violence, and although there was then little snow falling, the wind drove
in all directions the dry snow lying upon the ground.

Many people lost their way. A shop-boy running home to tea, only round
the corner of the block, missed the turning into the gateway, and
wandered till daylight on the prairie, knowing it was certain death to
lie down. A family crossing the prairie, and seeing the storm
approaching, hastened to reach a wayside inn four or five hundred yards
distant, but before they could do so lost sight of it. After driving
several hours they were obliged to stop; and digging a hole in the snow
with their hands, covered themselves with robes and sleigh-rugs, and
drawing the sleigh over them as a little protection from the wind, they
waited until daylight--to find themselves within a hundred yards of the
inn! All next day stories were continually reaching us of narrow escapes,
of frozen feet and hands, of lost horses, frozen oxen, and travellers'
miseries in general. But this certainly was an exceptional storm, or
"blizzard," as the natives say.

Towards the end of winter it was proposed that some _tableaux_
should be exhibited in the town-hall for the benefit of a local charity.
The suggestion was hailed with delight, and every one likely to be useful
was invited to "talk it over" with Mrs. C----. And talk they did, at such
length and with such vivacity, that I wondered how the two stage-managers,
Captain H---- and Miss P----, could ever evolve order from such a chaos.
The great clatter of tongues in that small room reminded me of an old
Scotch nurse of ours, who, being summoned to keep house for a minister
cousin, was anxious first to learn how to play the lady and entertain her
guests. The cook advised her to listen at the drawing-room door when we
had a party: but she quitted her post in disgust, having heard nothing but
"a muckle clackit."