Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-09-10


there.
"You see" said the talkative old lady,
who seemed unable to walk like other
people, but danced constantly, going
little way, then stopping, then dancing
on again; "you see, from November to
the first of April-sometimes as late as
that-my husband, King Winter, with
King Frost, his twin brother, have their
factory in full blast, and all their time
is occupied. They make millions and
millions Of snowfiakes, and pounds and
pounds of icicles, great quantities of
sheet ice for ponds and lakes, and Ice
bergs, and great blockades of ice for
coves and sluggish streams, beside
statuary for public gardens and old
ruins, and delicate work for parks and
private residences. It all requires per-
sonal supervision; the most skillful de-
signers are employed and the most ar
tistic sculptors earth and sky can fur
nish. Every fresh order requires
fresh set of designs, so theAwork goes on
by night as well as by day; indeed the
best of it is done at night. But, you
fsee, Tn lonely, when my husbands
away, so I've undertaken this work to
divert my mind-don't you see, child
said she, noticing Charles look of won
derment. "Why, I look after the little
creatures who live above ground in sum-
mer, and would die if somebody didn't
keep them from freezing to death. See
here what I'll show you"
She danced aside few steps to what
seemed TO be knoll of earth, and pulled
up some soft blanket cobwebs, and there
lay more than a million grasshoppers.
fast asleep. All their little legs were
stiffiy doubled up, and pillows of dry
moss were under their heads. Charlie
was going to speak, but the old lady put
her finger to her lips and shook her
head, while she tucked the cobweb
blankets over them and fastened away.
The old dame suddenly assumed
comical expression, and touched a door
in another clay bank which revealed
about a thousand million black and
brown beetles, who seemed to have fin
ished their winter maps, and were at
work on little anvils, sharpening their
antenne, and making hooks to their
claws, while glow worms and fire flies
furnished heat in the FORCES. just be-
yond an archway was seen an equally IN
| teresting sight, crickets making little
| shrill pipes to wear under their waist
coats; and footing now and then to test
the sounds, while an old patriarch in
wig and spectacles kept striking tun-
ing fork across one of his long legs, hold
ing it high in air, that all might get
"the pitch" In another department
beautiful green locusts were manufacture
ing buzzes, and katydids and didn'ts
were having rehearsals, in view of tour
OF summer concerts.
How strange it all seemed! Charlie
thought this quite equal to Alice's Won.
derland. The old lady was evidently
satisfied with his interest, and hurried
him out
like you, my boy" said she, when
the door was again shut, "you'd please
my husband; he says nobody is success
full in any great enterprise who has a
glib tongue. Now look this way."
Charlie did look, and heard and saw
what?-a noise like the roar of Niagara,
and dense black cloud. What was it?
He turned just trife pale for min
ute, till the old lady suddenly caught
hold of his hand, and, little as she was,
pulled him III twinkling outside and
shut the door.
"What's that tremendous noise ?"
said Charlie, as soon as he could get his
breath.
Mosquitoes blowing their horns"
said the old dame. "Don't be afraid.
they can't follow us. They make an
awful lot of trouble, though, they're so
fierce and crafty. don't see how Noah
ever managed to have 'em in the ark:
the dragon flies and darning-needles and
june bugs and gnats aren't any trouble
at all compared to mosquitoes. But
would you like to see the millers and
butterhies?"
Charlie looked his delight for an an
swer, but when they reached the arch.
way the old lady swung back thick
velvet curtain and Charlie saw only q
great heap of gold dust something that
looked like a culver standing by itself
full OF gossamer- thread brushes, and an
immense palette on the floor he aped
with the most brilliant colors. He
turned to see where the butterflies were
when the old lady pointed to what
looked very much like a stack of bayo-
nets. A second glance revealed bushes,
tree branches, old stumps and bits of
fence rail, each one holding it's brown
cocoon containing the little light-winged
insect, whose wings were being slowly
painted in tho splendid colors of the
palette. 1t was so still there, it seemed
like place of death, and Charlie didn't
care to stay long, so they went away to
a new spot where he was shown through
the icy walls of mill-pond, and saw the
frogs squatting on the mud and looking
as stony and dead as Egyptian sphinxes.
Charlie laughed over these, and then
asked what her scissors were for: the
little Old woman began to laugh too. and |
asked if he was afraid of bears.
Stepping into little elevator balloon
which seemed to have been waiting on
purpose, they had three minutes ride
and landed in the heart of an old Nor
way forest. The trees were immense.
and Charlie looked up at them in won.
der. Suddenly he heard low growl.
and there, close by him, was the old
dame standing on big SNOWFALL and
clipping the claws of big bear. Char
lie was much frightened, but the Great
Ire never moved till she was done.
when somehow the bear stepped back.
ward fn tho ho11oxx, 4r,,,,I- 1e |