The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-01-06


One day as she stood at the win
dow watching the busy street and
wondering why she of all children
was crippled and thin and weak, g
snowflake came sailing down
through the December sky, paused
moment at the window and then
crept in at broken pane and rested
on her wasted hand. The child was
glad and smiled. and said:
Did you pity me that you came
TO see me?"
Il have only pity fo- the poor and
helpless. /" replied the snowflake.
"Where are your companions
"They will be here. L had a race
with them and l reached the earth
frst.n
aIt was so good of you TO come
in and see me-" whispered the child.
/" Do YOU know that / am lame and
iii. and that no one loves meY All
the sunshine and happiness seem
for others-all the suffering and the
shadows for me. / wish | mad been
a snowflake. 1t must be so Jolly to
20 rowing about as" 4,
The snowflake had disappeared
and in its place was tiny drop OF
water. The child was grieved, and
she wept that her poor ray OF sun
shine had been dimmed almost as 1t
reached her. But other flakes came
and danced before the window and
made merry and called to her;
"Come out and be merry with us.
A child should not weep and grieve. =
But | have no friends" she an
swered.
"Then the snowaakes will be your
friends. Almost every day we will
ccme to talk with you"
"Do you know Of heaven ?" whls-
pered the child, as she wiped away
the tears.
at is long, lcng way off, was
the reply.
Would they let 2 crippled girl
like me in there p
As surely as you reach toe gates
of pearl. Heaven is for such as
you"
"When may 1 go? Earth has
only misery for me. 49,
"When the time is come we Will
whisper at your window, The night
is coming on, and we must go. Be
of good cheer, we viii surely come
again" q,
And the days went on and on, and
the nights came and went, and the
child grieved and wept because the
snownakes did not come to tell her.
Millions of them hoated in the ar.
and the wind drove them in millions
up and down the streets, but never
a one came to the broken window
pane. One day, when TIE chllds
blue eyes had scarcely been free
from tears-when heart ached as
never before - when there was
fierce struggle to cast off the emaci-
ated, deformed body as one might
throw away a garment-on this day,
as the bleak winter afternoon was
fading to dusk, there was tapping
at the window pane. The child
heard the sounds with beating heart,
and as she dragged herself to the
window she cried ont in exultstion {:
"Oh! it is the snowhakes come
again. You are here TO tell me of
heaven"
yes they whispered.
And God viii take me?"
"He has sent for you"
Wait-wait [ will go with you" P"
But the snowhakes whispered /:
/" Child, you must sleep first. Heav-
en- is a long way of. We viii wake
you when il is time.
The child lay down on her bed of
rags and slept. At midnight the
snowfiakes crept in and rested on
her hair-on her ragged gown-on
her thin hands, and some OF the
boldest touched her face.
"Come, it is time" they whisper
ed.
She did not move.
"Child, we are here to guide you
on your path to heaven, they call
ed.
There was no answer, but bright
star suddenly threw his light in al
the window and over the bed OF
rags, and the snowhakes gathered
together and whispered:
"She is dead While we fingered
in sport with the winds an angel
has come aEd borne her awayW