The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-01-02
OUT OF rHE oHRIsrMAs SNOW

Fake after flake, 1t came down on
| Christmas morning just as it had came
down all the night before. 1t was good
10 see, for ''a green Christmas" never
seemed just right to us of the Northern
attitudes; aud we count on the snow as
one of our appropriate decorations, not
&c be rivaled by any other.
As l stood watching it from the win
dows it seemed to be saying a good
many things to me; and suddenly, with
a keen, clear thought, such as sometimes
comes to us unexpectedly, l turned and
faced myself-my inner self-and asked,
iridt does it say to you ? And then out
vi the Christmas Snow, silently ,sweety,
holly, came the answer:
The world is white to-day, l, the
Christmas Snow, have made it white.
Slowly, s'eadily, peacefully, l have
come, and brought you pure white
beauty, and it is yours to have for your
very own.
what if you do know that under the
beauty is that. which is not beautiful;
bat the trees are bare save for the white
outlining; that the fence is old ana
crooked, the grass dead and tangled;
ard that these dainty white picturesque
buildings are only old sheds, OF pig sites
or chicken coOps?
"Th+ Christmas Snow has come and
ey are beautiful, and that is quite
enough Tor you TO gake home to your
holiday heart.
"Always and always there will be
bare, ugly things in the world, until you
DT or some one comes to cover them
up with the blessed beauty. 1t ISL a holy
ask. and all the world grows better for
The doing of 1t, Something more mus
tell you (; l, the Christmas Snow, who
look 80 fresh and new, am
really no new thing. Life has not
Just begun for me this morning, have
known the world for very long time.
One cannot come to such perfect beauty
As mine is, all in moment. IL takes
much of labor and change, storm and
sunshine, heat and cold, comfort and
discomfort, dullDess and brightness, 10
bring such blessed beauty as this. The
brook and meadow, the river. ocean.
cloud and wind know me well, and
know that by patient well-doing, as mIs
and rain And running water, l have
earned this beau iiul form.
"It is so in all life, as you know life,
and so, too, of the human heart. X al
beauty comes of many things. Anolh,
thing must tell you /, the Christmas
Snow, am multlform-not great Whit
sheet that has only viii, eness and thi k
ness, but am made up If myrlads OF
crystals, no two alike, and each one 50
perfect and beautiful that the wise and
good stand in admirlng awe before them
all.
SIS this not true, again, of a beautiful
life or deed Is either ever just
one emotion, or act, or purpose Does
IL not take all the many crystals OF good
that the sun and wind of life havr
brought together to make that brautifu
| life possible or that noble detd? r a,
-Ruty IL made up Of many things. Ont
hing more aud | am silent; l am IN,
| Christmas Snow. Whatever scienc-
may say 10 you, your heart tells you
that am not the same as any other
snow that falls. come at the blessed
Christmas time. when so much of beauty
ia asked for. Around and over the world
| floats the clouds Of kindness. laden with
the grace and purity that fall as a man
tie of beauty. Everywhere it falls.
Men see it and know it. and forget for a
| time that the trees and fences of life are
ever hare. and that the fairy palaces are
ever commonplace sheds and pig-sties
81 am the Christmas Snow, and all
these things that have told you are for
your heart-good, and for you to speak
unto other hearts ready to take the
beautiful lesson home. Some tiny crys-
ud Of beauty each one can give, II il
| will aud thus make all the world more
lovely and better. Good HouSekeep-
! i'm.