"It is _very_ cold," said the little old man as we started.
"Yes," said one of the passengers; "but we shall not be long going."
After a short pause, he again spoke:
"It is certainly very cold. I am truly afraid I shall freeze before we
get there."
"O, no! not so very cold," said I, drawing my fur cap tightly over my
ears.
"I was never so cold in my life!" growled the little man. "My ears are
freezing, now."
"Sorry I can't help you," I said, with a feeling of true sympathy; "but
we have not much further to go."
Presently he growled again:
"I know I shall freeze, anyhow. Can I take your muffler?"
I spared my muffler. But, pretty soon, I heard from him again:
"The top of my head is very cold, and I shall have a fearful headache."
We soon reached the hotel and entered the office, where a warm fire
welcomed us. The little old man undid the muffler and handed it to me.
He then removed his hat, and I discovered _that it was of straw_, and,
also, that he was very bald.
My pity for the man was all gone in a moment. It could not be that he
had no other hat, for he was dressed well enough to own twenty hats. I
never found out what his reason was for wearing such a hat in the
winter.
I fell to moralizing presently; but I will not here write down my
reflections. Suffice it to say that every day in the year I meet
children, and grown people too, for that matter, who are "_wearing straw
hats in the winter_," and suffering various dreadful things in
consequence thereof.
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