One day I went to visit the strongest fort the city contains. It is called Citadel Hill, and overlooks and commands the harbor; which by the way, is considered one of the finest in the world. This Citadel is merely an immense hill, covering nearly half a mile of ground and situated in the very heart of the city. When you have climbed to the top you come upon a large opening, and looking down see a long flight of iron steps leading to the ground, many, many feet below. The hill is excavated and stored with arms and ammunition of all kinds, and great cannons, that look so cruel. All along the outer edge of this excavation were little rooms in which the married soldiers lived with their families. I pitied the little children that had to live in this way, without any home feeling—never knowing at what moment their father might be called away, for a soldier’s life is necessarily a roving one. This hill would make a grand coasting place in the winter, and one which I have no doubt the little Blue Nose boys and girls often avail themselves of. In Halifax not only the boys and girls, but the men and women also, make much more of winter sports than we do. The large and elegant skating rink I hear has just been opened and, the regimental band have given a grand concert in honor of the occasion. Snow-shoeing used to be indulged in largely, but in the city the custom is, I believe, somewhat falling off. I do not think you Western boys and girls could hardly imagine what odd, pretty suits the girls make to go skating and snow-shoeing in. The one I saw was made of two large white flannel bed-blankets, with a bright scarlet and blue border. The suit consisted of a skirt, circular-like cloak, and cap with a long side flap to it, which hung nearly to the shoulder. My cousin dressed herself all up in her pretty rig and then got down her wooden snow-shoes and buckled them on. She looked like a winter fairy all ready for an Arctic expedition. I must confess I could hardly understand how she could manage to walk in the great unwieldy looking shoes, which were nearly five times as large as an ordinary shoe, but she assured me it was great fun and easily done. I heard an amusing story there about a minister who wished to be married, but who lived a long distance from the neighboring minister, and the snow was very deep, and there was but one pair of snow-shoes. Not wishing to wait until spring he hit upon a novel plan which was this: That his ladylove should stand upon the back of his snow-shoes, clasp her arms tightly around her future lord’s waist, and thus be carried safely to the neighboring kirk, which she accordingly did. You see this required no real effort on the lady’s part, only, I should judge, a great deal of pluck and nerve power, as well as love. However the story is that they accomplished the journey in safety and were duly married.