Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1861-02-12
THE COLOR OF WINTER.

IO~UdN as we NFle t1eSe words q
grand old snow storm IS filling the air,
and white drifIs are bundled in the
fence corners, and rough brown posts
are capped with aiabasler. and the
woods look dim and grey, and the wind
Is having a fro!ic, ami it ali looks like
leaf torn out of New Ems land win
ter, and spread abroad upon the prai-
RE.
How the old fashioned storm used to
set IN! Thicker and darker gather
the feathery clouds, and gioomier grew
the day; then from morning TIL night
from bedtime Illl breakfast, fake al
;er flake II came nolSeless as the foot
ball OF thought, fell on the meeI, and
sIlen, trees; fell on the roof and crown
Cd The dumb caves ii fell IN the valley
where the corn was waving, fell IA the
meadow where the reaPers were sing
ing; fell where the blue bird sang =
fell where the flowers had oeen fell
where the graves We're heaped fell
on our summer wrealhs fell VII ere
the willows weep. Three fee; on a
level, SIX feet IN the drIfls-where was
the lane aud where was the stream =
Everywhere snow
Then we brealhed a lookout through
the frosty panes; then we cautiously
opsnsd the door, and the snow on the
threshold fell on our linle bare feet 10
the gray morning. and there was a cry
Tor Strings 10 tie on. the winter around
our ankles, and caps We're in demand
and the tethcred mlllens were taken
down from the wall, and out we bound
Ell Iulo the White harvest with shouts
p 10 our waists we went; up TO our
ears and over our heads in the drifts
Pantlng GREATNESS, Joyous, Oh we
plunged, aud we shuffi=d paths 10 the
barn and the wood and we shook the
white bars and the old apple tree by
the gate uil il showed again, and we
got out the sled from the garret, and
then The od red sleigh from the barn.
And as the day went on, The roads
were broken out, and the paths were
trodden, and The music Of the bells was
abroad aAd the corners Of buffalo robes
tralied over ,he Snow, and The old red
sleIgh, that ark Of summer hopes, was
adriI upon the bosom Of white winter.
TIA. old red sleigh, with lis iJag boN
that never was full, far do1n IN the
straw wrapped ii the robes. or on yne
another Of The 5ur seats it contained,
there was always room for one more.
What a group of bright young faces
there useI 10 be IN il! Faces IN hoods,
IN caps and II blankets; hearts that
have loved since hearts that have
broken: hearts tlat have moGldered.
Aud away we went orer the hill and
through the vtIe; under lh- m51aligAt
aul under the cloud when tn stars
were looking down; when the sun kin
died the world into great waite iew-
el but those days have gone forever
away, and the sweet old ueckace Of
bells. big IN the middle of the string.
aud growing small by degrees, has los.
us power over the pulses
IN tina, OLD sleigh, brides have gone
away before now-those that were mar
rled 10 manhood. those thai were mar
rled unto death" Great ships have
gone over the waters WIKI less Of hope
aud happiness. than lha! rude craft has
borne over The tIIioWs Of wluler.-
swau-hke shapes uov glance along The
arrowy way, tn, give u~, for its sveei
memories oi yesterday, the old red
sleigh.
Aud then It was when the wind had
swept away the snow from poad and
stream aud the Ice was CLAIR, that We
on the rockers, and darted hlJher
and thl,her, and cut IS and S., and
drew the girls thai we hal taken a
- shine" to-vhatever that may be-
and whirled then D kc maple leaves in
their iule red cioal,s ever the highway
Of crystal And The schools where we
speli each other down, and the schools
where we sang WlndAam and Near.
and the schools where w ciphered and
wrote and "weut up" gone. all gone,
teacher and taught, like the melting
SHOWS under the rainbow Of April.
Ana when, som times after the grea,
snow, ;he winds came out Of the r0rth
for tro,c, wGa, wrea.hin. aud cay
inCs of the cold a.ablster there were.
VIVA, coriutajan ajorings surrounded
The fence posts wha, m3u.dlugs were
fashioned beside The way; waa. fairy
Ike caves in the drifts wha, flowers
cf rare finish ana pendants of pearl on
the trees.
And there in the mids: Of that WIN
ter, Christmas was sci, that made the
Thanksgiving last all through the night
Of The year, aui wha; wonder the stars
Il d. 80