Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1856-03-14
TIME OF FALLING SNOW.
BY GEORGE LIPPARD.

The tears come into my eyes when
the snow falls, for it was the time Of fall
ing snow she died. A dreary morning,
cold and desolate, with sleet patting on
the window pane, and snow upon the
ground. The tower of the church, which
you could see from the window of the
death chamber, rose drearily and alone
into leaden sky. And 1 can see her
now, by the light which came but dimly
through the half-drawn curtains. That
face stricken by death-those eyes, yearn-
ingly to Heaven, and filed with light
that shone upon them from the better
world; those cold thin hands, clasped
over the shrunken breast-I can see her
now, even as she looked in the moment
before she died. O, if you had all the
power Of expression that language in its
sublime flights affords, you could not
paint the agony and rapture of that dying
face. She knew us all, knew that she
was the last of many we had given to the
grave-She called US by name, and told
US how hard it was to part with US, and
in the same breath, "a quick gasping
breath, for she was struggling between
time and eternity,) she told US how good
it was to go home. We watched her as
she died. One moment her eyes were
all light-the next they were flmy and
cold.
And | can remember now how I went
from that death room, leaving her upon
her death bed, even as the life had Just
passed her lips. How l hurried out into
the cold aid felt it good to feel the sleet
upon my face, and drink of the winter
air with delight. How | went to work,
and amid the care and clamor of work
drown the thoughts of her who all the
while lay cold and beautiful in my home,
attired for coffin and graveyard, her thin
white hands folded on her shroud. And
can remember how I came home at
night and went into my room and wrote
still cherishing latent thought that
she was not dead, but only waiting for me
to come and read to her what I had writ
ten. And when l had Written-I re-
member it yeti arose up and took the
manuscript in my hand, and placed that
upon the door which led into the next
room-her room l had forgotten she
was dead 1t had been my custom to
read to her what I had written-and had
unconsciously fallen into the old habit.
Ny hand was upon the door-then, and
not till then, did the truth IRISH on me,
that she was not sitting in her chair
! = l-ro1ilng me, but that she was laid upon
! her bed, w.
aaad ho.,u, ri r1T dead hands upon her
,I -' nat Sho dead! The
thought [ say rushed upon met crus.- ~ :,
me back against the wall like blow from,
astrong arm, and for long time held me
there choked and gasping, without the
power to say word. And I can remem-
Der how we took her forth, On that last
day OF the year, when the sun was ont
and the snow glistened in his beams and
blue sky was over the wintry earth
how we took her forth and laid her in the
grave amid the graves of her people. and
heard the rafting of the frozen cIods unor
her coffin lid.
And also do I remember how for dav,
and weeks and months after she was gone
Il cannot say dead) I would come home
at evening, and expect, as opened the
door, to find her there as of old. Apd
how, whenI saw her place vacant. the
truth would rush upon me and crush me
atresh-just as though she had only died
a moment before.
1hls is why the tears come into nv
eyes when the snow falls,
And when I sit in my room and look
out upon the leaden sky and new fallen
T
snoW' see her dying face again. And
turning from the scene without T lool
within. L see the book in which she
wrote her name the day before she died
see the door which opens into the next
room, and through its panels I can see
her sitting there-waiting for me to come
and read to her.
But for all this 1 fell know-tbat
she is not dead.
For L can see her, young and beauti-
ful' sitting by calm waters in the other
land' and in her hands she holds a child
whose soul has just escaped from CLAW f.
God.
And | know that they are together
! the sister who died in winter and the child
who did In autumn. And l know that
snail meet them-yonder.
!
kg Nine murders have been commit.
/ ted in Mera1b;, IT,. ii.