Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1896-01-31
TRANSIENT BLISS.
A Chicago Girl Had Brief Dream OF De-
lightfui Skating,

tightfui skating.
Sitting at home in steam heated
HIT and thinking about skating is one
thing and going out in the cold to learn
TO stand in slippery places is another.
The terrors of an Arctic expedition are
mild and gentle compared with the suf-
tcring n comfort loving girl encounters
when she coniidingly goes forth to
skate. Her nose gets purple and her
feet feel like two cakes of ice, but her
friends tell her she will be warm
enough when she begins TO exercise. In
the meantime she is obliged to 60 into
n crowded boat house or sit on a stray
log and put on the shining new skates.
That's the time she wishes most for
little feet and inwardly rebels because
her mother made her wear heavy, clum-
sy shoes. No man ever yet put pair
of skates on girl without fussing
quarter of an hour with the straps and
wasting few odd moments in adjust
ing them to her foot. AS for his own
skates there is sure to be something
wrong, something forgotten or some
thing broken, but the doubtful pleas
ureis only half complete if there is but
one girl; usually there are two, neither
of whom can skate very well. When
the girl finally knows she is on run
ners she expects to stand up and strike
out. 1t looks simple enough. She
usually does strike out, but not the way
she expected. The little imp of a boy
nearest jeers and the girl wants to
shake him, but she can't even get up
alone. The beginner clings frantical-
ly to the nice young man and screams
out: "Oh, Gcorge!" at every slip, while
all the small boys, whom she longs to
kill, skim by and yell: Look out!"
Her progress over the ice is series of
scallops.
Skating is such glorious sport, she
has always heard, but skating doesn't
deserve the reputation it has gained.
At least that's the verdict of one North
side girl. As quick as she got her new
martcn collar and muff she made up
l "
door amusemcpts. Furs are so etfec-
tive OH the ice. she had been told She
hates cold weathcr-nobody but FIJI
islander could dislike il more. The
cracked lips, the chapped hands, the
cold, raw discomfort-these make her
miserable, but she forgot that in her
ardor for the skates. A pair of skates
she declared, was the only thing she
needed in this world to make her hap
tpy. She was sure of that. She had
thought of the same thing previously
about feather boa and long watch
chain She got both of those, but life
laid bare another need. When the lake
froze over and good ice was announced
she went downtown, picked out fine
pair of skates, had them charged to hel
older brother, and when he came home
that evening showed him the Christina,
present she had bought for herself
from him. She said she knew he would
give her something anyway, and sh'
might as we'll have what she wanted a
the time when she wanted it. Well
he was very cross and brotherly, but
she didn't mind that. He said at frs
he wouldn't teach her to skate, but sh'
made some sort of bargain with hin
about Christmas present for hi
sweetheart and he relented. The,
chose Il dark night for the initial per
Torrance. 1t was very cold and the,
didn't stay out long. She went One
more, just to say she had given it a thor
ough trial; then she did her skates III
neatly in the box they came in and ad
dressed them TO her cousin, who live
in the country.--Chicago Record.