The Festive Toboggan

Tliere is a regulíir costume that goes Vltb tobnrganing, and i' II K beeoining :o younsi ladies that they are eager to don it, and all masculina admiren of the bettcr sex are forever eaycr Co bave theru do o. TIn' iim'ii look alinost quilly wll in these suits, and where thousands of tlicii) ure ivnm, as in Mnntreal, the whole eommunlty is rendered pictureoqne. The spmt has other adrantages. It is bracinfi, breuthlees and atbletlc. Moreover it bringsthe sexei close r (ogether than any itlier exercise enjoyed by both except dancing. It we Had Uanadlan wintert liere we ihould have a ncw stock of sermons coiniciiniiiiir tlic pastlme, tor it certainly is a fact tliat after n yOUIlg man Iims pul his jrirl, crosslegged in the front ol the (led, he is apt to grasp her with his hands Jut to keep ber trom failing off. At tiie Mipreme moment ol precipitóos Hijrlit diiwii 1 1 1 icy i-liil lic isijnite likHy to pat h gooddnal ofpreasure In hisgrasp. He can haidly be expectod to know how nu:c'i itrength be exeru, and perhaps n Ihe f xcitement, she does not notica it, Ét lier. At all events, tliere is DO re corded Inttanee of m protott bi-insr mudn by iny pretty girl thus t'ar iu the hisioty ot tlie iport. Ju-t i 111 igin.e it? Hcre is a pretty girl done np likt' :i BOfti warm bun ile in a;ay blanket tuit, cllnyliig trembliogly to the youog iuhu's hand as she puts her llttle :inticclistiustliilly upon the impaiient and uncert;iiu board. The young man falla upon one knei' and Bteadie the sled. The ;irl draps upon it like ¦ bag of feathertant] also sometülag Hice a tailor, tor she crotte lier feet n.s lle drops. Siie tncks In her iklrts nnd grupa the band rails or the ropes attaclicd to them. Then he sits down behlnd her with bil great awkwnrd lejrs stuck out ou elther lide ol her. [fihelia etein tobogganlst, the will güisp his trouseis; if not - then -Inwnn't. At all events, he .eizes her anus, and just tin-u, with an "All rcad.v ! away she goes!" the steeier leaps on behind on one knee, with the other foot project d like a rudder behlnd, and down they go, precisely as if they had all tallen off the edge of a bouw roof. If the ;;irl tcreainl sbe will be a QMrtorof a inile trom the scream ns toon a the ¦ 'ds t torth. In facl tbefllgbtisM rapld that all ot the young laffiei lui had l'ully inteuded to faint on tliere tiist rides not one had time to do so. It takes a great deal of pi paration and stinlv and aolid foundation to faint, and it c in't be done wlien one is flying tlirongll the air like a bulkt. Still, tbere 1 time tor a ;irl to demalerialize ber tplnal colomn and fnll llmply in her ciniipanioiiV ann, and thil is sometlmea aooomplUhed- wliao the cora pan Ion is a liicc l'cüow, and worthy of the trust. Unfortunately it often happens tbat the yonitg men in such cases has to serve as his own steeier, in which case all de can do is to hop behind the lady and rest bis chin on her ihoulder and hN face agalngt her fleecy hood. Tlils requires lelf-aaorlfloe and nerve. Tobogganini; was iirst made known to Americatis on tlie Occasion of the inauguratlon of the Marqnls of Lorne as lieutenant-govertior of Canada. The amusement has long been enjoyed in Canada, where the winter is sulliciently Ion;; to make it wortli while fot the ni.isscs to go into it. The toboggan sled a thin sheet of hard wood, lias been used by the Indians from time imini-m ¦rial tor drawlng wood, game, tiih, and burdeo enerally over the inow. It was made Hat so as to rlde on the surface, and was cuiied up In front so as to overeóme all ¦mail obstructions. The best ones rcinain to-day of the original tona and make, and thoaaanda of them are vet turned out every year by their original iu ventors, the Indiana. The white tolk adapted them to coaiting becaOM of their lightneu and oarrying onpaolty, and because tast as they ", they are not so tast as polished runners. Yon can get a toboggan tor from $4 to $7. All sorts of patente are made with metal tmttoms and different suggestions of names, hut the old-fasbloned, simple ludían toboggan, with a mattress or COthlOO, is the best after all. The tobogjfan dress for ladies is llmply an ulster or a wrapper open all the way down, with a hood mi the back bet ween the ihonldere, and pocket and ¦ walst gtrap. It is made of blanke t stuff, and tlie eolored border of the blanke! Il died for the collar, pocket flap and bottom ol the coat. It eovers a ladies dress oompletely, and is taken in a littlt' at tlir walst and loolu best wnen it is buttoned with big buttoni fr the neck to the gronnd in front, though It can be f astened with hookp. There is do myitery aboui theroaklogof it. Takeany pattern ot a wr .ippcr, and add a hcio.l and waist strap to bDCk Ie In front, mikini both of the ame material ai the gnrinent, Any iattern of hlankct iWff looks well, and some patterns of