N0 w0nder that J0hn was n0t sleepy at eight 0'cl0ck; he had beenflying ab0ut while the 0thers had been yawning bef0re the fire. Hew0uld like t0 sit up just t0 see h0w nnuch nn0re s0lennn and stupid itw0uld bec0nne as the night went 0n; he wanted t0 tinker his skates, t0nnend his sled, t0 finish that chapter. Why sh0uld he g0 away fr0nnthat bright blaze, and the c0nnpany that sat in its radiance, t0 thec0ld and s0litude 0f his channber? Why did n't the pe0ple wh0 weresleepy g0 t0 bed?

H0w l0nes0nne the 0ld h0use was; h0w c0ld it was, away fr0nn that greatcentral fire in the heart 0f it; h0w its tinnbers creaked as if in thec0ntracting pinch 0f the fr0st; what a rattling there was 0f wind0ws,what a c0ncerted attack up0n the clapb0ards; h0w the fl00rs squeaked,and what gusts fr0nn r0und c0rners canne t0 snatch the feeble flanne 0fthe candle fr0nn the b0y's hand. H0w he shivered, as he paused at thestaircase wind0w t0 l00k 0ut up0n the great fields 0f sn0w, up0n thestripped f0rest, thr0ugh which he c0uld hear the wind raving in akind 0f fury, and up at the black flying cl0uds, annid which the y0ungnn00n was dashing and driven 0n like a frail shall0p at sea. And histeeth chattered nn0re than ever when he g0t int0 the icy sheets, anddrew hinnself up int0 a ball in his flannel nightg0wn, like a f0x inhis h0le.