River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-01-31
~ JEAN INGEI,ow.

- DeH0feStS 10ung AltefiCu.
The Snowflake.
BY JEAN INGELow.
There is beautiful little bird called
the Snowflake.
A very good name for it is this
which likens to what suggests cold and
pure Wilderness, and floats downward
so very lightly; for the Snowflake
dwells and builds in the far north,
amid Arctic frost and cold, futtering
about in the winter starlight, with the
flicker of the ruddy Aurora on her
white wings, and settling on floating
iceberg OF desolate strand as lightly as
any other flake of silent, downy snow.
The Snowflake builds her nest and
rears her young under the shelter of
some projecting rock, overhanging
icicle, or driftwood spar which has
been foated up by the tide from a
shipwrecked VESSEL and covered with
tangled seaweed. She builds wherever
she can find nook or creyice-a
place just little less desolate than the
surrounding desolation. Once she
built but L will tell you how it. was.
1t is sorrowful tale, Thought has its
bright side; and | can never hear the
name of Snowflake without thinking
of it.
1t was in the Arctic winter, and the
frozen snow was as hard as stone; it
gllttered and sparkled, for the stars
were bright overhead, and the moon
was at the full. 1t was high tide, and
the waves, of deep leaden grey, were
rearing up their great crests and fling.
ing themselves down with laundering
noise on the shore.
At a distance you might hear the
screaming of the sea-5irds, as they
skinned with their white wings over
the water; and along the skirts of the
icebergs you might see the foxes prowl-
ling, and catch in the twilight the fiery
glitter of their tawny eyes.
Beside this there was no sound-no
movement; everything in that starlit
night was desolate. The world
was turning round under those
stars, for they shifted, as it
seemed, their places; and the moon
was riding on through the millions
upon millions that make up the Milky
Way but beyond this movement there
was no change in the heavens from
hour to hour, and there was no change
or movement beneath them-everything
was perfectly white and utterly still.
Did say it was white9 So it was
moment ago; but it has changed I
The whole world and the heavens have
undergone changed There is quiv-
ering in the sky-a swift spire of flame
shoots across the stars. Another
There is a deep glow in the zenith,
like half transparent crimson cloud.
1t spreads out suddenly; then it quiv.
ers; it sinks downwards it is like q
pennon on fire shaken in an angels
hand. Now it divides-it multiplies-
and fushes more rosy red; it trains
itself ont before the stars, and floats
across the moon like veil-a wonder
| full veil The whole heavens are red
with it; and the earth, which was
white, has put on crimson blush
every iceberg has crimson edge, and
every wave has crest OF crimson foam.
So much for the world without. Now
let us glance at the world within. I'm
der the shelter of some rising grounds
a little curling smoke ascends. There
are some snow-huts built against that
hill, but they are buried to their roofs !;
the inmates can only creep out of the
holes which serve both for door and
chimney. There is now no sound in
those huts but the light sound of fall
ing ashes and the settling together of
burning logs. The Esquimaux sleeps
soundly after his hard days hunting /;
his dogs sleep beside him, and so do
his children. His wife alone watches
the fire, to keep it bright Tor her lord /;
and when he turns in his heavy slum-
Der she wraps him again in his furs.
All the huts are equally silent-all
the men are dreaming; and the women
watching by turns those precious
fires on which their lives depend.
They only move from them
to trim the lamps, or sleek the skin of
some favorite dog when he wakes up
and whines 10 them for food.
One hour passes over their heads ;
another change greater than that which
t:nged the white snow with crimson has
come upon them. The moonlight,
when that hour commenced, fell on a
dark, wavering, advancing line, which
stole along the brow of distant hill
like black serpent gliding onward 70
its prey. The wavering line came on
and grew distinct; it heightened ont ;
il was made up of many members il
sped rapidly towards the huts, it was