The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-25


the law. Mr.. Mead gained considerable
local renown, even before his removal to
Brattleboro, when his little namesake was
years of age
TWAS, therefore, in this beautiful, old.
Green Mountain town that the bays first
steps in the instruction that makes life an
education. were taken. True. 9Th his
nature. he must sometimes dreams, but he
was 10 idler. He was one of sne chill
dren that had come to the simple nome OF
the. worthy barrister and his goad wife,
and although there was no lack q neces-
sary comforts, each must do his part as
soon as able and expedient SO atgi5 years
OF age. the boy obtained a positionzls clerk
in the hardware store of the country town.
selling and doing up" and carrying
thence, nails, and bars and scytses and
axes and latches and "hasps,"@ TO the
townsmen for miles around, as s,,ithe!y
and as courteousiy IS he had done=all else
These people never once thouglxt of the
beautiful forms and groups and actures
that would crowd so thick!y into h = mind.
and which he longed with his whose heart
To fashion into realities. until the. Christ
mas night when the Snow Anges'' came
into their midst nor even then unsil acct
Young Iarkin had been busy very
busy--all that day; the snow had fallen
long and in the early winter evening, radi-
ant as holiday evening could be, Il lay in
great sparkling stretches on village street
and village square. The closing evening
hours were to be passed with com sany of
merry friends about a g!ittering Chelstmas
tree and table heaped high with christ
u hut ha
sparkling, was so alluring that. hasEily ex-
cusing himself, he lett and went o.lt into
the frosty night, inviting another lad. a
close mpanion, to accompany HIN, and
taking with him common wooden shovel
to aid in the creation or accomplishment
of-he knew not what.
The two walked on until they reached
the omen space near the high schoo9 door.
Here there was grand drift OF sf,lidly-
packed SNOW Into this the young. clerk
plunged, shoveing, cutting, m:.dng.
Scarcely stopping 10 warm his fingers, he
piled one block upon another; welded it
III place With water. he directed his5r!end
to pour. Now standing back mona.nt to
look critically at the growing hgp.e, his
very soul seemed fashioning, and teen re-
turning with fresh enthusiasm, be worked
far in . the night until before him stood
his Work completed
That uight's inspiration was the Christ
mas Snow Angel--a pure colossal figaro of
startling beauty, fair, symmetriCa: and
hawless, If carved in marble. It's ta'autl-
ful wings were soft, crossed in front at the
hem OF it's sweeping robe. In one. hand
rested feathered pen and IN the other
there was an open book. IN which II seemed
the angel waited TO write while GsAlng
counsel from the heaven toward WHICH her
exquisite face, with its aureo!e OF swavy
halr. was turned.
When the Christmas bells rang ggood
nightw 10 the people of BrattieboEo the
high school square had been for .ught
they knew deserted. When they rose the
next morning. therefore. was II a wander
that they looked with almost awe on
creation such as they had never seesl be-
fore and whose glory seemed TO hG the
place
To add TO its perfection a beautiful stray
bird, resting on the very crest OF one
downy wing, lifted its throat and tu5ning
its tidy head upward toward the laysly
face, sang as bird never sang befose!
BY reason OF its compact iashionlns the
Snow Angel remained many days, an5 was
visited by throngs of people from al. the
country around.
1t was this Christmas Snow Anges on
the Brattleboro green that first ATTRACTED
TO the boy the attention OF the noiez art
ist, Henry kirke Brown, whose puy@l he
became later latter MS perseyering ei=ergy
had enabled him To graduate from spart-
MOUTH With this master he made such
progress that soon he Was commlsslzned,
though very young. TO make the Es0bie
statue OF Ethan Allen, " hIch nov asE8rns
the capitol at Washington. Only few
turns away, in the same beautiful tsIiId-
ing, there Is copy Of the snow Aagei,