Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-01-11
WINTER.

Winter has come in its glory. A while
ago there was sort of spurious Winter,
when the thin garment of snow wasn't suf
flcicnt to cover the nokedness Of the hills
aud fields, and no long time hence thaw
will set in and leave the now white and
glittering surface stained with prosaic dirt.
But just at present the whole earth is cover
C with stainless white and Winter--thc
only real winter-is with u.s. The lake is as
1t were framed in white, and its waters by
comparison look black and angry, though
they have wild, stern beauty which they
show at no other time of year. In all the
country around, nothing bit white meets the
eye. The houses are rooted with snow the
unGanly and entirely unnecessary fences are
for the most part oblitcratcd the farmer
emerging from tie "tumultuous privacy of
the Storm" looks upon new world seem
ingly fresh and pure from the hand of its
creator. As in Winters familiar lines
And when the second morning shone,
We ookcd upon world unknown,
ON nothing VIC could call our own,
Around the glstenlng wonder bent
| The blue walls OF the armament,
NO cloud ABOVE, no earth below
| universe OF sky and snow
In the city, the prospect is less pleasing.
The sidewalk is alternately slippery and
snowy-for in spite of the advance of Chris
tianity he is an unfrequant Good Samaritan
who sprinkles ashes upon his icy sidewalk,
and in two or three spots in every block some
medieval citizen sternly refuses to clear off
his walk. Then there is the man on the
roof who startlo5 the peaceful pedestrian
with II shower of snow or terrfies that
confdng animal the horse, to the great det-
riment of the driver thereof He who is
really the most happy at this season is un-
questionably the small boy-with whom, in
decd, the joy of life is almost equally great
at all seasons, He violates the laws of the
municipality by skating upon the sldewalke
He seeks out particularly thin ice on which
to disport himself and furnish items for the
newspapers. lie coasteth where he listeth ;
and as the prominent citizen wends his ma
jestic WY through the streets his feelings are
narrowed and his dignity outraged by the
pursuing boys blood. curdlrg yell, 'Get out
the way there" The warning, however, is
one which it is well to obey, for the penalty
of dsobediencc is either hasty and undig-
nifed plunge into a snow bank or an Invol-
untary ride wherein the citizen takes the
part of The World aud the small boy of At
las supporting Lin.
Tic rcdceming feature of the urban winter
is The slcighing and the bells. When the
streets are full of gay equipages and The air
OF the music Of the bells and all The world
seems TO be enjoying holiday, what season
is more happy, more joyous? A few mean
souls, rife for treasons, stratagems and spells,
and regardless of the municipal ordinance,
sneak through the streets without any bells
on their teams and gather in an ample har-
vest OF unrpc pedestrians at every cross
ing. Such people are not fit to cnioy a
winter ut all and on the approach of the
festive season ought to be banished to Florida
or some warmer place. But fortunately the
majority of mankind have more or less music
in their souls, and the gay tintinnabulati N
of the bells fills the air all winter long. And
there is now every prospect that it will con-
tinue to do so for some time. 1t is favorite
Jest at Vermont weather, that its only draw
back is the necessity of scrubbipg along on
bare ground two months in the year. The
present season bids fair to be such one as
that indicated by the jJke. But a, all events
1t will be enjoyed to the full