St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-22
IN THE FROST KINGDOM.

Charles Hallock in Natures Realm.
In this present extraordinary winter
season. when the antipodeS seem to have
exchanged places and climatic charac-
terlStics, meteorological surprises are
constantly occurring, which. in the
higher ATTITUDES, are for the most part
agreeable, whatever may be said of the
unusual frigld experiences of the South
ern districts, In Minnesota one of the
most beautiful of these phenomena is
| the exquisite frOstWOril which has on
so many calm mornings already filled
the landscape with the enchantment of
Fairyland. The prevailing character
iSticS of ordinary winters in that state
have been clear, sunny days, with an
atmosphere intensely cold and dry.
Dampness is unknown and rain I'M
heard of. But this winter it rained
continuously on the 31st day of Deem
Der, and fogs have been Of quite fire.
ouent occurrence i'll December and
January.
Very much as in the early morning
hours of August in Laurentian regions,
where dense fogs settle down upon the
| valleys and lowlandS, to be diSsipated
and burned Off later on by the feryent
sun, lust so in Minnesota this winter q
pail of heavy mist has fallen upon the
earth with systematic regularity about
A o'clock of mornings, with just suffi-
cient moisture in its composition to crys-
tallize all objects with a marvellous
efflorescence when the temperature sub
sequently fell somewhat; 50 that the
first imperfect revelation of the opening
twilight was what an emotional artist
would appropriately call "a symphony
in gray'-a dull, leaden sky, with a
dead neutral tint, and everything else
within sight as pallid and ghost-like as
churchyard full Of gravestones. AS
the day advances and the light of dawn
increases, the sky becOm successfully
dove-cOlOred, lavender and rOSeate. I'M
folding more and more with each transit
ton the rapturOus beauty of the land
scape, until finally the CHANGING rays of
the risen sun light up the whole arcana
with glitter and glory too dazzling to
behold. except with averted gaze.
In this supreme moment the sky be-
comes intensely blue, and every line and
touch of frOstWork Oh trees and shrub
berry and telegraph wires are sharply
cut against the cerulean background in
tracery of intenseSt white, defining mi
nutest twig and spray as they neve;
were before. Grapeyines and woodbines
enfold their trelliseS and arbors with
weeping birch and willow depend like
the sprays of fountains Stllled in mid
air. The meshes of lawn tennis nets,
still standing as in summer days, vie i'll
flmy texture with the finest Nalen-
ciennes lace. The massed lines of tel
egraph wire stand out in space overhead
like the parallel threads of WeaYer'S
loom. Here, there, and everywhere the
sunlight touches up the foliage and the
sprays with prismatic hues which CLEAN
and flash like gems in the peryading
Eight; and later on, when its waxing
heat warns the frostW0rk of the trees.
it expands like the budding leaves of
spring time, until they resemble pear
and plum trees in fullest blossom.
And all the while the air is so still
and calm, and the sun SO bright, and the
sky so clear. that one does not realize
the great degree Of frost until his ears
begin to-tingle, AMI peradventure, when
he consults the thermometer, he finds
the temperature at zero, though his
body may be in a glow OF warmth.
fine frost phenomena are sui generis.
They are beautiful but harmless; more
exquisite than the ice anu sleet phe-
nDnlena of lower ATTITUDES. which break
the limbs which they bespangle. or the
blankets, OF fresh fallen snow which
cover the trees i'll masses OF whitene5S,
which Ubliteiate instead of defining the
handiw0rk of the objects which they
efyrlop. Here tile froStwOrl of the
TO- touches up the trees with the most
minute and exquisite. tracery, while it
Clothes them Tith an efiarpsceHre
which is ineonpai able. There IS Moth