  We present the first direct detection of cold atomic gas in the Magellanic
Stream, through 21 cm line absorption toward a background radio source, J0119 -
6809, using the Australia Telescope Compact Array. Two absorption components
were identified at heliocentric velocities 218.6 km/s and 227.0 km/s, with
optical depths of tau ~ 0.02. The corresponding H I emission region has a
column density in excess of 2 x 10^20 cm^{-2}. The inferred spin temperature of
the emitting gas is ~70 K. We failed to find cool gas in observations of three
other radio continuum sources. Although we have definitively detected cool gas
in the Stream, its spin temperature is higher than similar components in the
LMC, SMC and Bridge, and its contribution to the total H I density is probably
lower. No corresponding 12CO(J = 1 -> 0) or dust appears to be associated with
the cool gas, suggesting that the cloud is not forming stars.
