120 A Winter-Night's Outing 



could not have occurred in the small boy's 

 estimation, and, with boundless anticipation, 

 we went skating. 



After smooth ice, the foremost requirement 

 is abundant room, and this we had. There 

 was more than a square mile for each of us. 

 The day had been perfeft and the approach- 

 ing night was such as Lowell so aptly de- 

 scribes, " all silence and all glisten." 



As the sun was setting we started a roar- 

 ing fire in a sheltered nook, and securely 

 fastening our skates without getting at all 

 chilled, started off. Then the fun com- 

 menced. We often wandered more than a 

 mile away, and it was not until the fire was 

 reduced to a bed of glowing coals that we 

 returned to our starting-point. 



Here a great surprise awaited us. The 

 heat had drawn from the wooded hill-side 

 near by many a meadow-mouse that, moved by 

 the warmth or by curiosity, ventured as near 

 as it dared. These mice were equally sur- 

 prised at seeing us, and scampered off, but, it 

 seemed to me, with some show of reluctance, 

 as if a chance to warm themselves so thor- 

 oughly should not be missed. 



We freshened the fire a little and fell back 



