Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-04-18
answered Pierre;

Surely, surely answered Pierre;
'-God is good"
"Will you not take your violin, Sieur
Antoine, and tell me how the snow
hooks" said Snow white.
And Sieur Antoine played. Those
who knew felt the inaudible falling of
the fakes, thicker and thicker, but gent
ly as the drawing of a shroud. Sieur
Antoine kept his eyes upon the little
face, and he saw her waiting, listening
Suddenly twang Of the strings and the
twist Of his bow sent ont as on the crisp
air the jingle Of sleigh bells, the sound
of merry voices, and the child's face was
glad. But Sieur Antoine had forgotten;
with the sounds of gladness there came
always for him the after note of sorrow,
and he played on and on in the minor
chords till the tears stood in the little
ones eyes, and Felice put out her hand
TO stay him.
All during the night that followed
there sounded in Snow whites dreams
the merry 'snow music" and then the
borrow that came after it. "Will it be
like that-and thatY7 she asked herself.
While it was yet dark she heard below
in the street the muf1led rumble of a cart,
and the cartman was singing. What
was il he said? As he came nearer she
heard in the mans deep voice, "Wash
Me and / Shall Be Whittier Than Snow"
She knew not what the words meant
how could sic? But over and over again
she kept saying the words to haraself till
morning broke and daylight shone be-
tween the curtains, pale and strange.
Something, she knew not what, sent
thrill through the little weak frame and
eagerly she peered across the room TO
the streak Of light that showed.
"Maman," she called by and by very
softly. But Felice was by her side in
moment. She said nothing, but pointed
with one hand tcwqrd the window.
Zach, Pierre, Pierre, the snow, the
snowT shouted Felice, in her excitement
forgetting the little sufferer on the
couch, who leant upon her elbow trying
to see the street below.
"Did not sayF' said Pierre. springing
to his feet. "Surely God is good"
Together they lifted the little ones bed
to the window that she might see, and
she, with fun heart, could not speak for
joy; only her lips parted and her eyes
overran with tears.
Marta and Babette were not long in
coming to see the little ones Joy, and
Sieur Antoine too, only he did not tarry,
bat looked into the child's eyes and went
away to Pere Martin. They came to-
gether by and by, shaking the white
fakes from their coats and tread1ng very
softly in the hall
'NSee, the snow has come, father, said
Pierre, "and she knew, the little one,
without seeing it, that it was come"
The little eyes were bent only on the
window, where without the snow lay
white and soft DER street and housetop
far as the vision went, but the priest,
kneeling down beside the bed, took one
little cold hand in his, saying;
"Sheis very near TO God now; he told
her"
"The snow has come" said the child's
voice, Il knew itwould, God told me
Aye, God told her, and drew her
nearer and nearer to him, for with her
last breath the pale lips faltered out the
words she had not understood. Wash
me and l shall be whittier than snow"
The snow was soon gone and with it
the little one, but to the white vault that
bears her name come often Pierre and
Felice, burdened with the grief Of their
empty hearts Marie still sells her candy
on the street, but in her tray is found NJ
longer the dainty bits for the 'little one. 4"
Alone in the court Babetto still scrubs
and scrubs, but now, us never of wore,
the tears run down her round cheeks au1
drop into her snowy suds. The roses
bloom and vither in Pere Martins little
garden, and the orange blossoms fade,
and the fruit falls upon the ground Up
stairs in his garnet Sienr Antoine plays
ever Of the little snowAakes that glist-
eued in his way of the spirit that is
"whiter than snow. Patience Oriel in
Philadelphia Times.