90 FLORIDA 



or beetle, thicker-skinned or thicker-blooded, 

 would scorn to be afraid of. But if yesterday 

 was perfect, to-day, by my reckoning, at least, 

 has been finer still perfection heaped upon 

 perfection. Yet every one hereabout is more or 

 less unhappy, and with more or less reason. In 

 the night between these two perfect days an air 

 from the North descended suddenly upon us, and 

 the temperature took an alarming drop, some say 

 to 38, some to 31 a drop which meant dis- 

 comfort to all, and disaster to many. When I 

 put my head out of doors at seven o'clock this 

 morning, on my way to the post office, I was 

 startled. My first thought was to run back for 

 an overcoat. Instead of that I put on steam. 



Breakfast over, I betook myself to the pine 

 lands, my rule being to improve cool days in 

 that sunny region, leaving the shady hammock 

 woods for hotter weather. It was cold enough 

 for overcoat and mittens. In Massachusetts, with 

 anything like the same temperature, I should 

 certainly have worn them. Here, however, it was 

 not so plain a case. I was to be on foot till noon, 

 and I felt sure that long before that time the 

 lightest outer garment would become intolerable. 

 So I buttoned my one coat tightly about me, 

 stuffed my hands into my pockets, and hastened 

 my steps. For a mile, perhaps, I kept up the 



