"M. QUAD" ON SKATES.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2026, 2 July 1875, Page 2

"M. QUAD" ON SKATES.

".You see," said my friend Reglet, as he cut a " pigeon's wing" on the glassy surface at the rink, went off on one foot and came circling around on the other, " you see it is an exercise which brings all the muscles into play, and,must be., healthy. In fact, Dio Lewis says it is better than riding on horseback." It looked so easy and so nice that I winked at the boy who had skates to lend, and ho came over. " That's right, old boy !" called Reglet, as he sailed around with a handsome girl on each arm, and a lovely blonde hanging to his coat.taiU — "I'll . bet 100 dollars that you'll learn all the flourishes within an hour.' 1 I was highly gratified at this expression of confidence in my ability, and I kept hurrying up.the boy as ho fastened on the skates. The / impudent saucebox said I had better strap a pillow on the back of my head before I started out, but I passed the insinuation by in silent contempt. "Now, then,'' said Reglet, circling up with a dozen \ French flourishes, " the main thing is to "^ have confidence in yourself. Strike right out like a pionter getting away from a iroop of wolves, and I'll bet 100 to 1 you'll make a skater." I struck out. I struck in several other directions besides out. One foot went to the left, the other to the right, and I whirled around-and sat down. The blonde young lady came up and said that I had made a capital hit, and the other two said that I was certain

to combine grace with muscular effort when I got fairly started. I didn't feel muck like starting out again, but I had to do it. Reglet helped me up again, said that he could already see an improvement in my health, and warned me to snore my feet as I saw him do. I obeyed. The left foot shot out, leaving the right ' one some rods in the rear, and. in trying to even up the race a little something struck the ice. It was myself. The back of my head struck firit, and there were five distinct shocks before the whole of my body got down. Reglet sailed up, and said he never saw that beaten, and the blonde declared her belief i that I was an old skater, and was just playing off on them. The rink danced round and round as I sat up, and the 1 small boy who was grinning at me, ap« peared to my vision like eight or nine ! small boys,. and eight or nine grins. ( " Come, old boy, this exercise will ! brighten your cheek until your wife won't, know you," called Reglet, offering to help . Ime up. I wanted to go home and sit down behind the coal stove and ponder and reflect, but he dragged .me to My. feet, and the blonde wanted to know if I wouldn't please to give them " the Prince nof Wales flourish." I glanced at her and tried to smile, and they all edged off to give me a. fair show. " Come, darfc off!" yelled Reglet,and I carefully started my feet out on an exploring voyage. They hadn't travelled over six inches before they got ahead -of my body. I reached out for something to support me, clawed around, and the back of my head dug a hole in the ice. I thought the roof of the rink had fallen in, and that 28 tons of boards and shingles had struck me in a heap, but I was deceived. "You ""struck an air bubble, or you'd hare made 9, splendid show," said Reglet, as h© pulled at me. The blonde said that I had come within a hair's breadth of cutting one of the grandest flourishes known on ice, and they wanted me to try once more. I told 'em I had get to go to a funeral, and that ~ I would be back in half an hour, but it was no use. "See how easy it is," exclaimed Reglet, as hepushodoutandawung - one leg around. I pushed out and swung one leg. 1 couldn't pull it back. I tried to, and I yelled Reglet that I'd give him 50 dollars to grab me. He was too late.

I clawed, and. waved, and tottered, and fell; and when I came to my senses again Heglet said that if I would go through the same performance every day for two months, he'd warrant me that I could eat

100 hot biscuits per day and never have a touch of the dyspepsia. lam in bed yet, and a friend has written this from dicta-

tion. • The .doctor says that two ribs on the left side are fractured, the collar-bone is broken, the,bone of one elbow smashed, and the spinal column is 3in. out of true; but he is laboring away in hopes .of mending me up by spring;—Danbury jNTews. ■ •