Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1869-01-28
stleftta guetru,
THE BEAUTIFUL SNOW.


THE BEAUTIFUL SNOW.
The following has been pronounced the best
American poem ever written, but how univer-
sal that opinion We are not prepared tesay The
lines are certainly very interesting, when taken
In connection with the sad history Of their aSl-
thor and will be read with interest. Before pro-
ducing the poem, we append the following his
tory oft, taken from the Omaha Republican:
sHow many thousands have let their tears
fall over these lines, as their touching patnos
call into recollection the sad story of other ana
similar victims 10 mans wanton cruelty! In
point of smooth versification, easy flowing
rythm, through which is almost heard the
plaintive wall of woman's ruined honor, our
knowiedge of English literature brings 70 mind
no single poem of such thrilling sentiment as
this one.
We have lately seen an article floating the
rounds of the press, purporting to give the au-
thorship of this remarkable effort; but the wri-
terof the statement, who INDUCED his inspira-
ton among the cool breezes Of Lake Erie, v
seems really to know nothing about its real his
tory. The writer gives Miss Dora SEaw, an
actress, and author of "Out in the Rain. y the
credit and honor ofthis poem. This is Q. mis-
take Dora Shaw has written some pleasant
lines. but her brain never flashed that sparkling
gem. aThe Beautiful Snow"
In the early part OF thewar one dark Satur-
day night in the dead Of winter, there died in
the Commercial Hospital in Cincinnati young
woman over whose head only two and twenty
summers had passed. She had been once pos
sessed ofan enviatae share of beauty, and had
been as she herself says, Z" flattered and sought
for the charms or the faces" but alas /! upon her
bol bao rif baf fer
word-prostitute! Once the pride of respecta-
Bile parentage, her first wrong step was the small
beginning of the same old story over again. y
which has been the only life history of thous-
ands Highly educated and accomplished in
manners, she might have rhone in the best of
society. But the evil hour that proved her ruin
was the door from childhood, and having spent
a young life In disgrace and shame, the poor,
friendless one died the melancholy death Of
heart-broken outcast. .,s "a. So. :
: among her PERSONA efecfs was discovered in
manuscript, The Beautffaf Snow.ys whichs was
Immediately carried to Enos p, Reed, a gentle
man of culture and literary tastes, who was at
that time editor of the Natioaai Bnisn Che
columns Of thas paper. on mo- or the
day following the girrs deathsthe peem.appear-
ed in print for the first time. sWhenS the paper
containing the poem came out on Sunday NOR
u1uR, TIE &H<4J VI e@Sti CT
ed burial.b The eattehtion Of Thomas Buchanan-
Reed, OF the, frst ef Amsricans poets, was
soon directed tothe newly published iiass,who
was SO taken With sheir stirr1Hg pathos that he
Immediately followed thecorpse teits inslrest--
ing piace.sskaG ,aEsE eGf 81 Hts&
Such are the plain facts concerning her whose
Beautiful Snow" shall long be repnembered as
one of the brightest gems in "A naeriean Litera-
ture: -. - - s....sss - - ~ vs~t
-,,ssssaaisT 2 THE BEAUFIFuLasKoWs1 -
ony f,,e snoxV Z, vlja The ,s beauti fu,.snow,s
Filling the sky and the earth below;
Over the housetops, over the street,
over the heads of the people you meet,
re Hitting G'bnEtoeh
skimming along; .a.s.yzs a
Flying TO kiss fair lady,s Cheek,
Clinging 70 lips in a frolicsome freak, -t
Beautlf1l snow rom the heaven above, sg1
Oh! the snow, the beautiful snow,sssxs era
How the flakes gather, and laugh as they go,
Whirling about in their maddening fur, ,gsts
1t plays IN its glee with every one, ErfaHe.
- - Laughing sasiua ailo .sssaf=s CO
Hurrying by; 5eney fifes nf
And the dogs with q bark and al bound, sS'-~
Snap at the crystals that eddy around = s@E
The townis alive and its heart Is glow,
To welcome the coming of the beautiful snowi
Hane osSar ssewa ana sone
How gay sledges like meteors flash by,
Bright for the moment, then lost to the Eye
hlnGlre,sr4 oh - - z-saA Eesf a<fN
s.4 Swinging ssGszl = - 1ss
q a. Dancing they go, s.itssais sass
Over the crust of the beautiful snow. a--sa
Snow SO pure when it falls from the sky r..
To be trampled in mud by the crowd rushing by
Tobe1rampled and tracked by tfiousan ds offeet,
Once was pure IS the snow-but fellt 50 a
hRox t<.fsx