1 68 WINTER SKETCHES. 



woman, which refuses to be overcome by 

 reason. 



So we went on confidently and satisfactorily 

 until suddenly there came one of those, to the 

 inexperienced, fearful ice-quakes, giving the 

 impression that our weight was cracking and 

 breaking down the great winter-bridge through 

 all its length and breadth, and that we were 

 about to sink into the depths below. The hills 

 on either side took up the echo, and poor 

 Fanny thought that her last moment had 

 come, and that she was about to expire in a 

 convulsion of nature. She stood still and 

 trembled from head to foot. Cold as it was, 

 the sweat broke out upon her, and with it the 

 hair on her skin literally stood on end. I 

 never so pitied a dumbthinking beast. Dis- 

 mounting, I put my arm around her neck, 

 drew her head down to my breast, patted her 

 face, and kissed her cheek, yes, I did, and I 

 walked by her side comforting her as best I 

 could for the rest of the way, as again and 

 again the fearful, though harmless, crashes re- 

 verberated from shore to shore. For her sake, 

 I was glad when we landed at Haverstraw. 



