Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1857-04-10

Trsn the Ch6shuan.
What the North Wind told Constant
HEAR what the North Wind said to little
9 instant.
1t WAS January night. All the window
panes were wLite with delicate, wonderful
frostwork, 90 that they could not be seen
through. If rou had been there, however,
70 breathe softly against one OF them, the
fuir tracery would have melted at the first
approach of your lips, and looking through
the round clear space you would have seen
Without country covered with heavy
cloak of snow, and overhead a magnltcently
bright moon, sailing through sky with not
u cloud IL it.
Eight o'clock. You may depend upon it,
Constant was in bed Nice times they had
in the parlor below. The sound Of voices
ascended through the floor into Constants
chamber. Meta, his eldest sister, might sit
up till ten O'Clock but Constant must 20 to
bed at eight. Once. Constant yenturod
downstairs and stood without the parlor
door, listening, but hi. mother, opening it
in q hurry. and seeing him there, shivcring
in his little night shirt, caught him up,
carried him to his chamber, and boxing his
ears, tucked him into bed again.
Constants bed stood near the window,
across 1t so brightly that he could not sleep.
If he closed his eyeids, the moonlight
beamcd through them, and if he pressed his
hands across them, the darkness was full Of
bright spots and colors. Constant was
vide awake. Sometimes he fncied he
heard steps ON the PIAZZA roof that .lnped
beneath his window, and the window itself
ratified as if somebody were shaking i. or
tapping againstit
'liallu = said Constant.
Now who could that possibly be As sure
as anything. there stood man on the
snowy piazza roof, and he was looking in at
Constunt's window. The moonheams were
showered all over him, Constant saw HIM
plainly. lie was Il tall fellow. with heavy
iurred overcoat wrapped about him, and
high fur cap on his head He had blue
sparkling eyes und yellow hair, that hung
loose upon his shoulders but the color OF
his thick beard it was impossible to tell,
his breath had frozen 50 white all over it,
lie stood. clapping his hands and stamping
so hard on the snowy root, that Meta, Con-
slant 5 sister, who sat in the parlor below,
said TO her tAther-"come clustering night,
surely, those green old shingles overhead
will come Gathering about our ears
Il know thee, said Constant, sitting up
in bed, thou art the North Wind
'Dost thou know me lla ha = laughed
the North Wind. Then open thy window,
| have Il mind to chat with thee little
My room is cold enough already. said
Constant, drawing the counterpanc close
TO his chin. The pipe of the parlor stove,
that comes up through it, does not heat it
at all sufficiently Stay thou on the other
side of the panes.'
Now what selfish fellow thou art, said
the North Wind. Never mind it's not
who am the loser. | had beautiful stories
10 tell thee
Stories q said Constant
Only lift thy window an inch or two. So
that can speak to thee without bawling
myself hoarse, said the North Wind
That will content me-
'Only an inch, said Constant, rs he raised
the sash, and the North Wind, sitting down
on the roof, put his lips to tho crack
How didst thou happen to know me =
he asked.
'lknow thee well, said Constant Thou
art the fellow who, yesterday morning, as
was going to school, tossed u handful of
snow into my eyes and twisted my cloak
a;ound my leg 10 that | tripptd and fell
down
What else 9 said the North Wind
laughing and rubbing his hands.
Thou didst twitch my cap of my head.
said Constant, and the loose leaves of NY
Roman History, that had fallen out Of my
hand, thou didst send whirlng far down
the street, 80 that the prettiest picture in
the book, of tho wolf sucking Romulus and
Remus, is entirely lost.
i meant thee no harm, 'said the NorthW ind
Twas only bit Of fun, and thy mctur,
OF Romulus and Kemus thou mayest tine
tomorrow behind an empty barrel tina
stands withoas the door Of the yillag,
grocery
What a whispering this is through tn,
house, said Constants father, in the parlo
below.
1t is only the wind said Constant
mother, ON a rough night one can fame,
it full Of voices
1t is very agreeable said the Nortl
Wind, during leisure hour like this
to have Il little conversation with somebody
In this inhosptaLle country of yours
hnd SO few who arc willing to make the &C
quaintancc OF u stranger
Is thy home very far away ~ aske
Constant.
'Oh, very far, repiel the North Wind
! come to you over sen and land. beiou
90 the court Of Winter aud am the slave {
his hulnors. II | had my own way, 70
would not see Inc often, for this climate
the ruin oi my constitution
Thou seemest a hearty fellow enough
said Constant.
If thou couldst SEQ me at home, sui
the North Wind. thou w0uldst not say :,
| nm dreadlully debiiturei. i is us muc
as eau do to give fellow II decent shake
the hand. As to my voice, IL il gettir
down to a gnat's hum. | sing my Chris
mas carol alter another fashion at Cape lc,
believe me.
is that thy home asked Constant.
Aye said the North Wind, 'if.ar
place can be called my home. | am at hon
everywhere in those parts. But OF CaI
ley, admit, am especially fond. Many
my intimate friends haye summer and pt
mAnent residences there, There Is exeelle
society at Cape lev
Is that the land of Auroras = ask
Constant. see one now streaming
from the north. Its white rays extenu
most overhead and Orion is shining tor ~
them. Yondor over the orchard, hang
ruby colored cloud
The sight OF it warns my heart = q
the North Wind, energetically. Il
like traveller who, returning, saes the
freight stream into the uight from
windows OF has home. That blaze is kind
on my hesrthstons. Oh, wonderful NorI
II ,hss s0s!d,, sss II, CoassSpt, how si