Трое в лодке не считая собаки

           Bootssaiditwasevidentthatweweregoingtohaveaprolongedspellofgrandweathersometime,andreadoutapoemwhichwasprintedoverthetopoftheoracle,about 

           "Longforetold,longlast; 

           Shortnotice,soonpast." 

           Thefineweathernevercamethatsummer. Iexpectthatmachinemusthavebeenreferringtothefollowingspring. 

           Thentherearethosenewstyleofbarometers,thelongstraightones. Inevercanmakeheadortailofthose. Thereisonesidefor10a.m.yesterday,andonesidefor10a.m.today;butyoucan’talwaysgetthereasearlyasten,youknow. Itrisesorfallsforrainandfine,withmuchorlesswind,andoneendis"Nly"andtheother"Ely"(what’sElygottodowithit?),andifyoutapit,itdoesn’ttellyouanything. Andyou’vegottocorrectittosea-level,andreduceittoFahrenheit,andeventhenIdon’tknowtheanswer. 

           Butwhowantstobeforetoldtheweather? Itisbadenoughwhenitcomes,withoutourhavingthemiseryofknowingaboutitbeforehand. Theprophetwelikeistheoldmanwho,ontheparticularlygloomy-lookingmorningofsomedaywhenweparticularlywantittobefine,looksroundthehorizonwithaparticularlyknowingeye,andsays: 

           "Ohno,sir,Ithinkitwillclearupallright. Itwillbreakallrightenough,sir." 

           "Ah,heknows",wesay,aswewishhimgood-morning,andstartoff;"wonderfulhowtheseoldfellowscantell!" 

           Andwefeelanaffectionforthatmanwhichisnotatalllessenedbythecircumstancesofitsnotclearingup,butcontinuingtorainsteadilyallday.