The news boy., 1896-03-14

OF the day was so hot, that we shiyor
TO-"
Ihe wind increased toward nipht.
ana so did the cold. Gene and l be.
e'irred ourselves to prepare warm
supper. Ruel was out of doors stor.
ping the windmill, which had pumped
me tank full of water and was flooding
the back yard. lie looked blue and
cold when at last he came in.
NO oranges or grape fruits for mo
tonight! Fry some bacon. girls, and
let's have some nice hot, baked pota.
toes" said he.
While we were cooking he went out
into the field to secure three or four
fertilizer barrels that the wind was
rolling about. 1t grew dark by six
"eIock-'an inky kind of darkness. One
could not see objects two yards dis
eint from the veranda steps, and the |
searching wind blew out the two hang
ing lanterns which we usually kept |
burning near the door.
"Forty-six degrcesl" Ruel an. |
nounced when he came In. Girls, I'm |
frightened! You don't suppose every.
thing is going to freeze, do you? Think
what thatll be to MS! Why. our all is
in it,"
For the first time real anxiety was
felt by ns, and the hot supper failed to
| cheer us, for frost would destroy near
~ everything we possessed. In Ver-
mont we had sometimes lost few
green plants in the spring or in the
fall, but had never known any real
anxiety from the cold weather. Hero
we had 32 acres of tender, green vege-
tables which had just broken the
ground under temperature of so de.
erces; and now the mercury was sink
ing deep into the forties, and what felt
like q wintry hurricane was raging.
Ruel pushed back his plate, and
went to tue biackening window. This
will be tough night for cucumbers!"
he muttcred. "Who would have be.
lievcd it?''
Few Florida houses are built to with.
stand wild weather. Draughts wan.
dered in and played dcriSscrossabout our
sittingroom. Cold puffs of piercing
air drove us close to the little fireplace,
the heat from which appeared wholly
lost. The house creaked; the lamp
fared 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 IL degrees, and at
nine So.
"Thirty-eight, and still dropping!'
said he. 1--WE 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. VIC
hoTefcd over our fire, and felt too
Respondent for speech.
"ThirtysiX degrees:" Ruel announced
to us grimly ut ten o'clock, and at eleven
"a degrees; and at midnight when he
came in and pushed the door to, he said:
~ low 81 degrees, girls; the cucumbers
are catching it now! You may as we'll
go to bed. The mischief is probably
DONE"
The wind drove the cold into the
loom. There was All icy chill in the all
such as we had never felt in the north.
"The water-pipes, Ruel!" said Gene.
"Will they not all freeze up and burst?"
$50 they will" he cried. Il 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
basketful of wraps was got ready. AT
two o'clock the mercury had fallen tc
2S degrees.
We We're too greatly disturbed and
excited to feel sleepy, but to humor
Rule, who. boy-lihc, wished always to
take command, Gene and 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 VIC 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-bowl
Gene crept out shivering and tried to
break it. Rue, like good fellow, came
to the doc" and set a pitcher of hot wa
ter where we could get it.
"Guess how cold it is." he called.
"Forty degrees below Zero" cried
, Gene.
"Twenty-fivc degrees" said 1.
Twenty" said Gene.
Seventeen replied Ruel.
"But the poor cucumbers and
, beans?" cried.
"All frozen solid," said Ruel.
: 81 suppose we are ruined, Mat,
Gene said, dolefully, as she poured
hot water into the bowl.
II suppose so," said l.
AS Ruel had sat up all night nursing
the water pipes, he lad good fire II
the kitchen stove. Gene and I got
breakfast. We were very glnm ant
l scarcely spoke. Ont in the field tn,
bean-heads had fairly gone from sight
but while we were at table our mex
! neighbor came TO the door. He was DR.
Isaac Felt, a Pennsylvania, who hat
; been in Florida five years.
He cheered us up and advised us t.
, plan again and gave us what seed WI
l needed. SO the next morning we be
gan our second planting. 1t will b,
difficult for some readers to believ'
that at one o'clock that day the ther
/ ID u \ T. 4.