The day was closing in.

Up and down the street merchants were putting up their shutters; customers had been few on such a snowy day.

Here and there appeared a figure, booted and greatcoated, emerging from a tavern or from a law office such as Rand's.

A sledge passed, laden with pine and hickory, drawn by mules with jangling bells; and a handful of boys loosed from school threw down their bags of books and fell to snowballing.

A negro shuffled by with a spade on his shoulder, singing as he went,-- "Didn't my Lawd deliber Daniel, Didn't my Lawd deliber Daniel, An' why not ebery man?
He delibered Daniel from de lions' den, An' de Hebrew Chillern from de furnace, He delibered David from de han' of Saul, An' why not ebery man ?" Rand turned into Governor Street, climbed its white ascent, and struck across the Capitol Square.