The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1893-12-14
CHAPTER I.

The day before the cattn nau been
covered with slcet which had fallen on
q foot Of hard-beatcn snow: then the
wind died away: the mercury crcpt be-
low nero. and the light flakes Of frosty
network came -Oftly. wavcringly out Of
the dull. .eadcn sky through the still
freezing air: lodging on every twig:
hanging in great white ruffs upon the
ea.c, Of all the houses: hcaped on every
railing. cu,hioning everything that
could hold a feathers weight. All
night long this brcathlcss, freezing
calm had continued and all night long
the silent flakes had fallen, 50 that
when the morning came the earth was
hidden beneath a covcrlet Il, white as
swans down ana Us light. The sun ut
millions Of tiny. many-hued fires IN the
lev prism, and filled The Shadows with
pale blui-h light. The !leecy mass did
not reflect the sunshine bat absorbed
it. giving back soft, varied tones,
rather than the hard glaring light Of
the ordinary snow surface. Iha world
wa like marble tomb tor "hltoness
ana for silence. but ike Il covcrlct Of
down for sOftncs5 ana invitation TO
repo-c.
The trees whose branches We're bare,
seen al q little distance, merged into
universal whitcncsa: near at hand they
seemed network Of soft white fila
ucnts which tenn ted the eye to pursue
with unceasing delight the intricacies
of al cVcr-changlng pattern. The ever
green III the yards, upon the public
Sut5arc- and on the distant hlllsldcS
bore tiny heaps of down uron every
nattcncU surface. and above the spread
ing la.cr;tl- were great swelling heaps
As smoothly Rounded and as white rs &
thrifty houscwifc's pillows. y hint OF
green showed at tie very tips OF the
bent-dn~n limbs and in the spaces be-
tween he ovcrhanging screens. The
smoke rose from the chimney, IN
straight dun columns, the tops tlattcncd
into creamy waves which melted I'M
perez tibly into sun-!it space.
The snow was 80 lirht and the flakes
of Hat. guuzy network We're So sOlidly
frozen and so deity interlockcd that
1t fOl med great cushion, on all surfaces
aplroximating the horizontal without
crushing and sliding. In the streets,
or ION the level, a. We say. it came
above the knee: but enc wadcd through
it rs ca rs il il we're the tuilcst of
lint cotton. 1t was not damp enough
t. pack beneath the feet, nor had
enough to grind like sand. In Truth it
seemed rather 10 yield in all directions
like vapor than 30 suffer compression
like ordinary snow. ID rs ran about III
it where il was above their heads. leHy-
ing only Il trembling. sinuou' line,
marked. erh:,p-, by the tip OF IL way
Ing tail showing above the white sur
face. Altcr going Il little way. they
would abandon thi, method and pro-
coed by II series of leaps above and
plunge, into the yielding mass.
In tn. littlt town al Hard lNSV ia.
the people were late astir. Tho frfst
had crrpt into tho houses and chilled
the AOU>eW ye-' ardOr. WhliC the
GREATNESS calm without had deceived
the shoppers. Il cll5tomrd to have their
ears e n,irm the changing story which
the clock, hr;.lcu tongue aVnuchcd,
with circllmstantial evidence that the
world vas awake and astir. Eut even
the coctle crow VIZ mu1icd III t uni
vcrsal f'occulcn,c. and the outside
world WAS as Il Mt rs the realm OF
shadows. When they at lcngth APP
prarcd aside their doors. they noted
some curious effects. The snow was SO
light There was no resonance. voices
near at hand sounded weak and thin.
The s,illnoss seemed nearly Yalpable.
One saw. that people were clearing off
the sidewalks and Shoveling paths,
across the streets, that children and
dogs were playing iii the downs snow.
but ouly those sounds close at hand
could ne heard, and they were greatly
,oftcncd.
The town was Usually a busy one, but
this morning no one seemed to think OF
work. Clerk, and employers alike
stood gazing 1T of the windows. The
cohblcr sat 18th his aw. hand upon the
awl which he had driven home but for
gotten to draw out. while the black
smith. the earliest and uoisicst of work
crs. let the fire die upon his forge
while he stood III the door OF his shop
gazing III silence on the unWOnteu
scene Beauty, IL its highest mani
festations, touches all natures. ard
h1-nc- them like the rear Of the c;ita-
ract. And this wa Il SIGHT SO unusual
that even one accustomed to a snowy
region would hardly see it, like twice
III a lifetime. Even yet it is rcmeln-
lcrcd as the winter OF the feather
SNOW. can never forget it.
| lad built The five. swept the !loor
and cleared the walk before our Office
before most If the inhahitauts were
a>tir. say "our' office because was
then a student III the office uf Harmon
of the county. The law styled HE an
'articIed clerk" but Is Il matter OF fact
the chief services had henn called
upon 10 render as IN equivalent tuI the
privileges enjovcd hud been the work
/ have Gc~critcd. To this was added
az occasional busting OF the books. and
the doing Il such crrands Is the mem
beers If me firm might require. did
Il little copying. ana now and then WAS
asked t. write SONG formal letters.
IN cons liberation Of these services
enjoyed privileges which. IL my mind.
seemed infinitely moro valuable. rs in
deed they were. was allowed 10 read
the books OF the firm, - sit by their
fire and listen IL the converse. ion that
went on ii the office. 1t might not be
supposed that this latter priv lere
would Be Of any great moment. but I,
mo il was worth all the rest | wa q
country boy whose mother had worked
and saved during all my lie to give
Stn x-.;s >,a,r