The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-01-15
with their dry needles and the small

brown with their dry needles and the small
cones that have fallen during the au-
m Pines, however, are the glory
OF winter for their irregularity, and the
defiant elbows they thrust out TOWARD the
storms. Shrubs are quite as varied as
trees. ! an not sure but il planting a lawn
n would do we'll to consider what would
be the winter effects with snow Persian
iIlacs bow to the very ground with oriental
courtesy as you pass them. Snowballs are
now truly covered with balls of snow. Red
barberry vines peep out from under white
wreaths, with a laugh. The most beautiful
OF all IS the mountain ash; every bunch Of
scarlet berries neatly wrapped in white, but
showing red from below. l cannot imagine
a finer sight, for the lunches are thousands
n the contrast perfect.
Now the clouds grow thinner, and a whis-
per OF wind comes through the house and
swings the long. 1.-THE limbs of the weeping
birch. That tree alone loses its snow; but
no matter--it is itself as white as snow.
The hedges, as far as the eye can roach, are
pure white walls, six feet high; and over in
the orchard the ounce bushes are mounds
of snow. All this is lone with 80 little ma
terial, for not three inches OF fsnthery crys-
ner-too thin to bar the sun; and it looks
squarely down through rifted blue. The dark
trees look almost black. The white glisten
with billions o%tcrystal points. 1t is only a
moment. The sun knows. the world can not
endure its presence. A veil is quickly drawn.
Crows come through the t%rees-never 80
black rs now. Cav! cav! they crv. and set
Ito down III the orchard to a feast Of frozen
apples. How strangely they look, walking
about or the white ground. There are
also white doves flying from the barn.
Only white and black is abroad, living or
dead.
! The amount Of wholesome fun that can
la - o-k &c n cr,on - 49, "a us lru
il something wonderful. Dogs and horses,
a. we'll as boys, are in tho height of nervous
excitement. The air is absolutely pure,
and is q stimulant of a mostinnocuous sort.
Sleds are Alteady abroAd on the hillside,
and shouts Of coasters reach me, mut1led
and half smothered BY the clothing that
first sleigh bells OF 1899 are tinkling
in tho air. Ned whistles to me from
the middle of tho lawn, where hs ia sketch
ing a bit of the landscape. Gladys has orept
near me while I am writing, and with big
eyes IS whispering, ""Oh, mamma, the world
~ vi beautiful. May 90 ont with the rest
her I shall 20 too. Phil. With his shepherd
collie in hand, is racing around. and I will
lay down my pen and nave a frolio with
them. What huge fun one of those dogs
can got out of life. ! think our creatures
in their way are SO much wiser h we nre
that | envy them. This collie obeys the
laws of an honest dog-life, nnd knows
nothing Of sickness. blues or dyspepsia.
The only woe that he knows is whom he eau
not 80 with his master to town. But
he enters into every game, is gentle, cum
ming, witty, and generous. In play we are
not true to ourselves. We me too eager to
lay up property. 1t comes to no more in
the end than the bones that Fido has, here
and there, buried i'll the gardens. i have
done my w~ork-enough of it when this arti.
Gle is done; and you shall not seo nor hear
more of mo III ess you find mo with the
young folk, taking in the biggest possible
drafts of clean now air, and enjoying their
sports as fully as theMselves.-Mary Il.
Spencer in st. Louis Globe Democrat.