nd heat--the greatest luxuries they are able to
enjoy. To all our houses we have double windows: we paste paper over
every crevice by which air may enter, and we fill up the lower part of
the interval between the two windows with sand, into which we stick
artificial flowers, to remind us that summer, with its varied-tinted
beauties, will once again return. Two or three doors also must
generally be passed before the inside of the house is reached. Thus,
you see, in spite of the bitter cold in the outer world, we contrive to
construct an inner one where we can make ourselves tolerably
comfortable. We never venture out without being well wrapped up in
furs, and then we move from house to house as fast as we can, so as to
avoid being exposed any length of time to the cold. We have also large
fires lighted in front of the places of amusement and the palaces of the
Emperor and nobility, where the drivers and servants may warm themselves
while waiting for their masters. Generally with great cold there is
little wind; and people, as long as they are warmly clad and in motion,
have no reason to fear its effects, but unhappy is the wretch who is
overtaken by sleep while exposed to it. His death is certain. Death
thus produced is said to be accompanied by no disagreeable sensations,
at least so say those who have been partially frozen and recovered, but
I would rather not try the experiment. When the thermometer falls to 50
or 55 degrees below zero, it is time to be cautious. No one shows his
nose out of doors unless compelled by urgent necessity, and when he
does, he moves along as fast as he can--keeping a watchful look-out
after that prominent and important feature of the human countenance. As
no unusual sensation accompanies the first attack of frost on the nose,
it is difficult to guard against it. A warning is, however, given by
the peculiar white hue which it assumes, and immediately this sign is
observed by a passer-by, he gives notice to the person attacked. `Oh,
father! Father! Thy nose, thy nose!' he will cry, rushing up to him
with a handful of snow, with which he will rub the feature attacked, if,
on a nearer inspection, he sees that it is in danger. Of course people
generally take the best possible care of their noses, so that the
dreaded catastrophe does not often occur. We wrap up warmly, and leave
only the eyes and mouth and nose exposed, so that nearly all the heat
which escapes from the body has t