Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1853-02-03
WINTER.

lhe following sketch from Mi.chelPs
Dream of Life, has all the qualities of beau
lllul poem, except of rythm:
"Sl"wl y, thickly, fas,ly fall the snow
flakes, like the seasons upon the life of ma n
Al fHsi, they lose themselves in the brown
mat OF heritage, or gently melt as they fall
upon the broad stepping stones a, the door
But as hour after hour passes, the fealhery
1skes stretch their white cloak plainly upon
The meadow, and chilling The multitude, GOV.
er 1t with mat Of pearl.
The d'ied grass tips, pierce the mantle
OF white like SO many serried spears, be, as
The storm goes softly on, they sink one by
one 10 their snowy tomb and presently
SHOW nothing of their army, save one OF
two struggling banners Of blackened and
shrunken daisies.
Across the wide meadow that stretches
from my window, can see nothing of tn ose
hills which were so green in summer be-
tween me and Them is only the soft, slow
moving masses, filing the air with white
ness. catch only the glimpse of one gaunt
ana oaTe armed oak, looming through the
leathery multitude like tall ships spars
breaking through the fog.
lhe roof of the barn covered: and the
caves show dark stains of water, that tickle
down the weather beaten boards. The pear
trees that wore such weigh. Of greenness in
we leafy June, now stretch their bare arms
to The snowy blast, and carry upon each
''ny bough narrw burden Of winter.
: The old dog marches stately through the
strange covering of earth, and seems to pom
der on the welcome be will show,-and
shakes from his long ears, and with a vain
snap al floating feather, he stalks again to
his dry cover, in the shed. The lambs tina,
belonged TO the meadow flock, with their
feed'ng gtound all covered, seem to wonder
al Their losses but take Courage from the
quiet air Of the veteran sheep, and gambol
alter them as they move seda,ely towards
The shelter Of the barn.
The Cat, driven from the kitchen door,
beats coy retreat, with long reaches of her
'eeI, upon the yielding surface. The ma
tronly hens saunter out, at litlle lifting of
The storm, and eye curiously, with heads
hail turned, their sinking steps; and then
tall back with quiet cluck of satisfaction, to
The wholesome gravel by the stable door.
.5':y ihe-5y he snow fakes fall more lei
come more slowly than before. The hills
that were brown, heave into sigh.-great
rounded pillows of white. The gray woods
look sunken to half their height, and stand
wavering in the storm. The wind freshens
and scatlers the light flakes that crown the
burden of snow; and as The day drops,
clear, bright sky of steel color, cleaves the
land and clouds, and sends down a chilling
wind TO bank the walls and freeze the STORM.
The moon rises full and round, and plays
with joyful chill over the glis.ening raj
ment of land.
| pile my fire with the clean cleft hickory;
and muslng over some sweet story OF the
oIden time. | wander into rich realm Of
thought until my eyes grow dim, and dream
ing Of battle and Of prince, fall 10 sleep
in my old farm chamber.
AT morning, find my dreams are written
on the window in crystals of fairy shape.
The cattle, one by one, with ears frost tip
ped, and frosted noses, wend their way to
the watering place in the meadow. One by
one they drink, and crop a, The stunled herb
age, which the warm spring keeps green
and bare.
A hound bays in the distance ; the smoke
Of cottages rises straight towards heaven a
lazy jingle of sleigh bells wakens the qule.
of The high road; and upon the high hills
the leahess woods stand low, like crouch
ing armies, with guns and spears in rest;
and among them the scattered spiral pines
rise like banner men uterng with their
thousand tongues of green the proud war
cry-"God is with u.s."
Blu, the sky of winter is as eapriclous as
the sky of spring, even as The old wander
in thought like the vagaries of boyhcod.
Before noon the heavens are man,led with
a leaden gray; the caves that leaked in the
glow of The sun, now tell their tale Of morn
ing's warmth, in crystal ranks of icicles.-
The cattle seek their shelter ; the few lin
gering leaves Of the white oak rustic dismal
ly; the pines breathe sighs of mourning.
As the night darkens, and deepens the
storm, the house dog bays; the children
crouch in the wide chimney corner the
sleely rain comes in deep gusts. And as
sit by the light leaping blaze in my cham
Der, the scattered hail drops bea, upon my
own window like The tappings of an OLD
MANS cane.
AN APPROPRIATE REPLY.-In the course
of luminous argument in the Senate, Mr..
Clay addressing the ul.ras, cried out with
the voice Of a Slenlor, "What do you wan,'"
A tigh. little Irishman, who was making
some noise while trying to escape from the
crush near the gallery door inside, replied
quite audbly, supposing .ha. he was person
ally addressed, IL want to get out"
FACTS IN HUMAN NATURE.-Soaft Sosp,
in some shape, pleases all and, generally
speaking, the more 1ye you put into j. the
better.