The Winter Night. 369 



often does a calculation come out correct ? But were I 

 now free ? Why, I should do it all over again, from the 

 same starting-point. One must persevere till one learns 

 to calculate correctly. 



"I laugh at the scurvy; no sanatorium better than ours. 



" I laugh at the ice ; we are living as it were in an 

 impregnable castle. 



" I laugh at the cold ; it is nothing. 



" But I do not laugh at the winds; they are everything ; 

 they bend to no man's will. 



" But why always worry about the future ? Why 

 distress yourself as to whether you are drifting forwards 

 or backwards ? Why not carelessly let the days 

 glide by like a peacefully flowing river ? every now 

 and then there will come a rapid that will quicken the 

 lazy flow. Ah ! what a wondrous contrivance is life 

 one eternal hurrying forwards, ever forwards to what 

 end ? And then comes death and cuts all short before 

 the goal is reached. 



" I went a long snow-shoe tour to-day. A little way to 

 the north there were a good many newly-formed lanes and 

 pressure-ridges which were hard to cross, but patience 

 overcomes everything, and I soon reached a level plain 

 where it was delightful going. It was, however, rather 

 cold, about 54 F. below zero ( 48 C.) and 1 6 feet of wind 

 from N N.E., but I did not feel it much. It is wholesome 

 and enjoyable to be out in such weather. I wore only 

 ordinary clothes such as I might wear at home with a 



2 B 



