The Forrest City times., 1896-03-06

went to the biackening window. This
will be tough night for cucumbcrs!"
he muttered. "Who would have be.
lieved it?"
Few Florida houses are built to with
stand wild weather. Draughts wan
dered in and played criescross about our
sitting-room. Cold puffs of piercing
air drove us close to the little fireplace.
the heat from which appeared wholly
lost. The house creaked; the lamp
fiared and smoked at each rush of the
storm. Ruel was obliged to fetch the
thermometer close up outside the win
dow to read it. Once an hour he dashed
out to see how it stood At eight
o'clock it indicated Al degrees, and at
nine 3S.
"Thirty-eight, and still dropping!"
said he. I'VE are in for it. Florida will
freeze out tonight, sure"
l can scarcely describe the sense of
loss and despair which fell on us when
1t became certain that all our acres of
garden crops would be destroyed. We
lowered over our fire, and felt too
respondent for speech.
"Thirty-six degreesl" Ruel announced
to us grimly at ten o'clock, and at eleven
"a degrees; and at midnight when he
came in and pushed the door to, he said:
"A low 80 degrees, girls; the cucumbers
are catching it now! You may as well
go to bed. The mischief is probably
DONE"
The wind drove the cold into the
room. There was an icy chill in the air
such as we had never felt in the north.
The water-pipes, Ruel!" said Gene.
will they not all freeze up and burst?"
80 they will" he cried. 81 never
thought of them. Open all the faucets.
We will let the tank run dry. The low
bends of the pipes that the water will
not run out of must be wrapped with
towels
From twelve to one o'clock we were
busy looking to the pipes. A whole
oasketful of wraps was got ready. At
two O'Clock the mercury had fallen to
2S degrees.
We were too greatly disturbed and
excited to feel sleepy, but to humor
Rule, who. boy-like, wished always to
take command, Gene and L consented
to go to bed.
The windows of our sleeping-room
ratified and shook, and the wind fairly
blew ones hair about on the pillows.
We put all our blankets on the bed.
and then threw on our wraps and even
our dresses.
AT last we fell asleep, and when ]
awoke it was broad daylight. The
wind still ratified the windows, but the
sun shone dimly. 1t lacked 20 minutes
of seven.
There was ice in the wash-bowI.
Gene erept out shivering and tried to
break it. Rue, like good fellow, came
to the door and set pitcher of hot wa
ter where we could get it.
Guess how cold it 49," he called.
Forty degrees below zero" cried
Gene.
Twenty five Degrees said I.
Twenty" said Gene.
Seventeen, replied Ruel.
But the poor cucumbers and
beans?" cried.
"All frozen solid," said Ruel
II suppose we are ruined, Mat"
Gene SAID, dolefully, as she poured
hot water into the bowl.
Il suppose so,'' said l.
AS Ruel mad sat up all night nursing
the water pipes, he tad a good fire In
the kitchen stove. Gene and | got
breakfast. We were very glum and
scarcely spoke. Out in the field the
bean-heads had fairly gone from sight.
but while we were at table our next
neighbor came TO the door, He was DR..
Isaac Felt, a Pennsylvania, who had
been in Florida five years.
He cheered us up and adv sed us to
plan again and gave us what seed we
needed. SO the next morning we be.
gan our second pianting. Ut will be
difficult for some readers to believe
that at one o'clock that day the ther-
mometer stood at 80 degrees in the sun.
For week we worked Is hours day,
and seeded our entire 80 acres again:
and as | write this February %, 1895,
cannot see but that our crops look as
well as before the frost.
Nevertheless, our young orange trees
are probably dead. In place Of them we
now intend TO put out the harder Sat
suma orange and grove OF pecan-nut
trees.-Youth's Companion.
In the finny tribe there is no CON-
munication between the nasal cavities
and the mouth. Fish do not use their
noses in breathing, but breathe
through their gills, SO no communica-