of ice to the eyes of the
outside listeners. But after the zero
mark was reached the most Indifferent
were compelled to become enthusiastic
to prevent lcicles from forming in their
brains.
Who would ever dream that man
could handle broom so successfully?
AND how particular they are about their
brooms; anything but a new one is
sneered at. | fear the masculine mind
did:not display its customary superior (?)
forethought, or women would not
have been allowed to visit the
curling rink. From several re-
marks which overheard. think that
some of the good housewives who wit
messed the bonspiel gained a knowl-
edge of quite unexpected accomplish
ments which their husbands possess.
Deep and dire were the threats which
fell from pretty feminine lips as they
saw how deftly their husband handled
the brooms. ITO think that the snow
has stood on my front porch all winter,
and Tom can sweep like that! indg-
nantly calculated Mrs. MacBlank. "And
aren't my steps almost impossible" ;"
queried little woman with Scotch
twist to her tongue. ''If my Jack
could curl, he could clean snow," an
other emphatically remarked; "but
he isn't strong enough to curl. Just
came down to watch, thought would
meet him here and surprise" Here she
suddenly broke off as yell which was
cross between thunder clap and an
engine whistle smote her ear. Was
there not something strangely familiar
about that vocal effort? "Hurrah for
Jack Brown the chorus yelled,
and, as she turned, who should
she see but her own feeble JackY
boy bending almost double, armed
with broom and sweeping as vigor-
ously as if he had been born parlor
maid, and was being paid by the job.
Mrs. Jacks eyes glittered, whether from
pride or anger l know not. 1t was a
good play on Jacks part. and she should
have been glad, but as she departed
these words fell heavily into the slush
and stopped stone: "And l
thought he wasn't strong enough to
lift a broom!' Then firmly; my
sweeping day will be changed to Sun
day. and Jack can expend some OF that
superfuous muscle on the parlor
carpet" Who would imagine anything
could make Scot ethusiastic? Some
canDy old clansmen became so excited
over fine play that they begin to yell
and sweep as vigorously. if they are
twenty feet behind the sliding stone, as
If they were directly before it.
Curling is rather violent exercise for
a woman. Not but what feel sure that
we could carry off nine ont of ten
trophies, if given a asfair chance; but
what pity toboganing is no longer
popular; there is where we shone with
luster entirely undimmed by flying
brooms. What delightful sensation
1t was to feel yourself flying out into
space, with your heart in your mouth
and your feet in your companions
pockets. And, boys, what could be
more delightful, as the toboggan flies
over bump, than to feel your best
girls arms fly around your neck so
Spasmodically as to almost dislocate your
collar button. accompanied by wild,
Western, woolly shrek. fired directly
against your ear drum. l repeat, wasn't
that experience delightful enough to
pay you for the trouble OF having to pull
her UP the hill because her dear little
feet were too cold to bear her fairy form
enclosed in blanked like her ancestors
wore? | remember young friend of
mine, delicate little girl weighing but
1SO pounds-doubtless she was con-
sumptive-who always wore white to-
boggan suit, and the sight of her en-
robed thusly always made me home
sick for the Alps: she exactly resembled
an avalanche on rampage. She had
big, strong beau to cling to when she
was frightened; he weighed az least 125
pounds, and his strength equaled his
weight. 1t was a pretty as we'll as
touching sight to watch him soothe her
when the little one would be over
whelmed with fright at the prospect of
gliding down the slanting ribbon of
ice.
Then there is skating; why don't
girls do more skating? It is such de-
lightfully healthy and invigorating
pastime. After a girl has skated for an
hour she feels equal to out-talking the
Droverbial book agent. VI course, Skat-
ing has it's disadvantages; it is always
pleasanter to stay ON top of the ice than
to try to experiment by going under it.
1t is always little embarrassing to
ones friends TO suddenly disappear
through hole in the ice, and it is dread
fully dampening to the feelings of the
diver. 1t is wise to take good drink
of whisky before disappearing, and l
can assure you the chill of
twelve feet of ice water will not
be SO perceptible. If you have
taken few lessons in Christian
scieuce, firmly resolve not to die, and
doubtless you will be found in the
springtlme and thawed out as good as
new. Still, would recommend the top
of the ice as preferable to the under
side; not only will it be found drer, but