Excerpt from Harry's Temptation, or Christmas in Canada

NE bright morning in December a knot of laughing boys were hurrying along the streets of Halifax, the chief town of Nova Scotia. V From the satchels on their backs you could see that they were on their way to school, but by the look of eager excite ment in their faces, it seemed as if some keener pleasure than lessons was in prospect.

Besides, they had with them a few coasters, these are long ¿at pieces of wood on runners, on which boys in Canada sit or lie, whilst they slide down a frozen hill or street.

The sky was deep blue, and the sun so bright that it seemed wonderful that, instead of melting the thick white snow, it only made it glitter like diamonds, and as the pleasant, crunch ing sound was heard under the boys' feet, they knew that the frost was as hard as ever.

Presently they came in sight of the signal-station, which is situated at the top of a hill in front of the artillery barracks.

This hill looked that morning like a huge conical cake coy ered with frosted sugar, the masts for the signals on the sum mit were clearly defined against the cloudless sky, and the figure of the sentry on duty looking in the distance almost as small as if it had been taken out of a box of toys.

The cheerful jingle of the bells of the numerous and many colored sleighs passing to and fro along the road at the bottom of the hill filled the air with a merry sound, and added to the pleasure of a Canadian winter morning.

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