Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1859-02-10
NEW SERIES, NO. 1853.
IEkMS, sa,oo at the years end.
Letters from the Countrywide. /.
January Is, 1859

January Is, 1859.
Mr.. EDToR.-You in the village, with
young and rising State House to nurse and watch
over, may be disposed to think that fire is the
great calamity. We in the country are of quite
different opinion weare content with a tight
freeze, and sigh for nothing more. With our
present impressions, quickened little perhaps
by some very lively chilbains, we do not see how
we could ever have regarded FIRE as SO very
great a misfortune.
The weather of the past week has quite de-
cided us, and we give to Frost the precedence
entirely, as we had for sometime given up the
point Of looking out Of a window, the frost re-
naming all day--and often of the thickness of
half an inch. ALI the fine landscapes FROST
painted
:" The bsvies Of birds, and flowers and trees
All pictured in Silver sheen,'
had disappeared, Or been ingulphed in glaciers.
Then comes on this last cold snap putting all
other times quite out of our head. "Oh," we
sighed on putting our head suddenly out of the
doors-"We have had nothing like this before"
The breath curdled and fell back upon us like
hoar-frost; the eye-lids stiffened in a moment
The hand froze to the door-latch, and the nose,
in deep purple tipped with white, it "capped
the climax' We hastily beat retreat.
1t was our unlucky fortune to have been in
stalled as house-keeper pro tenn, during that So
we're cold weather.
In intervals of comparative warmth and COM
fort, we amused ourselves with keeping a Diary
of the weather which we hereby submit. No
one will probably be surprised at the abruptness
or brevity of anything penned during that week.
Househeeper's Diary, Jan. 8.
Evening.-Storm increasing, wind, rainy
Sleet and snow, part melting into heavy RAIN.
In the midst of the shower, boys come home
from school, "a ride of fifteen miles) wet to
the skin-we get up to strike fire and get supper.
Wind rises, doors slam, windows rattle, much
unnecessary kicking in the stables.
Sunday, Jan. s.
Thermometer 20 deg below zero. Best lamb
died last night. Water stopped at the Barn.
Colts unruly among the sheep. Cows inclined
to hook and push each other to the wall The
Billy-Colt trembles in his stall and shivers Ger
his drink. Wind still keen and piercing, an
icy crust covers the snow, which looks like a
field of ice. Our friends will have cold ride
home to-day.
Monday morning, Jan. 10
Thermometer Is below zero, and still falling.
Water stopped at House. We wake with
smart toothache. Another lamb died last
night. Boys froze their ears and faces in going
to their schools.
The men froze their hands in doing their
morning work at tho barn. 1t is our opinion
that toothache does not improve ones temper.
Tuesday morning, Jan. IL.
Cold intense-the whole atmosphere seems
frozen-women and children hover round the
stove, which is kept at red heat. The Billy
Colt refuses to be harnessed, and kicks at all the
world generally. Boys froze their feet, and are
in for chilblains the rest of the winter.
Apples frost-bltten. Potatoes froze in the
cellar. Beef-steak is turned into iron. Bread
is a stone. Buckwheat froze under the stove.
Three more lambs died last night. The ink
which we are using begins to curdle. Very
abruptly. Yours,