Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1860-01-02
Winter Scenes.
Ey B.P. TAILOR.

That old red sleigh with its long box
that never was full, for down in the straw,
wrapped in the robes, or on one or anOth-
er of the four seats it contained, there was
always room for one more. What
grouping of bright young faces there used
to ne in it? Faces in hoods, in caps and
in blankets; hearts that have loved sirs:e;
hearts that have broken; hearts that have
moudcred. And away we went over the
I'LL. and through the vale, under the moon
light anG under the cloud; when the stars
were looking down; when they kindled the
world into great white jewel; but those
days Euve gone forever away, and the
sweet old necklace of bells, big in the
middle OF the string, and growing small
by degrees, has lost its power over the
pulses.
In that old sleigh brides have gone
away before uow-tliOse that were mar
ricd 10 manhood, those that were ''mar-
rieH unto death" Great ships have gone
/ over the waters with less of hope and hap
niness. than that rude craft has borne over
| the billows of winter; swnnlikc shapes
now glance along the arowy way, hut give
us. for its sweet memories of yesterday
the old red sleigh.
| Then. :hc Days when we were ''cnas-
ters;'' and down the big hill, by the maple
wood, thro' the little pitches, far into the
maple wood, came witli Il merry shout,
each the solitary Palinurus of his own
small craft How like IL flock of swallows
( we were, dashiug down the decliyity, in
among a group of sleds, side by side with
| a rival, shooting by like an arrow, steering
! in gnllantly ahead, like jockey, and on
| our way up with sled in tow, ere the par
~ had reached the valley below.
| And then it was. when the wind lad
swcpt away tI,e snow from pond and
| stream, and the ice was glare, that we put
| on the rockers" and darted hither and
thithcr, and cut skies and 1eights, aud
curves without number. aud drew the girls
! that we loved, and whirled them like
leaves over the highway of crystal.
Aud the schools where we spelt each
| other down. and the schoOLS where VIC
! sang Windham end Near. and the schools
where we cyPhered and wrote, aud wen
| up;'i gone, all gone, teacher and taught
like the melting SHOWS under 'he rainbowl
of April. =
| And VIXEN. sometimes after the great
| saow. the wind come out of the north foi
n frolic, what wreathingS and carvings o.
! The cold Alabaster there were. What CO.
rinthian adornings surmOunted the fence
posts; what mouldiHgs were fashioned be
side :he way; what iniry-like caves in the
drifts; what flowers of rare finish aud Deu-
| dants of pearls on the trees.
Have you quite forgotten the footprints
we used TO find in the damp snow as deli
cate, some of them as love letter; the
mysterious paths down to the brook or by
the old hollow tree, that we used to won
der over and set ''igure fours" by, if per.
chance we might catch the makers thereof
Have you quite forgotten how sorry you
l I'll hat H,4Nr I'D
among the fakes, and seemed tossing and
! lost in the storm?
And there in the midst of that winter
! Christmas was set, that made the Thanks
giving last through the night of the year
and what wonder the stars and tue fire;
burned more brightly therefor! Christina:
with its gifts and its cheer; its coral and
charm; its evergreen branch and its brigh
! morning dreams. Christmas, when ther'