The Hunting Year 



stoppage. As you look at the sky for the 

 hundredth time you tell your groom for the 

 ninety-ninth that it is as well the frost has 

 come, as it will give the old horse a chance of 

 getting quite right. 



But now there has been a week of it, and 

 January is here. A new moon accentuates the 

 fact that days are beginning to put out a 

 little, and you remember the old proverb: " As 

 days begin to lengthen so the cold begins to 

 strengthen," with anything but equanimity. 



And the frost is harder than ever. From the 

 pond not so far off comes the ominous ring of 

 many skates ; the sour wind tells of more " bad 

 weather " to come, and as the new moon 

 appears — a new moon is setting, not rising 

 on this wintry night — she is obviously wading 

 through snow packs. Standing under the wall 

 that shelters you from the bitter north-east wind 

 after a rather long " stables," you fancy that it 

 is a little milder than it was half an hour pre- 

 viously, and you say to your groom that it is 

 likely to draw to rain. So it is, but in your 



heart of hearts you know that before the 



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