The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1910-02-09
ORIGIN OF A POEM
THAT THRILLS ALI VIII ITS Pa
THOS AND BEAUTY.
Found on the Person OF Young
Woman Who Had Been Picked Up
On the Streets Of Cincinna:ti.


The origin ot.The Beautiful Snow"
is no. definitely known. but according /
10 pretty good authority II was writ
ten bv an unfortunate Young woman.
Mrs. J. p. Marrow says that during |
the early part OF the war. one dark
Saturday night IL nidwiater. there
died in the Commercial Hospital II
Cincinnati young woman. over
whose head only two and twenty
had passed. She had once
been possessed Of an env!a5le share o!
beauty. and had been. as she her
self said "fatte-ed and sought for
the charms Of be. face" but alas
upon her fair brow was written that
terrible wo-G-.'pcos:ttute. Once
the pride OF respectable parents. her
irst false step was the small begin
ming OF the same old story over
again" which has oeea the only lie
history Of thousands Highly edu-
Gated and Of accomplished manners.
she Nigh. have shooe in the oes, OF
society. but the evil hour taa: proved
her ruin was at the door from child
hood. and having spent youas life
in disgrace and shame. the poor.
srieodless ore died the melancholy
death OF b-oke2-hearted outcast.
Among her persona! effects was
found in manuscript. The Beautiful
Snow" which was Immediately car
ried TO Enos 3. Reed. = gentleman OF
culture and literary tastes. who was
a, that time editor o: the National
Union. n the columns Of that pa
per On the morning OF the day follow
ing the girls death. the poem appear
ed in print. When the paper sonta!n-
ing the poem came out Oh Sunday
morning the body OF the victim had
| not ye. received burial. The attea
sioa OF Thomas Buchanan Reed. oae
| o: the s.s: American poets. was 30
taken BY their string Dathos. sha,
! he imedmiateiy followed the corpse
to its fcal resting place. Such are
the plain facts concerning her whose
Beautiful Snow" shall long be re
mem 5ered ss one OF the orightes:
gems sn American literature.
Oh, the snow. the besutitul snow!
Filling the sky and earth below:
Owe. the housetops. over tee s.reet
cve. the heads OF the people yes
meet.
Dancing. flirting. skipping along.
Beautiful snow. II can do no wrong:
Flying 70 kiss = fair 1ady's cheek.
| Cl!nging to lips IN troliesoms freak
6eautitu! snow from the Aesveai
above.
Pure as an angel. gentle IS love!
Oh. the snow. the beautiful snow:
dow the fakes gather and laugh =.
they so!
Whi-liag about in their maddenls:
fun:
I, plays IL its s!ee with everyone
Chasing. laughing. hu-ry!as By:
Il lights on the face and il sp&rk
les the eye:
And playful dogs. with > bark and
q bound.
Snap az the crystals that edd;
around:
The town Is alive and It's hearts I.
as!ow.
To welcome the coming CT the beau
titul snow.
How wildly the crowd gees swayin,
along.
aasl,ng each other with hunor aat
song!
dow gay the sleishs Ike meteor:
fash by.
Bright for the moment. then lost &c
the eye.
Ringing. swinging. tashins they 20
Over the c-us. o: the beautiful snow
Snow as pure. when It falls from tse
sky.
AS tc make one regret to see It lie
To be :rampled and tracked BY the
thousand feet
TIL Il blends with the nlth in the
horrible street
Once ] was as pure as the sscw. but
| fell
Fell like the saows.kes from heaven
! to hell:
Fell TO be t.anpled Ike tl,h Il the
street:
| Fell 70 be scoced ct. TO be spit on
and beat:
| Pleading. cursing. dreadins to die.
Selling my soul 20 whoever would
buy:
Dealing in shame .cr : no-.el OF
bread.
Hating the living aad fearing the
dead.
Me7ci:ul God. have fallen 50 low.
Aa6 We, ws. once Ike tho beautiful
SNOW!
Oace I vas fair as the beautiful snow.
With an eye Ike It's crystals and a
heart like its glow:
Once I was loved FOR ny innocent
grace.
E!at,eced and sought for the charms
OF the face.
Father. mother. sister. all.
Cod and myself. have lost By my
fall.
The ve-ies. wretch that goes shiv-
er;HS By.
VII! make wide sweep .es; waa-
der TOO nigh.
For all there is or or above NE. !
know.
There's nothing as pure as the beau
;iful snow.
How strange It should be tia: thi.
beautiful snow.
Should fall on q slime. with no