CHAPTER VII 



PREPARING FOR WINTER 



WINTER! I believe most people look upon winter as 

 a time of storms, cold, and discomfort. They look 

 forward to it with sadness, and bow before the in- 

 evitable Providence ordains it so. The prospect of 

 a ball or two cheers them up a little, and makes the 

 horizon somewhat brighter ; but, all the same darkness 

 and cold ugh, no! let us have summer, they say. 

 What my comrades thought about the winter that was 

 approaching I cannot say; for my part, I looked for- 

 ward to it with pleasure. When I stood out there on 

 the snow hill, and saw the light shining out of the 

 kitchen window, there came over me an indescribable 

 feeling of comfort and well-being. And the blacker 

 and more stormy the winter night might be, the greater 

 would be this feeling of well-being inside our snug little 

 house. I see the reader's questioning look, and know 

 what he will say : " But weren't you awfully afraid the 

 Barrier would break off, and float you out to sea?" 

 I will answer this question as frankly as possible. With 

 one exception, we were all at this time of the opinion 



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