AMERICAN WEATHER. 195 



that one of my father's first proceedings after his return 

 home was to order a quantity of this coal for his own 

 study fire ; that he failed to make it burn ; and that 

 his enthusiasm in its favour thereafter considerably 

 waned. Here is the note : 



Yesterday the thermometer, with its usual playfulness, dropped 

 from 70 to 8, and the Bostonian clerk of the weather again turned 

 on the north-west wind ; which, as William Black remarks, is 

 enough to blow the ears off a brass monkey. So as I had much 

 writing to do, and it was scarcely possible to hold a pen, I ordered a 

 fire. It was lighted at 10 a.m., and at 1.30 was made up. Since 

 that time it has not been touched, and now, to-day, at 11.20 a.m., it 

 is still alight. What coal is there which would remain alight for 

 twenty-two hours and then be too hot to be approached *? There is 

 no smoke, and only a sc'Sd mass of fire, with pale flames flickering 

 over it. If I can have my way I'll save half our coal-bill. I know 

 that nothing has been added for twenty-two hours, for, as I went 

 out, I put a damaged tie on the fire, and there its ashes are still. 

 There is only one defect (if it be a defect), and that is that the 

 anthracite fire is as tenacious of life as a large-bodied moth. 



A few days later there is another weather note : 



O ! this weather ! Here's a specimen. Saturday night ther- 

 mometer at 12. Sunday morning, at 6.30, snow and fierce wind. 

 We go to church, and on coming out find heavy rain, and ther- 

 mometer at 65. Monday morning, thermometer at 8, and skating 

 on the Frog Pond. Tuesday, rain again, then blue sky and brilliant 

 sun, and such a wind that the mud suddenly became dust. Yester- 

 day (Wednesday) rain again and weather close, and too warm for 

 an overcoat. At 2.0 p.m., snow again and cold wind. This mom- 

 ing, an azure sky, blazing sun, and north-easterly wind. No mortal 

 can avoid taking cold. Even Americans from New York, a much 

 colder place, cannot stand it, and I am told that, for a foreigner, I 

 am enduring it wonderfully. . . . The Lowell Institute is in 

 the very focus of the winds, Boylston Street debouching on a branch 

 N 2 



