The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-01-01
BIDDEFORD, Me-, FRIDAY
goetrg.
"ReanfifuI Sno,r.O

lin the early part Of the war, one dark Satur-
day morning In the dead ofthe Winter. there died
at the Commercial hospital, In Cincinnati, young
woman over whose head only two and twenty
summers had passed. She has once been posses
sed Of an enviable share OF beauty, had been, rs
she herself says, ,"nattered and sought for the
charms Of her face; but alas upon her fair brow
had long been written that terrible word-prosti.
tutei Once the pride OF respectable parentage.
her first wrong step was the small beginning OF
the "same old story over again. which has been
the only life history Of thousands. Highly educa.
ted and accomplished In manners, she might
have shone In the best society. But the evil hour
that proved her ruin was but the door nom child
hocd, having spent a young life In disgrace ana
shame, the poor friendless one died the neian'
choly death Of broken.hearted outcast
Among her personal effects was found In manu-.
script the "Beautlful Snow which was immed.
lately carried to Enos A. Reed, a gentleman oil
culture and literary tastes, who was at that time
editor OF the National Union. In the columns OF
that paper, on the morning Of the day following
the girls death, the poem appeared In print for
the first time. when the paper containing the
poem came out ON Sunday morning, the body oil
the victim had not yet received burial. The at'
tcntion OF Thomas buchanan Reed, one OF the
first American poets, was directed to the newly
published lines, who was taken with their stir
ring pathos that he Immediately followed the
corpse to Its final resting place.
Such are the plain facts concerning her whose
"Beautiful snow,r viii long be regarded as one
OF the brightest gems in American literature.J
Oh the snow, the beautiful snow,
Filling the sky and the earth belowi
Over the house tops, over the street,
Over the heads of the people you meet.
Dancing,
Flirting,
Skimmng along;
beautiful snow IL can do no wrong,
FLYING to kiss fair lady's cheek,
Clinging 10 lips In frolicsome freak,
Beautiful snow from the heaven above.
Pure as an angel. gentle as loyci
Oh the snow, the beautiful snowi
How the fakes gather and laugh Ms they so!
whirling about I'm their maddening fun,
II plays In its giee with every one.
Chasing,
Laughing,
IIurrying by:
It lights on the face and it sparkles the eye,
Ana the uOgs Will " bNh anu ~ oouhtt
Snap at the crystals that eddy around
The town Is alive and Its heart aglow,
To welcome the coming of beautiful snowi
How wild the crowd goes swaying along.
IIailng each other with humor and songi
How the gay sledges, like meteors fash by,
Bright for the moment, then lost to the eyel
Ringing,
Swinging,
Dancing they go,
Over the crust of the beautiful snow;
Snow so pure, when Il falls from the sky,
To be trampled In mud by the crowd rushing by
| To be tramplcd agd tracked by the thousands o.
| feet,
TIN II blends with the filth In the horrible street
Once was pure as the snow-but fell
| Fell like the snow.fakcs from heaven TO hell;
fell to be tramplcd as Nth In the street;
Fell to be scofed, to be spit on and beat --
Cursing,
:. Dreading to die,
Selling my soul TO whoever would by,
Dealing In shame for a morsel ofbrsad.
iialing the living and fearing the dead;
Merciiul God have fallen SO low3
And yet was once like the beautiful snow.
Once was fair as the beautiful snow,
With an eye like Its crystal, heart like Its glow
fiattercd and sought for the charms of my face
Father,
Mother,
Sister, all,
God and myself I've lostby my fall;
The yeriest wretch that goes shiyering by,
VIII make wide swoop, lest wander too nigh
For all that IL on or abost me, 4 know