COLONEL COOSHEAD 321 



ceding day. They said the weather was cutting cold, 

 with every appearance of a fall. When people talk 

 of a fall, in relation to the weather, it always means 

 " snow " — rain they designate by its proper title. We 

 would not have met our " oldest inhabitant " that day 

 for something. Not that the old man would have 

 exulted over us, for Widdicombe and he are far re- 

 moved above the scornful passions and prejudices 

 of the world; but our own conscience would have 

 upbraided us for doubting the accuracy of the ancient. 

 Straightway we went to the leather-breeched ancient 

 on Snow-hill, and bought our "oldest inhabitant" half 

 a hundred weight of fleecy hosiery. Nor was the 

 present unseasonable, for the Scotch, northern, and 

 midland papers of that week's end brought up dire- 

 ful accounts of hurricanes, tempests, and tremendous 

 snow-storms, accompanied by nipping frosts. At 

 Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where the civilization of rail- 

 ways shoots across the island to Carlisle, the black- 

 faced ones were uncommonly well powdered. It 

 appears by the prints of that region, that her Majesty's 

 mail-bags are conveyed onward to " Auld Reekie " by 

 means of coaches and horses, and they talked of six 

 horses being necessary on parts of the road. Such 

 doings sound queer in our railway-netted world. 

 However, the storm came, and though we escaped 

 in " Me-tro-po-lis," as our ancient calls it, there was 

 plenty of it in the country, and it was cold enough in 

 town. So the prophecy of the ancient was fulfilled, 

 and he has risen in our estimation in consequence. 

 Never will we believe flowers, thrushes, lambs, or 

 anything of the sort again, in preference to our own 

 "oldest inhabitant." What with the hosiery and this 

 notice, we trust our friend will think we have made 

 the amende honorable. 



A snow-storm is a punishing thing ; it puts a stop 

 to everything. As we said before, we can stand it at 

 Christmas, but at no other time. At Christmas we 



