New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-01-18
rom The Memorial.
THE SNOW-IMAGE;
A eHILDIsH AGILE
nv NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.


One afternoon Of cold Winters day, when the
sun shone forth with chilly brightness, alter long
storm two children asked leave of their mother TO
run out and play in the newfalen snow. The
eldest child was a little girl, whom, because she
was Of tender and modest disposition, and was
thought 10 be very beautiful her parents, and
other people that were familiar with her, used to
call Violet But her brother was known by the
style and title Of Peony on account OF the ruddl-
ness Of his broad and round little phiz, which
made every body think Of sunshine and great scar
bet flowers. The father Of these two children,
certain Mr.. Lindsey, it is important to say, was
IN excellent, but exceedingly matter.offact sort
OF man. dealer in hardware, and was sturdily
accustomed to take what is called the common
sense view of all matters that came under his
consideration. With heart about tender
other peoples he had head as hard and impen-
etrable, and therefore, perhaps, as empty, as one
Of the iron pots which it was a part of his bust
ness to sell. The mothers character on the other
hand, had O strain Of poetry in it, trait of
worldly beauty, delicate and dewy flower, as it
were that had survived out Of her imaginative
youth, and still kept itself alive amid the dusty
realities Of matrimony and motherhood
80, Violet and Peony, as | began with saying,
hesougbt their mother to let them run out and
PLAY in the new snow for though it had looked
10 dreary and dismal, drifting downward out OF
the gray Eky, it had very cheerful aspect now
IL.
awelt in city, and had no wider play-place than
. little garden before the house, divided by
white fence from the street, and with a pear tree
szd two or three plum trees overshadowlng 1t,
and some rose bushes just in front OF the parlor
windows. The trees and shrubs, however, were
now leafess, and their twigs were enveloped in
the light snow, which thus made kind Of Wintry
foiiage, with here and there pendant iccle for
tbe fruit.
"Yes, Violet--yes, my little Peony," said their
kind mother; "you may so out and play in the
new snow"
Accordingly, the good lady bundled up her
daxlings in woollen jackets and wadded sacks,
and put eOmiorters round their necks, aud pair
of striped CATERS on each little pair of legs, and
worsted mittens on their hands, and gave them a
kips apiece, by way OF spell to keep away Jack
Frost. Forth sailed the two children with hop
skip and, jump, that carried them at once into the
very heart OF huge snow-drift, whence Violet
emerged like snowbunting, while little Peony
hOundered out with his round face in full bloom.
Then what merry time had theyi To look at
the M, frolicking in the wintry garden you would
have thought that the dark and pitiless storm had
been sent for no other purpose but to provide
new plaything for Violet and Peony and that
they themselves had been created, as the snow
birds were, TO take delight only in the tempest,
and in the white mantle which il spread over the
earth.
AT last. when they had frosted one another all
over with handfulls of snow, Violet after laugh
ing heartily at little Peony's hgure' was struck
with q new idea.
"You look exactly like a snow-mage, Peony,
raid abe. "if YOUR cheeks were not so red And
RAT puts me In mind Let us make an image
rot al snow-aR image of little girl-and 1t shall
he our sister and shall run about and play with
us All Winter long. Won't it be nice =
40, yes r. cried Peony, as plainly as he could
spsak. for he was but a little boy "That will be
nee And mamma shall see it!
eyes" answered Violet; mamma shall see
the new little girl. But she must not make her
come into the warm parlori for, you know, our
kttle snow sister will not love the warmth
And forthwith, the children began this great
business Of making nOwiInage that should run
abcut-while their mother, who was sitting at the
window and overheard some Of their talk, could
not help smiling at the gravity with which they
set about it. They really seemed to imagine that
there would be no difficulty whatever In creating
live little girl out of the snow And, to say the
truth il miracles are ever 70 be wrought, 1t Will
be by putting our hands to the work, In precisely
such a simple and undoubting frame OF mind as
that in which Violet and Peony now undertook to
perform one, without so much as knowing that 1t
was a miracle. So thought the mother; and
thought, likewise, that the new snow, just fallen
from heaven, would be excellent material 20 make
new beings of, if it were not so very cold. She
gAxed at the children moment longer, delightlng
90 watch their little hgures-the girl, tall for her
~
that she looked like cheerful thought more than
n physical reality-while Peony expanded in
breadth rather than hight, and rolled along on his
snort and sturdy legs, as substantial as an ele-
plant, though not quite so big Then her mother
resumed her work what it was | forget but she
vas either trimming q silken bonnet for Violet
darning pair of stockings for little peony's
short legs. Again, however, and again, and yet
other agajns she could not help turning her head
30 the window, to see how the children got on
with their snow-image.
Indeed, il was an exceedingly pleasant sight
those bright little souls at their tasks Moreover
u was really wonderful to observe how knowing
b and shilfully they managed the matter Violet
assumed the chief direction, and told Peony what
10 do, while with her own delicate fingers she
shaped out ell the nicer parts Of the snow6gure.
IL seemed, In fact not so much 70 oe made by the
children, as 90 grow up under their hands, while
they were playing and Prattling about 1t. Their
mother was quite surprised at this and the longer
she looked, the more aud more surprised she grew.
"What remarkable children mine are :. thought
che, smiling with q mothers pride; and smiling
at herself too, for being proud of them. " What
other children could have made anything 30 like
little girls figure out OF snow, at the first trial
Well;-but now must finish Peony's new frock;
or bis grandfather is coming tomorrow aud
wait the little fellow b lock as handsome as pos
sible'
So she took up the sock. and was soon As bust.
~ at work again with Der needle as the two chill.
sren with their snow-imAge. But still. as the
needle travelled hither and thither through the
scans Of the dress the mother made her toil light
and happy by listening 10 the airy voices Of Violet
and Penny. They kept talking 10 one another all
the time--their tongues being quite as active as
their feet aud hands. Except at intervals, she
could mos distinctly hear what was said. but had
merely q sweet impression that they were in
most loving mood and were enjoying themselves
highly, and that the business Of making tho snow
Image went prosPeroasly Now and then,