bringing snow and violet aj it to the figure as as a adds clay to his model as she discerned the snow child the mother thought to herself that never before was there a so made nor ever such a dear little girl and boy to make it they do everything better than other children said e very complacently no wonder they make better snow images she sat down again to her work and made as much haste with it as possible because twilight would soon � a and s frock was not yet finished and was expected by railroad pretty early in the n morning faster and faster therefore went her flying fingers the children likewise kept busily at v in the garden and still the mother listened whenever she could catch a word she was amused to observe how their little had got mixed up with what they were doing and were carried away by it they seemed positively to think that the snow child would run about and play with them what a nice she will be for us all winter long said violet i hope papa will not be of her giving us a cold shan t you love her dearly o yes cried and i will her and e shall sit down close by me and drink some of mv warm milk a childish � o no i answered violet with grave wisdom that will not do at all milk will not be wholesome for our little snow sister little like her eat nothing but no no we must not give her anything warm to drink there was a minute or two of silence for whose short legs were never weary had gone on a pilgrimage again to the other side of the garden all of a sudden violet cried out loudly and joyfully look here quickly a light has been shining on her cheek out of that rose colored cloud and the color does not go away is not that beautiful yes it is beau ti ful answered the three with deliberate accuracy o violet only look at her hair it is all like gold i o certainly said violet with tranquillity as if it were very much a matter of course that color you know comes from the golden clouds that we see up there in the sky she is almost finished now but her lips must be made very red � than her cheeks perhaps it will make them red if we both kiss them accordingly the mother heard two smart little as if both her children were kissing the snow image on its frozen mouth but as this did not seem to make the lips quite red enough violet next proposed that the snow child should be invited to kiss s scarlet cheek snow sister kiss me cried � there she has kissed you added violet and the snow image now her lips are very red and she blushed a little too o what a cold kiss cried just then there came a breeze of the pure west wind sweeping through the garden and rattling the parlor windows it sounded so wintry cold that the mother was about to tap on the window pane with her finger to summon the two children in when they both cried out to her with one voice the tone was not a tone of surprise although they were evidently a good deal excited it appeared rather as if they were very much rejoiced at some event that had now happened but which they had been looking for and had reckoned upon all long mamma mamma we have finished our little snow sister and she is running about the garden with us what imaginative little beings my children are thought the mother putting the last few into s frock and it is strange too that they make me almost as much a child as they themselves are i can hardly help believing now that the snow image has really come to life dear mamma cried violet pray look out and see what a sweet we have the mother being thus entreated could no longer delay to look forth from the window the sun was now gone out of the sky leaving however a rich inheritance of his brightness among those purple and golden clouds which make the of winter so magnificent but there was not the slightest gleam or either on the window or on the snow so that the good lady could a childish look all over the garden and see everything and everybody in it and what do you think she saw there violet and of course her own two darling children ah but whom or what did she besides why if you will believe me there was a small figure of a girl dressed all in white with rose tinged cheeks and of golden hue playing about the garden with the two children a stranger though she was the child seemed to be on as familiar terms with violet and and they with her as if all the three had been during the whole of their little lives the mother thought to herself that it must certainly be the daughter of one of the neighbors and that seeing and in the garden the child had run across the street to play with them so this kind lady went to the door intending to invite the little into her comfortable parlor for now that the sunshine was withdrawn the atmosphere out of doors was already growing very cold but after opening the house door she stood an instant on the threshold hesitating whether she ought to ask the child to come in or whether she should even speak ta her indeed she almost doubted whether it were a real child after all or only a light wreath of the new fallen snow blown hither and thither about the garden by the intensely cold west 