There are certainly some days of intense cold during our winter, but this low temperature seldom continues more than three days together.  The coldest part of the day is from an hour or two before sunrise to about nine o’clock in the morning; by that time our blazing log-fires or metal stoves have warmed the house, so that you really do not care for the cold without.  When out of doors you suffer less inconvenience than you would imagine whilst you keep in motion, and are tolerably well clothed:  the ears and nose are the most exposed to injury.

Gentlemen sometimes make a singular appearance coming in from a long journey, that if it were not for pity’s sake would draw from you a smile;—­hair, whiskers, eyebrows, eyelashes, beard, all incrusted with hoar-frost.  I have seen young ladies going to evening parties with clustering ringlets, as jetty as your own, changed by the breath of Father Frost to silvery whiteness; so that you could almost fancy the fair damsels had been suddenly metamorphosed to their ancient grannies; fortunately for youth and beauty such change is but transitory.

In the towns and populous parts of the province the approach of winter is hailed with delight instead of dread; it is to all a season of leisure and enjoyment.  Travelling is then expeditiously and pleasantly performed; even our vile bush-roads become positively very respectable; and if you should happen to be overturned once or twice during a journey of pleasure, very little danger attends such an event, and very little compassion is bestowed on you for your tumble in the snow; so it is wisest to shake off your light burden and enjoy the fun with a good grace if you can.

Sleighing is certainly a very agreeable mode of travelling; the more snow, the better the sleighing season is considered; and the harder it becomes, the easier the motion of the vehicle.  The horses are all adorned with strings of little brass bells about their necks or middles.  The merry jingle of these bells is far from disagreeable, producing a light, lively sound.

The following lines I copied from the New York Albion for you; I think you will be pleased with them:—­

SLEIGH BELLS.

’Tis merry to hear at evening time
By the blazing hearth the sleigh-bells chime;
To know each bound of the steed brings near
The form of him to our bosoms dear;
Lightly we spring the fire to raise,
Till the rafters glow with the ruddy blaze.

’Tis he—­and blithely the gay bells sound,
As his steed skims over the frozen ground. 
Hark! he has pass’d the gloomy wood;
He crosses now the ice-bound flood,
And sees the light from the open door,
To hail his toilsome journey o’er.

Our hut is small and rude our cheer,
But love has spread the banquet here;
And childhood springs to be caress’d
By our beloved and welcome guest;
With smiling brow his tale he tells,
They laughing ring the merry bells.