Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1867-03-08
written for the american.
The FROST Work.


The poet has often sung of the death
of delicate beauty, when winter with ruth
less hand destroys the summer leaves ard
flowers. So much has been said on this
subject, that we have almost copnected
with the thought of winter sorrowful
feeling. We count the beauties only by
the fire. light and in door splendor. But
here, too, although fierce blasts and rude
storms prevail, is much TO attract the po-
etical eye. The delicate crystals of snow,
nodded in finer lines than earthly art can
provide, rain falling in transparent drops,
are we'll adapted TO arouse the finer feel
ings.
But nothing which we have seen
produced more vivid impression than
the appearance of frozen mist as it was
gathered on different objects in the land
scape The dissolving twilight Of morn
ing was fast fading in the distant West.
The sun with magic power mad sent forth
streams of golden light to announce his
approach. The ground was mantled With
heavy fall of snow, and the atmosphere
having disposed Of its moisture in foggy
mist, the trees, fences, and even the wea-
ry reeds, that wayed their fine branches
l;stlessly, geFe coverad with a moss of
frozen dew. The trees, Left so bare when
the Autumn leaves forsook them, each
appeared decked in white covering, orna-
nented as for Christmas festival. On
each rough branch and knob was gathered
the thick frost.work, arranged in such
delicate points. lines and figures, as to vie
with the work of fairy fingers. The roofs
of houses appeared radiant clouds, while
every object which met our gaze seemed
too pure for earth.
Soon the pencilings in the Eastern sky
grew more and more Militant. The glo-
rious king of day entered the golden gates
bearing a magic wand by whose touch the
beautiful landscape was changed into daz-
zling splendor, the pristine loveliness into
indescribable magni6cence. The bright
ness rurrounded us with such sudden glo-
to The romantic and ideal realm. The
shining rays stole silently into tho varied
openings of the dense frost-work. In the
high branches Of trees were seen stars as
perfect as those yhich illumine the blue
vault above. Ths starry host had faded
from the sky only to descend and contrast
their brightness with purest white. The
various colors of the rainbow sparkled in
a thousand crystals. Bright wreaths
hung from gently waving branches. The
reeds appeared Q cleaning battlement,
ornamented with precious stones and fash
ing banners. The well curb, old and di-
lapidated, stood like finely chiseed mon.
ument more beautiful than ever sculptor
wrought when he by magic skill taught
marble to lay its roughness by, while
all the genius, intellect and art Of past
centuries could not DEVISE the mysterious
coloring. Jewels more brilliapt than ev-
er flashed in "beapty's midnight knir"
shone in million points. Nature wrote
her autograph in letters formed Of bright
er diamonds than ever sparkled in mon
arch's crown. Overcome by the grandeur
and purity of the scene, we forgot the de-
cay and 9th which lay hidden beneath.
Our own hearts, made SO disagreeable by
the workings of sin, can be made pure and
clean by the dews of Gods grace. Our
bodies 50 vile may in a short time be
clothed in robes as brilliant as the frost
work, but, instead Of feeting and tran
sient, everlasting.
OLIVE OLDEN.