The herald., 1898-01-05
PLAYING THE FOOL.
Singular Outcome of a New
England Boys New
Years Resolutions.

xNCW L t<lT LAY TeSOlullOUS. 1NStSl :
What's the use, unless you mean to
keep them? And the only resolution of
that sort which I ever really tried to
keep nearly cost me my life.
"Of course every boy has to play the
fool now and then-it's like eating ones
allotted peck of dirt, 1 suppose; and
1t So CHANGED that I hit upon New
Years Day for my most sensational
performance. I hit hard, too; but that
belongs at the finish.
Not that I was particularly fool
hardy for a boy of twelve; on the CO l.
trary, I believe that I was distinctly
more prudent than the average at that
sapient extraordinarily. And there
came the rub. Boy fashion, I was
rather ashamed of my prudence; it
mortified me.
mot long before. somebody had
stumped' me to do a perfectly idiotic
thing, and I had declined to take the
dare-showing excellent sense. An
other boy took 1T up, and got duck
ing; but that didn't comfort me. I felt
that had fallen in the estimation of
my fellows, and I wanted to retrieve
myself; which could be done, of course,
only by attempting some equally Wit
less venture.
$50 made a New Years Day reso-
tuition.
Anybody can do anything he
pleases,' I reasoned, If only he makes
up his mind to it. This year I'll Just
go ahead and do things, like that Rufe
Skinner; and I'll begin today
'"The day was we'll suited to my pur-
pose. The sky was bright, the air was
crisp, and there was a crust such as
I have never seen quite equalled either
before or since. About an inch Of sleet
had fallen on the surface of the snow
during the night then the sleet turned
to rain; and finally, just as the rain
ceased, the mercury dropped to the
zero mark. In the morning everything
was frozen solid. That crust was SO
strong that you couldn't stamp through
1t with your heel, and it was so glazed
with ice that many Of the boys
strapped on their skates and went
Swimming up hill and down dale.
Others got out their sleds; and I start
ed off with mine, resolved to do or die.
"As school didn't keep that day
luckily for school-nearly the whole
Junior population of the village was on
the war-path. The underlying snow
was deep, and the fences were mostly
buried out Of sight; so we paid no man
ner of attention to the roads, but went
slipping, shouting, tumbling, across the
fields.
"Just beyond the corporation limits
lay a hill which was ideal for coasting
under such conditions. The top was
rounded; then came a long, steep in
cline, followed by an almost flat ex
panse, with a gentle rise at the further
side on which the rushing sleds might
spend their Roadway. 1t was quite a
struggle to climb a slope so 'glairy'-a
word that we were wont to apply only
to the smoothest ice on pond or river
but the binding swiftness of the de-
scent was worth twice the effort. All
the school was gathered there, both
boys and girls, and the air was full of
waving 'tippets,' shining faces, and
ringing voices.
For time was so absorbed in the
sport of simple, straight-away coasting
that I thought of nothing else. 1t was
such fun to pitch down head-foremost
with a plunge like the swoop of a
hawk, to glide over the interval and
up the opposing slope with gradually
abating speed, and finally, as the old
cat died. to jump off ones sled and
proclaim that it had gone fully two
lengths further than any other. But at
last I realized that my opportunity
had come. Here was the time, the
the audience. I would now
distinguish myself.
For some weeks had been covertly
practising the art of sliding while
standing erect on my sled,-only at
tempting the feat on very moderate
slopes, however. In this exercise I hao
become tolerably expert, finding my
self able to steer sufficiently by the
poise and movements of my body.
rarely losing my balance. Today ]
would show them something worth
while.
1T announced my intention, and after
some expostulation the entire COMPANY
rested at the top of the hill to witness
my bold exploit. Some Of the girls. I
think, threatened to tell my mother.
but was not to be dissuaded. So. not
even deigning to take hold of the rome.
/ stepped vain-gloriously upon the deck
Of my 'sharp-shooter,' while my partic- |
ular chum. Fred Buckingham, held it
steady; then, with a gentle push from
Fred. started.