Page:Rural Hours.djvu/502

Rh we'll take it out in tea”—“or sugar”—“or ribbon,” as the case may be.

Tuesday, 2d.—Windy, bright and cold. Thermometer fallen to 2 above zero. The blue waters of the lake are smoking, a low mist constantly rising two or three feet above them, and then disappearing in the clear atmosphere—a sign of ice. Cold within doors; the frost has found its way into the house; people's energies are all directed to keeping warm such days as this.

Wednesday, 3d.—Cold, but less severe. Half a mile of ice on the lake; the waters gray-blue beyond this point. The wind raises the fresh, dry snow from the earth in clouds, and sweeps the forest branches, bearing the flakes upward toward the sky again, ere they have touched the earth. A wintry cloud of this kind is now whirling to a great height above the hills at the head of the lake. These whirling snow-clouds, borne aloft from the earth, are what the “voyageurs” call a “pouderie.” Several times this morning they have been colored with a golden tint, by the sun, like sand of gold.

Excellent sleighing, but too cold to enjoy it. The driver of the stage-coach became so chilled last night, that in attempting to wrap a blanket about his body, the reins dropped from his stiffened hands, the horses ran, he was thrown from his seat, and the sleigh upset; happily no one was seriously injured, though some persons were bruised.

The mails are very irregular now; the deep snow on the railroads retards them very much. This is winter in earnest.

Thursday, 4th.—Much milder. Light showers of snow, falling from time to time through the day. We have had little bright