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"With caution due the man is crossing o'er, / And with a pole he tries the ice before, / O'er the deep current he finds the ice is thin; / He shuns the place; he's saved from plunging in."—Barber, 1857

Try the Ice Before You Venture on It

"With caution due the man is crossing o'er, / And with a pole he tries the ice before, / O'er the deep…