New-York tribune., 1898-12-25
"THE SNOW IS COMING"


.., ,,or,d for The frst time. The first time the
sun shone- the FIRST time the snow feii-'hese
things are not matter Of record. BY good Iuch'
the fret time Is always recurring especially
IN Jondon What L,ondoner does not renem-
ber the first time the sun shone again ai'er d
FOG that lasted week? And when the Hrs'
snow falls the cockneys do not take 1t as il
they were country folk. Strange exciteheh'
comes over them at the mere thought OF soo'S
London dressed In white. A few 60 apou'
quoting Mr.. Robert Bridges, who alone oi
poets has understood them on this ?cint' anu
the rest quote him without knowing.
had not accounted TO myself for II; put All
unusual stir in my blood moved me 10 rum u
shout or sing or behave in manner "'"'
might have caused the police to INTERFERE as
I went along the streets one evening Ia e"i y
winter. The gaslamp is in itself sigha' loi
the endowment OF Londoners. They "iaS w
half asleep all day, but with the yeiIow ud""
ing Of those myr.ads Of stars glow oI Wa''"''
nuickens them. So much the better il 'he'e
should he a moon to make faces among '"e
chimnev-tops, (There was moon tha' h'S"'''
II the snow be the way. and the ar 'e"''
with the expectation of it, the nerves a"""'
and sting the Ianguid soul into pleasure
turned down a poor alley to VISIT an ao'
quaintance there-an Essex woman WHO '"'"'
about threading" her needle, ana suppose'
the plural of 'ho, Sc" to be "househ. one IL
married to a sailor who sails the seas ho ''o
He sometimes tries to explain 10 iie '"' 30
ography-or seography-of ship. never VII
derstand II but I have learned to talk about
tho rivals" and the main -to7gilloa, WHAT
ever that may be.
..rhe snow is comingr' said to his vile
with as much exultation as if had sad Inc
Queen is coming
"yes miss" she said. land Goals is one-and-
threepence a hundred and they'll go up Sh'
glanced at the sky.
What a pity Il is to have "A financial interest,"
in the weather. | felt ashamed because I'D"
none remembered Mrs. Ewings heroine
who poked the fire 'exrcnsively, ana signed
little-and smiled also-to think that cou'o
poke mine as often liked. Then went
into the South KensIngton Museum 10 !ook 'o'
a spinning wheel
The polceman and the man at inc entrance
were divided in their minds as to "hethc'
spinning wheel is piece OF iurhi'u'e VI
machine II il is piece Of furniture yes y'"
will find il there If ii is a machine no. w"
will never find it unless you go across the
road Not feeling inclined to go across the
road | chose to consider It furniture
Past one half and the o'hcr of the column oi
Traian through the old tapestry room down
the narrow corridor Of snowmen ana SHOW
women bequca.hed to us by Greeks and Ro-
mans. | went; and reached at last the place
where chairs and tables, and beds and cabihe's
and mirrors. ranged with forlorn regularity
show what beautiful homes people had once
There was never "A spinning wheel among theHi-
] listened for the g.ostiy hum of it in vain
Tired out after "A long search, | sat down 10
rest on the pedestal Of cupboard
The gallery was quite deserted except for a
woman OF middle age who seemed Wiling
neither to 90 nor TO stay. Something hdgety
and wistfuI about her compelled one to notice
her movements Che went TO and fro with
rapid uncertain steps. making indefinite pauses
before the object OF her cOnsideration-trying
TO leave it, as it were-always returning. The
magnetic force that attracted her seemed to
reside in a wooden cradle There was nothing
particular about il: II was not like the cradie
OF the Earl OF Derwentwater which stood near
bv-thrce black feathers that had once beeh
golden still waved stihly over the head 1t was
lust a wooden cradle--nothine more, nothing
less Yet she came back again and again, as II
she could not tear herself from the spot she
was n well-favored person fresh and weather
beaten. as though had lived much in the
open air Her dress was so neat that the
shabby material Of it did not al first strike the
eve: would not perhaps have struck me at all
but for the fact that she wore woollen gloves.
She was clearly single woman: / could have
told that by the vague suddenness OF motion
which is common TO those who are much by
themselves and have not TO tnInk If disturbing