m THE rCE-CLAD WOODS. 



First there came a light snowfall mingled 

 with sleet, but soon it turned into rain which 

 froze as it fell, covering trees and fences and 

 roofs with a garment of ice as clear as crystal. 

 What a wonderful sight the woods presented ! 

 The eastern side of the tree trunks and larger 

 branches was clad in a coat of mail, and every 

 twig and s^iray was held in the embrace of a 

 cold, glassy cylinder through which its shiver- 

 ing form could be plainly seen. Beautiful be- 

 yond description was the thick network of the 

 interlacing branches and twigs imprisoned in 

 transparent ice. 



What were the birds doing on a day like 

 this ? That was the question T asked myself, 

 and I could not rest satisfied until I had an- 

 swered it ; so in the afternoon I stalked out to 

 the woods with an eye to my feathered darlings, 

 as usual. Why, of course, any one might have 

 known that the first bird one should meet would 



150 



