Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1906-02-08
LONELINESS OF WINTER,
Bx W. j. B. Moses.

mail land agents circular from one of
the southern states Upon the cover of
lit there was picture, very well done
as such thing go, and intended to make
those who looked upon it long for a
home in the sunny lands represented.
This picture was double one and
showed farmer asleep in a snug little
home in the midst OF a northern farm.
Outside it was showing, showing softly,
, steadily, covering the fields and past
nres with heecy white. The farmer
was dreaming and his dream was de-
picted i'm the other half of the picture
!. where another farm was shownin which.
4 men were at work in the sunshine of,
suppose, the south. though there was
nothing very distinctive in the land
. scape.
4 The intention of the man who de-
signed the picture was no doubt to
!. make those who looked upon it wish
for land where there was no winter,
but. however well he may have sue
ceeded with others the effect upon me
was just the opposite to that which !
suppose he desired to produce. That
winter scene drew me as a magnet
draws nail, as fond memories drew
the heart homeward For the Winter.
land, i felt tender affection, for the
snow covered fields, and the falling
flakes, and the houses and farm build
ings surrounded by the white drifts
felt a longing and great desire Iloyed
the winter.
What there is that attracts my heart
in thinking of the land where winter is
9 a prominent feature and which is not
:. found in the contemplation Of regions
$ Of perpetual summer seems at first
8 sight hard to say. suspect, however
t that it is the LONELINESS of winter that
I attracts ne. Winter makes the home
J, a place of more Importance, suggests
home by contrast. In land of balmy
: sunshine you may wander away by
e yourself if you will, spend the day IN
q the shade of great trees and sleep al
L night under the stars and not be much
}, the worse You may be homeless anc
9 houseless and suffer little discomfort
y But in the winterland you must make
p yourself shelter, build you house
Q and gather about you there those things
y that make your house a home, a woman
II to love and children to care for, stores
q of food and Of clothing to last until the
u summer comes again, pictures and books
e to cheer you during the long dark even
IS ings.
And after all it is these indoor things
" these home things, that make life Wortt
e the living and it is the winter thai
Vt makes us know and value them. The
'e cold makes us enjoy the fire, the dark
ness makes us enjoy the light, the out
door bleekness gives us q relish fol
: the indoor comfort and grim winter
= teaches us to cherish home and friends
Not that outdoor life in winter is sc
! bad after all, that is if it be real north
- ern winter with a zest and vigor in Its
Z cold and not the melancholy chill anc
~ dampness that goes by winters name
:, in regions farther south. No one who
- has seen the sun rise in cloudless sky
= on a sharp winter morning and who
), has felt himself reused by the bracing
air as if he were breathing electricity
until all his nerves tingled with health
r. and pleasure, can imagine that winter
= is unpleasant No one who has wan.
G dered about the snow clad woods and
Is seen the bushes bending under their
h burden to form strange towns and
J castles where only rabbits live, and
it has listened to the cherry chirp OF our
l. winter birds searching for food in the
S.. sunlit branches above can live without
II regret in a land where snow never falls
>, and the thermometer never goes below
$. freezing.
II ct is the winter that makes the north
IS ern races hardy and vigorous, keen of
g intellect and alert of mind. 1t is the
IS winter that makes them sturdy of char
Is acter, true OF heart and honest of pur.
s. pose. 1t is the winter that makes them
x home-loving and home abiding good
q husbands, loving wives, kind fathers
IS and tender mothers. 1t is after the
winter that the spring comes creeping
i on in its full joyousness. 1t is because
4 it is the prelude to winter that autumn
is SO beautiful and tender Without
3 winter the year loses itself and oui life
h.. - + E.s, 2
y is cheated of half its JOY.
: Theoretically one whoI can do with.
i out food, without warm clothes, with
i. out warmly built houses, should grow
)ol wealthy more rapidly than one who
il must provide all these things. Theo
s retically, too, one who can work all the
Il year round on 4 fertile field should
! make more out of it than one who
works but half the year. But in FACT
I the northern man grows wealthy lnors
rapidly than his brother Of q more
! genial clime and the field that rests
Z throug 1.-The winter produces the mos
= " 4. ~ ~