{"character_count": 5495, "word_count": 1012, "ccnet_language_score": [0.9753999710083008], "ccnet_perplexity": [2186.5], "fasttext_language": ["en"]}
cy-and all is over. My heels have kicked de-


nance 10 the clouds, and my head has smitten


with an audacious force its mighty mother The
umbrella inflated with its own conceits has flut-


tered away, and is beyond my reach. But am
down. and the occasion is favorable. There is no


bone broken, and away go upon my back as
gently as sleigh spinning along with four in
nahd. heard that wicked urchin' S Inirth as my


neeis slipped from under me, and as glide ma
lestlcaly along, hear his splintering approach


ne shoots by me like an arrow, and broad grin
| is upon his handsome face. He has my blessing,
bright boy, and though may stumble frequently
| in me- may thy course be as it was this morn,
| happy and secure. He brought me my umbrella,
and has brushed the ice from my back.


AS wend up the avenue, hundreds Of BOYS nv
past me on their skates, for the pavements and
roads are all covered with the Ice Here is safer
walking, for they have roughened the surface with
their ttuted irons, and pace along as merry as
the rest tff


Like an alderman picking his way to a turtle
dinner, see that solemn steed, how he minces his
steps, and hear him how he snorts, as a flying
skater, like a summer swallow-bird, flashes be-
fore his frost-webbed eyes, and his poor rider
shakes his whip at the boy, who chuckles in his
sleeve, and returns to the attack like a Bedoun
Arab of the Desert. a


The blacksmith's shop is crowded with COM
pany, and the beaded perspiration falls from his
forehead and Kisses on the glowing IRON The
two white horses are to be frosted first, for they
belong to Mr. --, and he wants them to pay
a visit OF some Importance to the President The
blacksmith, with nonchalant air, snatches up the
huge foot of an honest cartman's horse, who earns
his bread by his daily toll, and hammers away
right merrily upon him. The white servant of
the great man has to pocket the insult but his turn
will come next. Thanks, honest smith! The
poor wood-carrier will bless you this night, when
he pours his earnings into his wife's hand, and
sends his eldest boy out to buy milk for the eve
ming coffee. hay


stand by a man who is digging Justify away
at beneath the slcet: chop-chop- chop
the ice breaks off in cakes, and he draws forth
the last evenings paper. He will chop logic over
the sage editorial; for bent must he be on learn
ing, that would thus stand in the shiverng air, and
pick two inches deep in ice for an evenings Jour
nal The editor was highly complimented by the
labor. F9t 3a 8tfats VI. .s.E 2 'a55


How the hours wear on-how slowly the hands
point upon the face of my time-piece, and yet how
swiftly do our thoughts mount upon the four
winds, and seek the hearthstone scenes Of our
friends. Alas! that they are distant from us.


We hear the wind chnckling around the ga
ble-ends of the houses, and almost screaming with
delight, when it cuts corpulent biped across the
bridge of the nose with its icy sword.
The night draws on apace-slowly the curtain
falls, and dim and indistnct sneak on the dying
moments of the day-the grass has not bent an
inch, and the tall trees shake their heads omi-
nously, as much as to say, g WeH haze cold
time Of It out here tonight" Where are your
elegant blankets that the gods have sent you!


Will the mice stir abroad tonight? The cat is
rolled up in her night-clothes and purs away like
an old crone spinning WOOL The wiry-headed
dog barks ever and anon in his sleep, for he is
haunted by visions of sacked towns and disman-
tied larders. II lg s fts a glf


Oh! how the wind bellows without dis
coursing most eloquent music" The shutters
are fastened--the doors are not locked, for some
sufferer may knock, and would not deny him
the comfort of my blazing fire. The curtains
are not drawn'down in such night as this, for
many poor houseless wretch passing by and
seeing all dark, would pass on, and he might find
his bed in the deep hollow few yards beyond
my door. H a su s.


The sleet day has ended in cold and starry
might. The fretted limbs are swaying about in
the powerful blast, and as yet have heard of
no accidents. The boys could have met with
none, for they were not forced to the deep wa
ters for their skating frolic; and though they,
doubtless, have had some delightful tumbles, they
are none the worse for that. Fine fellows, how
soon the skates are thrown aside, after their first
appearance at the barber's. e4e. aaets


And now it is growing late; the wand of Nor
pheus has been passed more than once across
my eyes, as the nodding reader will have per-
ceived, and once more / am permitted to snuff
my bedroom candle, and don my nighcap.


Washington, Feb. l6, 1888. W


y (


The NEwspAPER.--A newspaper taken by a
family seems to shed gleam of intelligence
around. Itgives the children taste for reading
it communicates all the important events which
are passing in the busy world: it is never
failing source of amusement, and furnishes a fund
|of instruction which will never be exhausted.
Every family, however poor, if they wish to hold
|a.place in the rank of intelligent beings, should
take at least one newspaper. And the man,
who possessed of property sufficient to make
himself easy for life, and surrounded by children
eager for knowledge, is instgated by the vile
spirit of cupidity and neglects to subscribe to a
newspaper, is deficient in the duties of parent
or a good citizen, and is deserving of the censure
of his intelligent neighbors. aa


Practical BeneDoIe,,ce- editor Of the