The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-04-10
ALAND or SNOW.

: their wine at DelmonicO's and ponder
!, ing how they should kill the inte1ven
, ing hours between dinner and the lat
,, or early period assigned Tor sleep
found sleighing Indispensable a pre-
cious because extremely rare sprinklinl
of snow upon the avenue must be en-
joyed. The only question was how bes
to enjoy it.
Chow would it do" said youn,
riaI-three feet of the solid, you know
no grinding over dirt and stones, OF
slushing through mud and mire-just s
regular old fashioned sweep through
a cloudy landscape, the trees and tops
of hedges dressed all in white for us
and nice little CLINT of rose color in
the evening sky? Eth? how about that,
boys9"
"And stop at comfortable inn, -
said Smytbe, with gables and sloping
roof, the out-houses painted q glowing
red, wherein our painting steeds could
rest and partake of home-raised oats,
| while we, perchance, within the hospit-
able portal, might trip the light tan.
tastic with some beautiful child of
nature, innocent of rouge or pearl pow
der, where felicitous sentence might
bring forth the r0r0 avis of veritable
OlubA! LII WAdv w yOu Eny W Uudts
But Robinson dallied with his glass,
now held it to the light, then put it
down untasted, or slipped little from
| it's brim.
'Not 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. tl-
"Would it be indiscreet to ask when
and where ?"
81 will tell you the story, gentle
men," said Robinson, because it has
a moral" ~
"Hear hear they cried, and tapped
upon the table with gentle irony.
I" 1t was land of snow" began Rob
inson, "where the houses were scat
tered far and wide, and many an acre
doomed between, with scarcely land
mark to guide the weary pilgrim on his
way. The trees mostly of pine and
fir, their scraggy branches half hidden
in avalanches of snow. The whole
landscape was waste and sterile, and
unutterably sad. How and when and
where I found myself on that wild
night, wrapped in robes of fur and
buffalo skins, a pair of noble grays
bearing me over this artificial surface
of the earth, it matters not, nor has
aught to do with my story.
"At last reached this veritable inn
of which you spoke, with gables and
peaks, dormer- windows and quaint tur-
rets, and wide oaken doors through
which passed with greatfulness, and a
sense of infinite rest and ease.
"After q substantial supper I went
out to the stables to see how my travel
spent beasts were faring, and found
that there had been some fresh arrivals.
A rude and almost gigantic sled upon
heavy oaken runners barred my passage,
and on all sides found variety of
home made vehicles, of all sizes and
shapes, filed with blankets of white
and scarlet wool, home-spun coverlets,
and sheep-skins.
can old French hostler busted him
self in dexterously untying the leather
thongs that constituted most of the
harness.
"There fell upon my ear faint
twanging in the distance, suggestive of
a stringed instrument.
"Dancing I exclaimed to the
hostler.
.'But yes, he replied; lin truth, it
is the dance
"'Within there I pursued, point
ing to the house.
"' Without doubt, he answered, and
I hastened in the direction of this phan- |
tom music. Making my way through a
dimly lighted corridor, with many a
subtle turn and tortuous declivity and
height, guided alone by thenow distinct |
scraping of violin, I at length found
myself in a spacious, low-ceiled apart
ment Immediately under the peaked
roof, of the whole breadth of the hos
AL e
sconces cast Pickering Light upon the
scene, and moving hither and thither
in the mazes of singular country dance
were about score of rustics, of a class
of humanity altogether strange and new
to me-a race of Titans, strong of limb,
with muscles of iron and sinews of steel,
a bovine cast of feature, mild and ru-
minating, with eyes wide apart. straight
noses, expanded nostrils, and lips curved
like those of q Grecian statue.
"I watched them for q time move |
slowly and with rude dignity through |
an intricate dance, which left one couple |
almost hidden in the darkness of far |
corner. Suddenly this couple came |
swiftly down to the centre of the group,
and stood almost directly before me.
ID is with these we have to do, gen.
tlemen. One of them-the lady, if I |
may csh her thus-was the most beau
tiful creature I ever saw. So young she |
seemed to me, I involuntarily smiled |
upon child. She wore simple bodice |
over blue petticoat. Her arms and |
neck were covered by a chemise pulled |
and starched, and white as the snow it |
was bleached upon. Her hair, only |
bound by chain and silver arrow. fell |
far below her waist. It's color was hard |
10 1o&nn lint tho crnnGu |
glare of the candles, yellowish, creamy |
white.
"'Her feet, beneath her petticoat,
Like little mice, stole in and out,
And oh, she danced it such a way,
No sun upon an Easter day,
Was half SO fine sight
eyes, gentlemen, she was a theme |
for poesy. I watched her with mute |
but expressive admiration, so that when |
her eyes met mine fancied there grew |
q gentle recognition in them. She |
looked up to her Titanic partner and |
smilingly drew his attention to me.
can not describe the benevolent patron |
pity upon my loneliness, and apparently |
pleased with my evident appreciation |
of the lovely being that seemed in |
some way to belong to him, he brought |
her to my side, and with noble hospi |
tality left her, as he said, to beguile the
time of the stranger. Good fellow that |
he was, 1 hope this kindly trust be-
trayed did not impair his simple faith |
in humanity.
"' Her name is Lulu he said, and |
mine JEAN
"And while cast about for some
thing to say to this little maiden in the |
patois of her country, she began her
self, in a voice sweet, low, and sonor-
GUS:
1t is, then, your sleigh in the stable
below? How beautiful it isl 1t is
shaped like a wild goose. and so light I
can lift il. even [ Aud the skins they
frightened me, they were 30 like pretty, |
crouching animals one of them had !