If you hope ever to be as weather-wise as Grandfather, you must begin right away to see and to think. The next time you hear him say, "It is going to snow," put on your fur cap and mittens and go out-of-doors. Is the air clear, crisp, and cold—the kind you like to be out in? Or is it a keen cold that makes you long for the fire-place? Can you see the sun? If so, how does it look? In what direction is the wind? How cold does the thermometer tell you it is?
All the time that you are learning these things the storm will be coming nearer. Then on your dark coat sleeve something soft and white and glistening falls—a snowflake. You touch the bright thing and it disappears. Where did it come from and whither did it go? Others follow faster and faster, jostling each other as they whirl through the air. Look at them closely. Are the crystals large and flowery or small and clear? Put your head back and let them come down on your face. Is their touch soft or do they hurt as they fall?
Perhaps by this time you are very cold and think that supper must be nearly ready. You go into the house, and you find the gray kitten snoozing comfortably on the hearthrug. You snuggle down beside her "to warm your frozen bones a bit," and still the storm and outdoor world are near; for is it not splendid music that the wind is making as it roars down the old chimney or sways the tall pine trees?
Suggestions for Study.
Answer as many of the following questions as you can from your own observations:
1. How did the sky look before it began to snow? During the storm? After the storm? It is always a good thing to look up at the sky.
2. In what direction did the old weather-cock tell you the wind was blowing as the storm came on? Did the wind change during the storm? If so, did the snow change in any way?
3. Look at snow crystals through a tripod lens if you have one. How many points do they have?
4. After supper go to the window, raise the shade, and look out on the stormy night. Tell Uncle John all that you see.
5. On your way to school the next day after a snow storm, have the following in mind to write to us about: