206 THE CHILDREN OF THE COLD. 



Before these houses get covered inside 

 with the black soot from the burning 

 lamps, and before the snow outside has 

 drifted up level with the roof, a night 

 scene in a village of ice, and especially if 

 the village be a large one and all the 

 lamps be burning brilliantly, is one of 

 the prettiest views a stranger can find in 

 that desolate land. If you could behold 

 a village of cabins suddenly transformed 

 into houses of glass, and filled with burn- 

 ing lamps, it might represent an Eskimo 



. ice-village at night. 



When our house was finished we 

 took our summer tent, and, pitching it 

 right against our house, used it as a 

 storage-room. Here we put our pro- 

 visions, our barrels of bread and mo- 

 lasses ; and one story I must tell you 

 about the latter. When the bitter cold 



