candy-merchant.

Faith and Anne, with the two young men, had witnessed the whole scene
with some interest, and the different manner in which the girls were
affected was characteristic. Faith betrayed a lively sensibility when
the boy fell, and was hardly restrained from condoling with him; while
Anne took but little notice of it, but exhibited exquisite delight at
his courage and final success. But something else now attracted their
attention. A shout was raised, and exclamations were heard of "There
comes the ice-boat; there comes Grant's ice-boat."

Turning round, they beheld what had the appearance of a boat under
sail, flying round the promontory of Okommakemisit. A slight breeze
was drawing up the stream, and before its favoring breath, the little
vessel, or whatever else it might be called, advanced with great
rapidity. In a few moments it had reached them, and with a sharp
grating sound as of iron cutting into ice, came suddenly to a stop,
and the persons gathering round had an opportunity to examine it. It
was the work of a village genius, and consisted of some boards, cut
in an elliptical form (as, perhaps, the most convenient), supported by
two pieces of iron, parallel to each other, to which the boards were
fastened, and running the whole length from bow to stern. In the
forward part was rigged a mast, to which was attached a sail, like the
mainsail of a sloop, and the whole was controlled by a piece of sharp
iron, fixed on the stern in such a manner as to turn like a rudder,
and to cut with any required degree of pressure, by means of a lever,
into the ice. With this simple regulator it was made perfectly safe,
being stopped as readily, and on the same principle, as a skater
arrests his course.