Year: 1873

1t was-I don't remember the precise
year-but it was when I was about
seventeen years old, and when I lived
in the New England village where 1 was
born, and from which had hardly ever
Oeen away.


It was the day before Thanksgiving,
the only holiday that New England
knows much about, and about which
little. For three nights before, the cold
had been very severe for that time of
the year, and the newly-formed ice on
the pond was smooth and clear. What
were we all to do next day, "the glad
dest, merriest day" of all that year,
besides to go to church and eat the
feast that had been so long in prepara-
ton? That was the question asked by
my strong, earnest older friend who had
come from Boston to spend Thanks
giving.


"Skate, of course" I answered.


"But why not try the ice tonight"
he asked.


l could see no reason, and so we
bound on our skates and flew, as it
were, over the CLASSY surface of the





piles of pine tree boughs. Once there,
we conceived the idea of how grand it
. would be to skate back to the village,
collect together the women and the
girls, take suitable provisions for pic
mic, place them all on sleighs and hand
sleds, draw them to this place, and eat
a supper on these rocks, amid the glare
of the burning tree tops, We were not
long in carrying out our plans, for al
most every house had its sleighs and
skates, and those that were destitute of
either united with some of their neigh
bors. An hour and the lake was cover
ed by the merriest skating party that
the lake had ever witnessed. And then
the supper, the bonfire, the songs, the
merry making I shudder to think of
such boisterous sport, with an impend-
ing death so very near The sport was
over at length, the apples eaten, the
cider drank, the songs sung, the stories
told, and the once great flames among
the resinous pine needles were now
smouldering among the limbs, or linger-
ing in the stumps and roots. 1t was
nearly time to go. And so the company
was breaking up into little nots as we
came.


"Tie all the sleighs and sleds to-
sether," my strong friend shouted, the
last to leave the spot. The order was
soon obeyed. Each little vehicle was
ranged from ten to twenty feet apart,
according to the length of the ropes or
leading lines which we had and three
or four skaters were stationed between
tun
were stretched from either side of the
long lines, of which some twenty more
skaters took hold. With shout and
whoop. such as Indians give when
rushing into battle, we started on the
ice. The line, first straight or waver-
ing little where the poor skaters were,
soon took the form of crescent and,
with clamor of voices and the grating
of skating. irons, we sped over the ice.


My strong friend and were soon on
one of the side ropes, and we held the
place nearest to the sleighs. We had
not proceeded far before I perceived
that the ice was bending up in front OF
us, and L could scarcely hear it crack
among the noise of the skaters.
spoke not word, but looked intently
into my companions face. [ only
thought that, so long as we kept in mo-
ton as we were then doing, we might
pass the terrible danger. But knew
very we'll if the true state of affairs were
known, panic would spread along the
line, some skaters would drop out, and
their precious burdens must sink to the
bottom.


[ cannet forget the horror of that mo-
ment-a moment that seemed an age.
[ was faint myself, but only shudder-
ed lest some skater should fall. l
could not speak for fear but almost
feared lest the other voices should stop,
and the cracking of the ice should be
heard by the women, who would be sure
to scream. Ny thoughts were on God;
my eyes were fixed on the face of my
friend. [ was fairly drawn along up
the curving ice, that seemed to rise
higher before us every moment. Cold
sweat was on my forehead, but I could
not loosen my hand from the rope to
wipe it off. My friend noticed that I
was lagging-I, who was SO expert
skater. His eyes caught mine, and by
that sort of intuitive language that we
sometimes have in time of great danger,
he became aware of our dreadful situa-
tion, heard the cracking of the ice, and
saw it, felt it rising in front of us.


What did the strong man do? Flee
like q coward from the danger he had
brought us to, and escape to the land.
Did the alarm seize him that had over
powered me? Far otherwise Raising
his voice SO that he could be heard above
the din of the skaters and the merry
voices of the women, he shouted:


Cali sing, SO we can keep better step;
all sing Coronation" And, without
lowering his voice he sung:


Gan hail the power of Jesus name,


Let angels PROSTATE fall


p,.noy fnrtl, tha rovol diadapo