│ │ │ │ ☍ ☌ △ ♄ │ │30│good │ │ │ │ │ │ │ in all │ │31│flip. │ │ │ └──┴──────────┴────────────────────────────────────┴──────────────────┘ [Illustration: JANUARY.—"Hard Frost." ] SLANGOLOGY. "With many holiday and _court-like_ phrase—" _Shakespeare's Henry IV., Part I._ MISS ARABELLA WILHELMINA WIGGINs is the pattern of gentility: She never utters vulgar words, but talks just like nobility. I met her at Vauxhall, last year, and she gave me a sad relation About Miss Briggs: I recollect it every word;—but here's her own narration: "Oh, dear! my dear Miss Popkins! have you heard what befel Miss B.? (I wish, Papa, you'd get _up to snuff_ the lights; one can hardly see: Oh, la! you've made 'em _flare up so_, I declare we are quite in a blaze: And, bless me! there's all the people staring at us, all in amaze!) I'll tell you, while Papa is taking his _punch_; _his pipkin_ he calls the bowl, (You _make yourself scarce_ any punch at home, Papa; so I suppose you'll drink the whole). I'm sure he will, Miss P.; and even then he wont have quench'd his drouth. (I really wonder, Pa', how you can pour so much punch _down in the mouth_.) But how I rattle on! quite forgetting all about Miss B. You must know we were on a visit at a country cousin's; and after tea We stroll'd about with Mr. Timbs, and Mr. Figgins, and Mr. Oddy;— I declare _there he goes with his eye out_-staring every body. Poor fellow! he has but one, for the other's made of glass; 'Twas a sad accident; and I'll tell you how it came to pass:— One night, he went out rabbit-_shooting_; _the moon_ was shining bright; His gun was overloaded and bursted; and so one eye lost its sight. Well, Miss Briggs is a very bold girl; as bold a girl as one knows; And as we were walking along, the laundress caught _my eye; and_ '_Betty Martin_,' says Miss B., '_where do you hang out_ your clothes?' She came to a well after that; and, really, I am almost ashamed to tell, But, upon my word, she behav'd exceedingly ill about that well. She began to _kick the bucket_; and to a man who was chopping down a tree, She said: 'What are you with that _axe about_?' which was very rude indeed of Miss B.; And when he left off chopping, she said, 'Why don't you _cut your stick_?' The man was just then chopping a piece of wood that was thick. Now this made him quite confus'd; and in his hurry his skill to show off, He made a slip with his axe, and chopped poor Miss Brigg's little toe off. The shock gave me such a terrible pain all over _my eyes and limbs_, That I really should have fainted, if it hadn't been for that dear Mr. Timbs.