The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1861-02-28
TIE YEAR.

| TRANSLATED from JHe UeTlndu IoT sut AeicBIdpNl
1t was the end of Januaryi fearful snowstorm
prevailed. The snow flew in driving eddes thro'
the lanes aud streets, and the window panes were
apparently plastered with it. 1t rushed in great
avalanches from the roofs, and great haste was
perceptible among all, out of doors They ran;
they few, and falling into one anothers arms gain
ed thus for an instant a precarious fOohold Car
riages and horses were powdered over: servants
standing with their backs to the coaches, rode
backward against the wind.
Foot-pas 5engers kept behind the wagons for pro-
lection, which slipped forward but slowly through
the deep And when the storm finally sub
sided, and narrow path was shovelled along the
houses, people meeting, stood still, neither wish
ing TO make the first step IN the deep snow Silent,
y they stood, unit, finally, as if by mutual consent
each gave way with one foot, burying it in the
snow DRIFT.
Toward evening it became entirely calm. The
heavens looked higher and more transparent as
if purified by the snowfall. The stars appeared to
be bran new, they were so brilliant and clear
And it froze until the snow covering cracked, and
became hard that by morning it would bear the
sparrows They hoped about, sometimes above,
sometimes below, where Ii had been shovelled but
there little TO be found TO eat, and they suffer
ed much fom cold.
peep" said one to another, "they call this the
new year! 1t is worse than the old one; so we
had just as well have kept IT, | am quite dissat-
isfed, and have excellent reasons certainly
Yes, indeed men ran about to shout the new
year in said little hali.frozen sparrow they
threw pans at the doors, and were entirely beside
themselves for joy, that the old year gone; and
l also was rejoiced for l hoped we should have
warm days again; but nothing has come OF it; it
freezes much harder thaneyer. Men have made
a mistake in their chronology
THAT nave they, indeed " said third, who was
already old and whieheaded; ''they h8vesome
thing that they call calendar invention OF
their own and everything should go according 10
it, but that it does not do. When the spring comes,
then begins the year, that is the course of nature
and l recS on according to 1T
"But when does spring Gomez" ask the others.
at comes when the stork comes; but that is We
~ uncertain, and here, in the city, nobody knowa
anything about it. Out in the country they know
better. Shall not we fly out there and await it
There, one is so much nearer to the spring."
Indeed, that may all be very well, :" said one
Of those that had hoped about and 'pecped.' Tor
E long time, without having anything in particular
to say, "but l have here in the city some comforts
which fear l should lose out thtre Here on the
corner, is a large house, in which manfamiIy
| lives, who have most nationally concludedto fast
en- three or four flower pots against the wall, bot
tom outward, in which such large holes are cut,
that | can easily fly in and cut. There have | and
my husband built nest, and from this place have
IL =
arranged it entirely that they mig ht have The pleas
ura otseeing us, else why wouid they have done
lis? They also throw bread crumbs merely for
their amusement, and VIC thereby have noarisA
ment. We seem to be particularly cared ior, and
so ,linlr that and my husband will steyg uiltlo
we are dissatisfied, still, We will remain." And
We will fly out into the country TO zee If the priug
comes, and away they few. And til ere was gen
uiue winter out III the country.
It iroze even a couple Of degrees harder than il;
tie city. The cutting winds drove over The snow
lowered fields. The farmer with great mlttens On
sat i'll his sleigh, and beat his hands together to
get warmth into them; the whip lying in his lap.
Tae lean horses run until they smoke, the snow
cieaks under the runner and The sparrow hop
ABOUT in the track and freeze. Peep, when comes
the spring? it waits, indeed, too long" Too long,
resounds over the fields from the highest snow
capped hill. And that may be the echo that we
hear, it may be the voice Of that singular OLD
man, who sits on the OF the highest snow
drift. lie is entirely white, liz farmer drest i'll
q white smock trock, with Il long white beard,
white lair and large clear eyes. Who is that old
man ask the sparrows. That / know - saiu
an old crow, who sat ON the hedge pole, aud
80 condescending as TO acknowledge, that in The
presence of the Lord they all but little birds,
and he therefore permitted himself to associate with
the sparows and give them information.
u know vino the man is 1t is Winter, the old
man OF the past years he is not dead yet dead,
the calendar says. No, he is rather the Gaardiar.
of the little princess, Spring, who comes then. In,
deed, winter has sway, now, Here it goes pretty
hard with you little ones!"
Indeed, was not what said correct T. said the
socialist The calendar is only man whn,
which does not accomm odate itself to nature; they
had better have left that to us. We are more del.
icatey organized"
A week passed, in fact nearly two. The Gods
were black The lake lay SO lightly frozen that ii
looked like congulated lead. The cIuuds-indeed
they not cIoudsi 1t was fog icy fog, that hung
over the land. The grea: black crows flew III
swarins without utterlng 8 cry. 1t was as if ali
slept.
Ihee cleaned ray of sunshine, and the lake
lighted up like molten silver. The snow covering
on the hui did not shine before, but the white
figure, Wln,er Itself. sat there, still, and looked fla
cGiy toward the south. lie did not observe THAI
The guvW sank, adually into the earth that here
and there little green spot appeared, and that Ii
swanned with spArruWs. "QuVit! QuiYit! does
lie spring come now ''SpriHg," sounded ovei
held and meadow, and through the ozark brown
/ woods, where the moss already shone brightly Oh
ks a a.
,he first two stoTks, Wlnglng through TIE Ar, On
the back of each sat lovely little chlda boy
and girl and they kissed The earth in greeting.
And Wherever they sci their ieet sprung up white
flowers from under the snow.
Hand IN hand they went to the ice-man, threw
themselves upon his breast i'll greeting, and at the
same instant, all three vanished; and the entire
landscape melted away. a dense mist concealed
everything. Soon il began to blow. The rUarIEg
wilma rushed by, driving away the mist. Then the
sun shone out mild and soft. The winter was
gone, aud the lovely children OF the spring sat on
the throne OF the year.
This W e call new year, say the sparrows now
We have our rights again, and compensation Tor
the severe winter besides" Wherever the two
children turned, shot forth green buds on and
flower Jne grain fields grew more and more green;
and the little maid ftTewed flowers about her wher
ever she ent. She hid an abundance Of them il
ler lap they appeared TO spring IRON it sponIaue
t ously, and YET II was always tuil. IN her rash
haste sac scattered snow flower over apple and
peach, that they appeared in full beauty before
: ihey have even leaves
e And ehe clapped her hands, and the boy capped
his,and birds appeared, one knew not whence, ard
all chigped ana sang, Spring has comet" Ii was
lovely to behold, and many an old woman came
y cut at her door in the sunshine, gazed upon the
e yellow flowers that bespanged the meadows pre-.
elseiy as in the days OF youth. lt is delicious
out here, today" they exelan. And the woods
were now brown green. Blossoms were heaped
C upon blossoms. The wood flowers were out so
fresh and ragrant viOlets were in great abundance
If There We're anemones, cowslips, buttercups in
deed, in every spear of grass sap vitality. 1t
was lovely carpet, and upon it sat the youthful
II children Of the spring, They held one another BY
: the hand, sang and grew larger day by day
. mild rain fell down from the heavens upon
them but they did not notice for the tear of heav
en- and the tear of joy melted into one Bride and
bridegroom kissed each other, and at the same in