s exhibit
the handiwork of the boys, all of them from the surrounding tenements.
They are shaped into regular walls with parapets cunningly wrought and
sometimes with no little artistic effect. One winter the walls were
much higher than a man's head, and the passageways between them so
narrow that a curious accident happened, which came near being fatal.
A closed wagon with a cargo of ginger-beer was caught between them and
upset. The beer popped, and the driver's boy, who was inside and
unable to get out, was rescued only with much trouble from the double
peril of being smothered and drowned in the sudden flood.

But the coasting! Let any one who wishes to see real democratic New
York at play take a trip on such a night through the up-town streets
that dip east and west into the great arteries of traffic, and watch
the sights there when young America is in its glory. Only where there
is danger from railroad crossings do the police interfere to stop the
fun. In all other blocks they discreetly close an eye, or look the
other way. New York is full of the most magnificent coasting-slides,
and there is not one of them that is not worked overtime when the snow
is on the ground. There are possibilities in the slopes of the
"Acropolis" and the Cathedral Parkway as yet undeveloped to their full
extent; but wherever the population crowds, it turns out without stint
to enjoy the fun whenever and as soon as occasion offers.

There is a hill over on Avenue A, near by the East River Park, that
is typical in more ways than one. To it come the children of the
tenements with their bob-sleds and "belly-whoppers" made up of bits of
board, sometimes without runners, and the girls from the fine houses
facing the park and up along Eighty-sixth Street, in their toboggan
togs with caps and tassels, and chaperoned by their young fellows,
just a little disposed to turn up their noses at the motley show. But
they soon forget about that in the fun of the game. Down they go, rich
and poor, boys and girls, men and women, with yells of delight as the
snow seems to fly from under them, and the twinkling lights far up the
avenue come nearer and nearer with lightning speed. The slide is lined
on both sides with a joyous throng of their elders, who laugh and
applaud equally the poor sled and the flexible flyer of prouder
pedigree, urging on the returning horde that toils panting up the
steep to take its place in the line once more. Till far into the y