The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1860-01-28
Winter Scenes.
BY B. +. TAYLOR.

The old red sleigh, With It's long ooX tnat
never was full, ar'down in the straw, wrap
ped in the robes, or on one OF another of the
four seats il contained, there was always
room for one more. What a grouping of
bright young faces there used to bein it p
Faces in hoods, in caps and blankets hearts
that have loved since; hearts that have bro
ken; hearts that have mouldered. And
away we went over the hill, and through
the vale, under the moonlight, and under
the cloud; when they kindled the world
into a great white jewel; but those days
have 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 now those that were married to
manhood, those that were '' married unto
DEATH Great ships have gone over the
waters with less of hope and happiness, than
that rude'craft has borne over the pillows
of winter; swan-like shapes now glance
along the arrowY way, but give us, for its
sweet memories of yesterday, the old red
sleigh.
Then the days when we were "coasters,
and down the big hill, by the maple wood,
leys, we came with a merry shout, each the
solitary Palinarus of his own small craft.
How like flock of swallows we were, dash
ing down the -declivity, in among a group
of sleds, side by side with rival, shooting
by like an arrow, steering in CALAMITY ahead,
like jockey, and on our way up with a
sled in tow, ere the party had reached the
valley below.
And then it was, when the wind had
swept away the snow from pond and stream,
and the ice was glare, that we put on the
rockers" and darted hither and thither,
and cut skies and Fights, and curves with
out number, and drew the girls that we loved,
and whirled them like leaves over the high
way of crystal
And the schools where we spelt each
other down, and the schools where we sang
Windham and Near, and the Schools where
we cyphered and wrote, and event up:''
gone, all gone, teacher and taught, like the
melting SHOWS under the rainbows of April.
And when, sometimes after the great
snow, the wind came out of the North for
frolic, what wreathings and carvings of
the cold Alabaster there were. What Cor
inthian adornings surmounted the fence
posts; what mouldings were fashioned be-
side the way; what fairy-like caves in the
drifts: what flowers of rare finish and pend
ants 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 figure fours" by, if per-
chance we might catch the makers thereof.
Have you quite forgotten how sorry you
were for the snowbirds that fiuttered among
the flakes, 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 the fires
burned more brightly therefor Christmas,
with its gifts and its cheer; its carol and
charms; its evergreen branch and its bright
morning dreams. Christmas, when there
were prints upon the chimney tops if we
were only there to see them, where Santa
Claus set his foot as the clock struck twelve
Christmas, when stockings were suspended
by hearth and by pillow all over the land ;
stockings silken and white; stockings home.
ly and blue, and even the little red sock with
hole in the toe. Blessed forever be Beth
lehem's star.