That lady and her children, who have gone from Cheapside to Islington, may fancy themselves at a farm in the country; the fields look so green, the fresh air is so reviving, and the warm milk so delightfully sweet. Let us hope they will all receive some benefit from their morning excursion; for a walk, and a draught of new milk, must contribute greatly to the health of children who are confined for the rest of the day in a crowded city. The old gentleman on the bench seems also to have had his draught, and is contemplating the fine shape of the gentle cow. .82 Skating. [Picture: Skating] There go the apprentice and beauish young spark, To skate on the frozen canal in the park! Each bent upon showing his skill and his speed: And, truly, there’s one _bent upon it_, indeed. Nay, if you go on where the ice is so thin, You will not be long _on_, my good fellow, but _in_. 83. The hard Frost. [Picture: The hard frost] What a picture of winter! The water in the leaden pipes, leading from the large iron ones underground, into the houses, is frozen. As some part of the pipe is generally exposed to the cold air, this stoppage frequently happens in a frost, so that the turn-cock is obliged to put a small wooden pipe into one of the large ones underground, {75} that the people may procure water. The poor woman’s cloak is frozen so hard, that it looks like a great wing. The little boy blows his fingers to make them warmer: and there is a man throwing the snow off the house, that it may not soak through to the chamber ceiling when a thaw comes. What a blessing to have a good house and a comfortable fire-side, when the weather is so severe. 84. The Fire-plug. [Picture: The Fire-plug] The turn-cock, as he is called, has just opened a fire-plug, or rather water-plug; but as its principal use is to supply water to the engines for extinguishing fires, it has acquired the former name, more from custom than propriety. Some boys make rare sport, by putting one foot on the stream, and dividing the course of the water; it is thus driven into the air, and over their companions or passengers.