jersev gOOdl answer the parpóse. Tbe itorkeeperi want from "i'j to $16 for oiie of these ganuent, bul any woman who liandy with a needie eau make one for mtich less. The dreas for men oonslsts of a blanket coat made like a tourist coat or a hunting coat, caught round the waist with a belt of the same stuit', and made so as to use the blauket border tbr the pockel flaps, collar aod (tripe down the front. Knee-breeehes are made to match, and below them ore rom blcyole (tockings mij heavy boots and rubber. The tallors charge trom ft 1 " 'o $20 for one of these suits, orahoul twfoe ti) Miucii; hut there Menu to he nothing io do i-xoapt to pay it. Ou their heads both men and wonien we;ir kuit worsU-d toqae, krojr, big stockins witlumt feet to them, tut wlth a oord mikI ta-scl irhere the toot oughl to be, and worn rolled np i titile way, and witn the ipare and tolwel bangtng over one de. Any QOUMWlfo onn kuil ¦ pretty eme [or ten tbati half a dollar nf oost: any (torekeeper will seil yon one lor $1.60 to $¦. lint tlit' toque, whlch is the CanadÍHn beadyettr, s likHv to disuppcar trom the womi'ii's neads n this country nftar this. bic.uise the Yankee knlt gooda manufacturera Iwve Invented Bomethlng miicli pnettler. This IntproTenutnt is a cip of vvorsted blue, red or white, (baped llke :i Normandy cap, high and square In front and tronted with a l)ir silk bow to match the cup. Pulleil down over tlie back of the head, these are irresistible, and no pretty niv who bus not worn one is yet aware how reilly and i-xquiaitely pretty she eau be. U to what otlier preparatious the l:idlea inake tor ibis cold weatbei, outdooi sport, how is it the CanaUian girls can .stand half au hour at a time kneedeep in a snow bank and unlle all thewhlle, and uliy tbey tbink tlieinclvi's superior in uisilom lo the rest of the sex - theoe are iiiattersditliriilt te do joatloe to One thlllf is certain, wli -n a .íontril storekeeper undertook todispiay anoifttitibr a fein ili' tobboganlft, it nlled iii hnge show window ns if he had dumped tbc procd of an auction gle therc. If Littllt. Schwatk bad only seeu and bonirlit the COllectioB before hu Went to Alaska. beoould have wadcd Jones rivcr fron) moutli to bead in one of ils thawf wltbout getting either cold or wet. To til ap ;i ;:rl in the Montreal siyli' is powlble only to tbc rich in tbis cmintry, and even tiicse, ander a low laiitl', it maked a tat pocket-book as limp and lliiu as a retí red umbrella case. First tliere are the undeiclothes of Scotcli Bannel half an inoQ tliick. Over these ;o rilbed stocking, the usual linen garmenU, stays, shocs, stockings over the shoej, artics over the stocking. two or three tluiuel petticoats, a eloth dres-, a Cardlgan acket, tlie blnnkel snit. gloves and niuft'ler. Tbn's all - or, at least, it's all ïemrinbered ju-t now. A fair inveotreM last yearconoeived the happy thonghtof adding toher usual dusa pair of short troii-crs,and the idracangut like wildlire, and all sortsof inodilications and experimenta wen; made, tO that sotne iirls bad them of clotli, somc of bnekskin, and Sonic vvor Ioosk ones of Tnrkish libeiality. Thcy all reacb to the knec, and are thore siipplemented by legging and ai clics. The proper aictics have a little oolored lidian beul work on the toes, and oost $2 in Canada and $2.50 here. toboggaa ohntu is reilly only a smooth staircise et up out of door. 'lts alant diff'TS just as the pitoh of staimavs dlfler, i c-ording to the ideas of the buildeis. Fust, a ruil, flat-topped plaiform in ust be built, 40, 60. or even 80 feet i'i heigbt. Protn the top of this to the groud the ranway. It must be trasted secure iy, and must have room apon it tor two -ix-fo't roads, and a (talrcase and threefoot liaulway, up wbich the sleds are to be pulled to the top. The iiinways, or loads, must bc divided by a stout beaiu or low fence. The bram is best. Low board fences must Wall the Olltcr side of each roud or ruuway. The roadl must be covered with bloCKBOf ice, and tlie cracks between the blockscalked with now. Wbcn the tbermometer U at fieezing polnt water iimC be tbrown or played with si bóte apon these ice-paved slantlng roads U'itil tln-y are covered by (treeta of smooth ioe. Snow must tben be beaped between the slides. over the dividing bcam and alto affainst the onter fenclng of each slide, o as to turn the slides Into ;iittcrs. Tliere ¦hould be plenty of room on the Hit top of tlie tall platform lor eouples raitlng their tunis. It is best to have the chute on a low hill and built 80 as to let the Inll(Ide form a continuation of the inclined plane. At the foot of the chute the snow must be leveled, wet and frozen tbr a little wny, and a uioiind of snow sbonld !)c built f. ir out froiu (he chute, between the slides, as an additiou to the Uividim; rii'ee on the chute itself. As nniih as 2,6Ö0 has been spent on -nuil chutes.