Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-04-02
CHAPTER Nj

During the night succeeding Roger Me
rarlane's frolic, there was Il heavy fall
snow. That which first came down
vas moist and clinging, but as the hoErs
3f dar kness went by, the still air grew
older aud colder, and the niveOus crys
ais, dry, light and fleecy, piled high
lpou even the smallest twigs in the for
81 and brjdged over the spaces between
hem, So that the bouShs bent with the
weight of simulated foliage of immaeu-
ate Wilderness.
Like "a new heaven and new earth. ;"
resh and pure from the fashioning Of
heir Creator. hushed vet in the awe of
irst consciousness of being. shone the
tloudiess Sky and no less spotless world
beneath, upon which beamed the golden
&ays OF the morning sun. But all the
#efulgent white glory that flooded the
Universe was cold and still as death itself.
Slowly and with an air of protest. ami
mated Nature awoke to recognition of the
I empOrary domination of the iuanimate.
E'he peewitS. nesting under the caves of
he barn, were first TO see what had han
hened, aud diScontentedly twitteriug to
Aaeh other agreed it was quite hopeless
O look for a breakfast under all that
Enow. and they had best stay in their
warm shelter until the prospect jmprov-
sd gallant game cock. champion OF
he baruyard. forebore his customary ma
utiRal challenge 10 the universe. and
laundering awkwardly through the deem
NOW to the refuge of an overhanging
straw pile, looked about him with disgust
and regret that he had left his comfort.
able rooSt
The sun was well up before faint
,piral Of smoke lszily ioated straight
oward the zenith from the kitchen Chin
ley Of the house. for the morning was
sunday, when late rising is permissible
,ven on farm. \ couple OF dogs. sniff
ing the odor OF breakfast in the air.
,rawled out from under the porch and
stretched themselves in time TO meet John
Cameron and give him their honest ca
nine greeting as he emerged from the
litchen door with an ak in his hand.
The deepest snow Vet this winter.
mother" he announced. in a CHEEKY
soice. looking back into the house before
Closing the door behind him.
The fences were half buried; the round,
Icompactly grown apple trees in the or
chard looked like enormous sn0w balls;
the well-sweep, swollen TO colossal pro-
portions by the accumulation Of snow up
IN IL. suggested a fanciful resemblance
20 the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Johns first duty was the breaking OF
the ice in the watering trough for the
eattle. In quick response % the sound
Of his chopping the chorus OF farm life
broke forth-horses neighing il their
stalls. bells tinkling among the sheep in
the;c shelter under the barn door and the
COWS in their stable. pigs sQuealing shrill
demands for immediate feed. chickens
auttering down from the hen house and
suuawking in foolish alarm az finding
themselves ingulted in the snow.
Three hours later, John. mounted on
his big black horse. aud dressed in his
h,esf. rode down the lane on his way TO
,hurch. All the church-gOiug in the val,
Ehey that day had 10 be upon horseback,
rhe unbroken snow in the rosds being
imuch too deep TO admit OF si'eedy IT com
portable sleighing. But that was no hard
shin IN s community OF equesrians. and
srould make little difference in the at
taudance at the meeting house. 20 which
everybody. practically. made habit Of
-oing pretty regularly. whether Presby-
sArians or not. In the valley one was