phenomena of the ice joy of and his mother along in the and channels sometimes the ice expanded to a considerable breadth where the water had flowed smoothly and slowly and at others the stream was contracted between rocks or tumbled down in the water itself concealed behind monstrous and or massive or rounded and of anchor ice there was no end to the brilliant colors and fantastic forms of the honey and the net work and the needles and the stars which was continually finding and there were horses and soldiers and and giants with ponderous clubs and just ready to ascend into the air then was never tired of gazing at the curious effect of the water and down over a rock or along a stony bottom as seen through its icy covering in a word was in an ecstasy his mother too though more quiet and in her enjoyment was equally pleased she walked happily along admiring the wonders which had discovered and pointed out she had in fact a source of deeper and purer joy than his in the reflection which she was continually making my father made them all when any of the peculiar beauties or wonders of nature are presented to the eye on the sabbath perhaps they more frequently tend to draw away the mind from god than toward him but there are some seasons or perhaps some states of mind when the effect is the reverse and the mind seems to perceive by a direct moral vision the glories and the loveliness of divinity in every enchantment around the soul seems to gratitude and filial love and every sight and sound comes with associations of unspeakable tenderness and peace and joy s mother was at this time in such a state of mind and she moved leisurely along � for now that they had taken a shorter road there was ample time � rambling around her path through the woods s conversation like a and all the aspects of nature beaming with an expression of the sweetest peace and happiness upon her soul she mused in silence her heart with happy confidence in the presence and communion of the with a smile of gladness and peace over every feature and her eyes half filled with tears at length they left the bed of the brook and turned off into a horse path through the woods which they thought would bring them out near the school house the path had not been broken out so that it aided them only by affording an passage through the trees and they walked along upon the snow far above the surface of the ground and now said his mother when they entered upon this secluded path and the thicket of trees and bushes on each side seemed to shut out every thing that might attention now come and walk quietly by me i want to talk with you came with a leap and a bound took hold of his mother s hand and hanging by it began crosses on the snow with a long slender rod he held in his hand throw away your stick and walk along quietly i want to talk with you i ll hide it under this log mother said the boy to the side of the road and concealing his and then i can get it when we come back said she as he came to her side again i have been thinking lately about god more than i used to do i have been thinking how kind he has been to us and how ungrateful we have been to him and after this i am going to do differently walked along without making any reply one thing i am going to do is to read the bible and pray to god with you every night and morning or the s mother new plans and shall you make the prayer mother v said with an in which were combined an expression of solemnity and of surprise yes god will help me i wish you were old enough and had the heart to do it i might read the bible mother said he thoughtfully yes so you can and that will be an excellent plan for us here darted off to the side of the road and took up a smooth stick which lay upon the snow it was part of a dead and branch which the wind had broken off from a tree above he ran back with it using it for a walking cane and saying when are you going to begin mother to night and besides said she i am going to do differently by you i don t think i have done quite right by you why mother said in a tone of great surprise marching along at the same time with a very martial air striking his stick into the snow at every step by way of keeping time i am sure i think you have been very kind to me yes i am afraid ive you too much here dropped his mother s hand and stopped she looked round and saw that his eye was fixed upon an object at a little distance in the wood and he was drawing back his stick to throw it in an instant the stick flew end over end through the air and struck the bottom of a stump just in the edge of the wood and at the same moment two snow birds flew away from the top of it oh mother said he a little more there were two of them mother did you see yes i saw them but you ought not to throw at the is somewhat surprised his mother s resolutions birds it is sabbath day besides i want you to hear me well mother i will said and began again to walk with forced decorum by her side i have let you have your 