?"
But the great clock
TICKS!
And the _grim_ clock
TOCKS!
Away at the top of his ghostly box;
The round Full Moon (in his forehead) smiles;
But with all his wisdom, or all his wiles,
Though he knows very well,
He never will tell
Should he tick and tock till a century old
What they mean by
The Sa-archinkold!

In the great, square room, by a cheerful flame
In the fire-place, bending above her frame,
Is grandma, snapping her chalky string
Across and across a broad, bright thing.
"Gramma, what you are a-doin' here?"
"I'm a-makin' a 'comfort,' my little dear;
For grandpa and I are a-gittin' old.
And we're afeared o' the Sa-archin' Cold."

When the daylight fades, and the shadows fall
Flickering down from the fire-dogs tall,
Comes Uncle Phil, from his school and his books.
"Uncle Phil, I know by your smile-y looks--
You'll let me--get on your knee--jus' _so_--
An' you'll tell me somefing I want to know:
'Cos, you see, Uncle Phil, I've _got_ to be told
_Who she is_--they call her
'The Sa-archinkold.'"

Uncle Phil looks up;
Uncle Phil looks down;
And he wags his head;
And he tries to frown;
But at last he cries
In a great surprise:
"Why, yes! to be sure! to be sure, I'll tell
For I know the old dame, of old, right well:

"Now Jack is a fine old fellow, you see;
Spicy, and full of his pranks, is he:
Snipping off noses, just for fun,
And sticking 'em on again when he is done;
A-pinching at pretty, soft ears and cheeks;
A-wakin' folks up with his jolly freaks;
But a--h! for your life
Look sharp for his wife!

"For she comes after, and comes to stay--
Welcome or not--for a month and a day!
She plots, and she plans, she sneaks, and she crawls
Till she finds a way through the thickest of walls!"

"ZH----ZH!
Did you ever meet a
More dreadful creatur!
She's Jack Frost's wife!
And the plague of his life!

"ZH!--ZH!
I'm all of a shiver,
Heart, lungs and liver!
When I think of that old
SAARCHINKOLD!

"Oh--oo!" cries Phunny-kind, "how does she look?"
"To be sure! I'll picture her just like a book.
--Her nose--is an icicle, sharp and strong,
To poke in at every hole and crack;
Her eyes gleam frostily all night long--
But who knows whether they'