178 HOME LIFE m FLORIDA. 



getting breakfast that astonishing morning ? No, we did n't. 

 We had cue once upon a time, and Avhen the cold morn- 

 ings came — ^just frosty and no more — our cook might al- 

 ways be found, at the time when breakfast should have 

 been ready', with her feet in the oven, her hands spread 

 over the stove-top, and her head sunk into her shoulders, 

 patiently waiting for us to come and get her " some wittels." 

 No, we prefer having one less to wait on and more room 

 for our own feet, w^hich were cold enough to feel as if our 

 teeth had somehow got into our shoes and were all aching 

 together. 



Hauling wood, feeding fires, shivering over the stoves, 

 warm one side and freezing the other ; so the day passed 

 and another night came, and no one was sorry for the lat- 

 ter, except those unlucky knights whose duty kept them 

 outdoors to battle with fire-brands against Jack Frost's 

 assaults on our fruit. The rest of us were glad to creep 

 between blankets, with a mountain of covers on top, and a 

 hot water can inside. What a tale to tell of balmy Florida ! 



Monday, at seven in the morning, the thermometer 

 marked 25°. The day was cloudy, and the wind died 

 partially away. It was a noticeable fact, that whereas, 

 ordinarily, a north wind alone brings us frosty weather, 

 this unprecedented sna]) (even that of 1835 did not last so 

 long) came from the west and southwest. 



What a forlorn looking set of chickens were ours ! They 

 were astonished, depressed, especially their tails, wdiich 

 touched the ground as they sat around in groups with their 

 heads sunk into their shoulders. Of course their water- 

 troughs were frozen over, and it was a comical sight to see 

 these semi-tropical fowls striking their beaks again and 

 again at the apparent water and then looking around in 

 bewilderment at the result. It kept us busy pouring warm 

 water into the troughs to give them an occasional drink. 



