DECEMBER.

THE ground was now covered with snow, and the merry jingling of the sleigh-bells could be every hour heard. The ponds were frozen over with thick ice, and the boys entered with great pleasure into the amusement of skating. On the coldest days, after having exercised themselves in this way for some time, they would find themselves in a perfect glow.

At this season, several of the wild quadrupeds have taken to their winter concealments, which they seldom or never quit through the winter. Of these, some are in an absolutely torpid or sleeping state, taking no food for a considerable time: others are only drowsy and inactive, and continue to feed on provisions which they have hoarded up. Bats become torpid, and retire early to caves and holes, where they remain the whole winter, suspended by the hind feet, and closely wrapped up in the membranes of the fore feet. As their

food is chiefly insects, they can lay up no store for the winter, and therefore must be starved, did not nature thus render food unnecessary for them. Squirrels, and various kinds of field mice, provide magazines of food against the winter, but are not known to become torpid.

On the twenty-first of December happens the winter solstice, or shortest day, when the sun is something less than eight hours above the horizon. Eleanor and Sophia had accepted an invitation from cousin Grace to spend a few weeks with her in New York at Christmas time. The following letter from Sophia will give some account of the manner they passed their time there:

"New York, Dec. 28, 183-.

"My dear Mother,

"We arrived here safely, after a very short and pleasant journey, and were very kindly received by aunt Belknap and cousin Grace. We have passed our time very pleasantly since we have been here, and seen a great many things which are new to us; but one of the oddest things we have met with is the frolic they have here the night before Christ

mas. You must know that it is the fashion here for every body to hang up their stockings the night before Christmas, and it is expected that St. Nicholas, or St. 'Eclaus, as he is familiarly called, will come down chimney and fill the stockings with gifts-pretty presents for the good, a rod for the naughty. Every body, you know, likes to make a present to their friends at Christmas; so each one here made or purchased what he liked, and having directed it as he wished it to be disposed of, put it into the hands of my aunt, who was to act the part of St. Nicholas;-and I am so faithless, I do not believe that without such an arrangement the stockings would ever be filled. Well, these preparatory steps being taken, we children all went to bed, having previously prevailed on Alice, the chamber-maid, to hang up a stocking for aunt and uncle, that we might fill them before we retired. Every body put out a stocking at his door, signifying by a label who it belonged to. The little children waked very early, and crawled out of bed; but they were only puzzled; for they could only feel that they had something, and could not discover what. They were obliged to lie down and take another nap. We, who were older,