FEBRUARY 



297 



garden hotbed is made up, and to bring them on 

 with its aid. 



Feb. j. Sterculus did not come home last night, 

 and this morning the whole village has been anxious 

 about him. But about midday he stumbled with 

 uncertain steps into his kitchen, where Mrs. Sterculus 

 was recounting to me the various deaths she had 



STERCULUS SANK INTO THE NEAREST CHAIR 



heard of in the snows of past winters. He flung 

 his hat on the table and sank into the nearest chair 

 without a greeting to either of us. 



" Lor', what ails you ? " cried Mrs. Sterculus, and 

 at the question the poor man's hair stood upright 

 on his head, a phenomenon I have often heard of, 

 but never before witnessed. We stayed him with 



