Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-04-14
From Harper's Weekly.
4 LAND OF SNOW.

A party OF gentlemen IOUnglng over
their wine at Delmonico's, and ponder
ing how they should kill the intervening
hours between dinner and the late or
early period assigned for sleep, found
sleighing Indispensable precious, be-
cause extremely rare sprinkling of snow
upon the Avenue must be enjoyed.
The only question was how best to en-
JOY it.
How would it do;' said young
Browne, s'to go for the country material
three feet eff the solid, you know-no
grinding over dirt and stones, or slush-
ing thorugh mud and mire-just regu-
lar old-fashined sweep through a cloudy
landscape, the trees and tops of the
hedges dressed all in white for us, and
a nice little CLINT of rose-color in the
evening sky? Eth? how about that,
boys?"
''And stop at comfortable inn," said
Smythe, with gables and sloping roof,
the out houses painted a glowing red,
wherein our painting steeds could rest
and partake of home-raised oats, while
we, perchancc, within the hospitable
portal, might trip the light fantastic
with some beautiful child of nature, in
nocent Of rouge or pearl powder, where
felicltous sentence might bring forth
the rara avis of veritable blush? Eth?
what do you say to that9"
But Robinson dallied with his glass,
NOW hold IL +o 1;rht 4J,o,,
down urltasted, or slipped little from
its brim.
mot any for me-" he said at last.
I've been through all that, and ex-
hausted it. -
Browne and Smythe looked at each
other significantly.
"Would it be indiscreet to ask when
and where?"
:" I viii tell you the story, gentlemen, y
said Robinson, 'tbecause it has moral. y
"Heari hear p they cried, and
tapped upon the table with gentle irony.
SIT was q land of snow," began Rob
inson, "the houses were scattered fan
and wide, and many acres doomed be-
tween, with scarcely landmark to
guide the weary pilgrim on his way.
The trees were mostly of pine and fir,
their scraggy branches half hidden in
avalanches Of snow. The whole land
scape was waste and sterile and unutter-
ably sad. How and when and where ]
found myself on that wild night,
skins, a pair of noble grays bearing me
over this artificial surface of the earth,
it matters not, or has aught to do with
my story.
SAT last / reached this veritable inn
of which you spoke, with gables and
peaks, dormer-w1ndows and quaint tur-
rets, and wide oaken doors through
which passed with great thankfulness,
and sense of infinite rest and ease
After a substantial supper I went
out to the stables to see how my travel
spent beasts were faring, and found that
there had been some new arrivals. A
rude and almost gigantic sled upon
heavy oaken runners barred my pas
sage, and on all sides found variety
of homemade vehicles, of all sizes and
shapes, filed with blankets of white and
scarlet wool, homespun coverlets, and
sheep-skins.
An old French hostler busted him
self in dextrously untEing the leather
thongs that constituted most of the
harness.
"Dancing2" I exclaimed to the
hostler.
"But yes," he replied in truth, it is
the dance. 'z
"Within there?" pursued, pointing
to the house.
Without doubt, he answered, and
hasSened ia the direction Of this phan
tom music. Making my way through {
dimly lighted corridor, with many {
subtle turn and tortuous declivity an6
height, guided alone by the now dis
Gnct scraping of violin, I at length
found myself in spacions low-ceilet
apartmentimmediately under hepeakee
roof, of the whole length and breadth O
the hosiery. A quantity of candles il
sconces cast Pickering light upon The
scene, and moving hither and thither il
the mazes of a singular country-danct
xuoro o, aoara of rr1 sfi0o Of o1o O.