3 o 4 ATTRACTIONS OF WINTER WEATHER 



be studded with flights of Brobdingnagian fire-flies ; 

 the illuminated circles and the fiery crescents, where 

 a space had been cleared for the graceful evolutions of 

 amateurs surrounded by admiring spectators ; the 

 girdling rings of carriage-lamps along the drives ; the 

 rows of chairs and tables, with their constellations of 

 candles, where skates were being strapped on or 

 stripped ofF ; the glowing stoves of the hot-chestnut 

 sellers and baked-potato men ; the horn lanterns on 

 the roving wheelbarrows, with oranges and apples 

 and lighter refreshments ; the cracking of vesuvians 

 and kindling of pipes ; the reddening of cigar-tips 

 circulating in their myriads ; the reflection of the 

 flickering volumes of light cast faintly and fitfully 

 in the floating fogs all made up a strange carnival 

 of fire, to the crash of many kinds of Cockney music, 

 from brass bands and barrel-organs to accordions and 

 concertinas. 



