下载辰思小说免费APP
Ididnotplastertillitwasfreezingweather。Ibroughtoversomewhiterandcleanersandforthispurposefromtheoppositeshoreofthepondinaboat，asortofconveyancewhichwouldhavetemptedmetogomuchfartherifnecessary。Myhousehadinthemeanwhilebeenshingleddowntothegroundoneveryside。InlathingIwaspleasedtobeabletosendhomeeachnailwithasingleblowofthehammer，anditwasmyambitiontotransfertheplasterfromtheboardtothewallneatlyandrapidly。Irememberedthestoryofaconceitedfellow，who，infineclothes，waswonttoloungeaboutthevillageonce，givingadvicetoworkmen。Venturingonedaytosubstitutedeedsforwords，heturneduphiscuffs，seizedaplasterer’sboard，andhavingloadedhistrowelwithoutmishap，withacomplacentlooktowardthelathingoverhead，madeaboldgesturethitherward；andstraightway，tohiscompletediscomfiture，receivedthewholecontentsinhisruffledbosom。I
admiredanewtheeconomyandconvenienceofplastering，whichsoeffectuallyshutsoutthecoldandtakesahandsomefinish，andI
learnedthevariouscasualtiestowhichtheplastererisliable。I
wassurprisedtoseehowthirstythebrickswerewhichdrankupallthemoistureinmyplasterbeforeIhadsmoothedit，andhowmanypailfulsofwaterittakestochristenanewhearth。IhadthepreviouswintermadeasmallquantityoflimebyburningtheshellsoftheUniofluviatilis，whichourriveraffords，forthesakeoftheexperiment；sothatIknewwheremymaterialscamefrom。I
mighthavegotgoodlimestonewithinamileortwoandburneditmyself，ifIhadcaredtodoso。
Thepondhadinthemeanwhileskimmedoverintheshadiestandshallowestcoves，somedaysorevenweeksbeforethegeneralfreezing。Thefirsticeisespeciallyinterestingandperfect，beinghard，dark，andtransparent，andaffordsthebestopportunitythateveroffersforexaminingthebottomwhereitisshallow；foryoucanlieatyourlengthoniceonlyaninchthick，likeaskaterinsectonthesurfaceofthewater，andstudythebottomatyourleisure，onlytwoorthreeinchesdistant，likeapicturebehindaglass，andthewaterisnecessarilyalwayssmooththen。Therearemanyfurrowsinthesandwheresomecreaturehastravelledaboutanddoubledonitstracks；and，forwrecks，itisstrewnwiththecasesofcaddis-wormsmadeofminutegrainsofwhitequartz。Perhapsthesehavecreasedit，foryoufindsomeoftheircasesinthefurrows，thoughtheyaredeepandbroadforthemtomake。Buttheiceitselfistheobjectofmostinterest，thoughyoumustimprovetheearliestopportunitytostudyit。Ifyouexamineitcloselythemorningafteritfreezes，youfindthatthegreaterpartofthebubbles，whichatfirstappearedtobewithinit，areagainstitsundersurface，andthatmorearecontinuallyrisingfromthebottom；
whiletheiceisasyetcomparativelysolidanddark，thatis，youseethewaterthroughit。Thesebubblesarefromaneightiethtoaneighthofaninchindiameter，veryclearandbeautiful，andyouseeyourfacereflectedinthemthroughtheice。Theremaybethirtyorfortyofthemtoasquareinch。Therearealsoalreadywithintheicenarrowoblongperpendicularbubblesabouthalfaninchlong，sharpconeswiththeapexupward；oroftener，iftheiceisquitefresh，minutesphericalbubblesonedirectlyaboveanother，likeastringofbeads。Butthesewithintheicearenotsonumerousnorobviousasthosebeneath。Isometimesusedtocastonstonestotrythestrengthoftheice，andthosewhichbrokethroughcarriedinairwiththem，whichformedverylargeandconspicuouswhitebubblesbeneath。OnedaywhenIcametothesameplaceforty-eighthoursafterward，Ifoundthatthoselargebubbleswerestillperfect，thoughaninchmoreoficehadformed，asIcouldseedistinctlybytheseamintheedgeofacake。Butasthelasttwodayshadbeenverywarm，likeanIndiansummer，theicewasnotnowtransparent，showingthedarkgreencolorofthewater，andthebottom，butopaqueandwhitishorgray，andthoughtwiceasthickwashardlystrongerthanbefore，fortheairbubbleshadgreatlyexpandedunderthisheatandruntogether，andlosttheirregularity；theywerenolongeronedirectlyoveranother，butoftenlikesilverycoinspouredfromabag，oneoverlappinganother，orinthinflakes，asifoccu
