Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-02-19
JACK FROST AND MISS SNOW.
BY RALPH G. LEONARD

SCALE" said MIR. Frost, sharply swapping
| his teeth together as he spoke.
"Of course" coldly returned the ele-
| giant Miss Snow: "but we cannot enter
tain the whole world at one time. One
| must draw the line somewhere; let US
say at the Tropic of Cancer; can't ven
ture below that. The climate doesn't
agree with my constitution"
II have a spite against that part of the
world, too," replied Jack, cracking his
bony knuckles as he spoke, and prancing
about, first ON one foot and then on the
other; for Mr.. Frost had been brought up
at the north pole, where there are no Ia
| dies, and his manners were very unCOuth.
Il tell you I give them sharp pinch
once in while, though it is at the risk of
| my life, for I am sure to catch some of
| their dreadful fevers when / go far south.
So Cancer is the line. I'm agreed Well
| not 90 below that"
'l'll arrange the white drapery," said
| Miss Snow, airily. Then she spread out
her robes, and f1oated around the gray
| blue sky; and as she moved the great
featherbeds of snow-clouds began to roll
and tumble softly about her. Miss Snow
| took from her pocket her sharp scissors
| and shipped million holes in them, and
out came the white flakes and fell all over
| the land.
Old Probabilities put on his glasses,
rushed out, looked up and said, sagely,
Snow may be expected about this time;"
| and everybody believed him. And all
the little children danced out upon the
doorsteps of their houses, and caught the
| snow-Hakes in their aprons, and shouted,
"Hurrahi What larks! The old woman
| is picking her geese for Christmasm
| Miss Snow heard what they said, and
she was angry at being called an old
woman; so she threw down some great
| soft flakes which went down the chill
dren's backs, and into their hair, and into
| their shoes. Then the children began to
| catch cold, and to sneeze and shuttle and
| cough; and they had to be put to bed
| early, with onions on their chests and
grease on their noses.
The beautiful Miss Snow went on snip-
ping the clouds. Mr.. Frost lowered about
her, and tried to pay her particular atten-
| tiOns. The lady treated him with great
GOODNESS. She assured him that she
should always esteem him as a friend, but
| that she could never feel for him warmer
| interest.
Jack Frost did not believe this, for in
| spite OF his cold hands and nipping breath
he had heart of fire, and it burned and
| glowed like the heart Of any lover. So he
| flew about in great state of excitement,
| and filed the air with his singing breath
ooh, [ wish you would go away, Mr..
| FrOstp' exclaimed Miss Snow at last, in
sort of chill despair. "My hands are get
ting so stiff that | can't hold my scissors"
"Let me hold them for you," said Mr..
Frost, pressing closer to the lady and Civ
ing her squeeze, which he intended for
a very tender caress; but it had a strange
effect on Miss Snow. At his icy touch
she became pale and rigid like a corpse;
she could not move nor speak; she seem
ed like a marble woman fastened up in the
sky. Then the clouds 1oated over her
and hid her from sight. Jack was alone
"Well," said he, "she was good-looking
enough; but she was a selfish, cOld-heart-
ed thing, and I have made lucky escape
in not taking her. | have secured her
scissors, and can go on with the snow
storm just as we'll without her as with
her" So Mr.. Frost tried his hand at
shipping snow clouds; but not a flake
would start.
Then Old Probabilities, who had to &C
count for the failure of the snow-storm,
made wise remark about atmospheric
conditions" and he got all the papers to
print it.
And all the big brothers and cross I'M
Giles came clustering into their houses,
blowing their noses and stamping their
big boots, and saying, II tell you, it is
altogether too cold to snow; and the chill
| dren had better put their sleds up garnet,
and not keep them in the hall for us to
break our shins Overr'
This was all that the earth-people knew
| about life in the upper circles. The real
trouble was, you see, that Miss Snow
could not 90 on with her work because
Mr.. Frost made love to her.
| AS for Jack Frost himself, when he
found that he could not 90 on with the
| snow-storm, he became quite lOw-spirited
and thought he needed a change of scene.
| So he came down to earth, and went
| tramping about the country roads in
| low sort of way, stiffening the mud, and
| setting the ruts, and blackening the grass,
and stopping the dancing of the brook
| family. Then he assumed a more ma
jestic air. He stamped around by the
| great lakes and rivers, and ordered them
| to stand still and look him in the eve.
| But at this moment Miss Snow, who
had recovered from her trance, thought
| she would have shadow-photograp
| taken in water-colors. So she stepped
out among the clouds of the sky, and
threw one of the pictures down to earth,
and the great lakes caught it, as it fell,
and wore ii on their bosOms. and il became
tallsman of peace. While they kept
| this, neither Jack Frost nor the storm
| king could trouble them.
| When Miss Snow saw what a lovely
! picture she made, she took heart, and de-
/ termlned TO 60 on with the festival. So
she new about the sky, in the swiftest
ana most beautiful way, and she shipped
a million holes IN the snOw-clouds.
| Ihen, oh, how the snow.flakes came
! down! SO fast and so silently that soon
the earth was piled high with the great
mccoy rolls OF snow. Ii was on the noun
tains and in the valleys; upon thief uces
anu the evergreen trees; il lay on the low
caves of the cottages and on the tall roofs
OF the grand city houses; everywhere was
the beautiful snow.
Mr., Sun got up the next morning ABOUT
daylight, and found the scene so loV9iy
that he smiled his broadest smile. he
giowed and beamed upon the lar slghI
I'll everything was flashing IN diahohuS
and rainbows.
You have made very fine th'ng out
OF this, my dear Miss Snow" saia Ne
looking at her in very ardent way;
Il am glad YOU like it," returned MISS
Snow, politely. "But pray, SIR, DO not
stare so at me-" and she looked as IL she
wanted 10 cry, -
But must for love You" sad Mr..
sun, coming so close that she lelt his
warm breath on her cheek.