The Washington herald., 1921-04-24

IL
unwrapped from a piece OF old sad
die blanket q paper-back book. and
settrsd himself, tosread by his dim
oil lamp.
And then the ranehman threw to-
bacco on the cleared table and set
forth again the bottles sand. glasses,
ands-I. saw that l stood in a deep
channel through which the long
damned flood of his discourse would
soon be booming. But ! was half
content, comparing my fate with
that OF the late Thomas Tucker. who
had, TO sing for his supper, thus
doubling the burdens of both him.
self and his host, r-,.-
Snow Is a hell Of a thing" said
Ross, by way of a foreword. 1T
amt, somehow, II seem to me, salu-
brious. I can stand water and mud
and two inches below zero and 10
In the shade and medium sized cy-
clones. but this here fuzzy white
stun naturally gets me all locoed.
reckon the reason II rattles you
Is because 1t changes the look of
things so much. It's like you had
a wife and left her in the morning
with the same old blue cotton wrap
per on. and rides in Of a night and
runs across her all outfitted In q
white silk evening frock. waving an
ostrich feather fan. and monkeying
with a posyNof lily flowers wouldn't
It make you look for your pocket
compass? You'd be liable to kiss
her before you collected your pres
ence OF mind
BY and by, the flood Of Ross's talk
was drawn up into the clouds ESQ 1t
pleased me to fancy) and there con-
densed into the finer snowfakes of
thought: and We sat silent about the
mysterious influence upon man ex-
erted by that ermine-lined monster
that now covered our little world.
and knew he was right.
OF all the curious knickknacks.
mysteries. puzzles. Indian gifts, rat
traps, and well disguised blessings
that the gods chuck down to us
from the olympian peaks. the most
disquieting and evil-bringing Is the
snow. BY scientific analysis II is
absolute beauty and purity-so, at
the beginning we look doubtfuIly at
chemistry.
It falls upon the world. and 10!
we live in another. It hides in a
night the old scars and familiar
places with which we have grown
heartsick or enamored. So, as quiet
ly as we can, we hustle on our en-
broidered robes and HE US on Prince
Camaralzaman's horse or in the
reindeer sleigh into the white coun-
try where the seven colors converge.
This is when our fancy can over
come the bane Of II.
But In ertain spots Of the earth
comes the snow-madness, made
known by people turned wild and
distracted by the bewildering veil
that has obscured the only world
they know. In the cities, the white
fairy who sets the brains of her
dupes whirling by a wave of her
wand is cast for the comedy role.
Her diamond shoe buckles glitter
like frost: with a pirouette she in
vites the spotless carnival.
But In the waste places the snow
Is sardonic. Sponging out the world
OF the outliers, 1t gives no foothold
on another sphere in return. 1t
makes of the earth a armament un-
der foot; it leaves us clawing and
stumbling in space in an inimical
NTH element whose evil outdoes its
strengeness and beauty. There ma
tricks on man. Though she has put
him forth as her highest product, 1t
appears that she has fashioned him
with what seems almost incredible
carelessness and indexterity.
One-sided and without balance,
with his two halves unequally fash
ioned and Joined. must he ever Jog
his eccentric way. The snow falls,
the darkness caps it, and the ridicu-
lous man-biped strays in accuratel
circles until he succumbs in the
ruins Of his defective architecture.
In the throat of the thirsty the
| snow is vitriol. In appearance as
plausible as the breakfast food of
the angels, IL is as hot in the mouth
as ginger. Increasing the pangs of
the water-famished. It is a de-
! rivative from water. air, and, some
cold. uncanny, fire from which the
caloric has been extracted. Good
has been said of It: even the poets,
! crazed by its spell and shiyering
in their attics under it's touch. have
indited permanent melodies COM
memorative OF it's beauty.
Still to the saddest overcoated
optimist it is a plague-a corroding
plague that Pharoah successfully
sidestepped. 1t benefcently covers
the wheat fields, swelling the crop
and the Flour Trust gets us by
the throat like a sudden quinsy. It
spreads the tail of its white kirtle
over the red seams of the rugged
North-and the Alaskan short story
! is born. Etiolated perfidy, 1t shell
ters the mountain traveller burrow-
ing from the icy air-and. melting
tomorrow, browns his brother in
the valley below.
At its worst il is lock and key
and crucible, and the wand of Circe.
When It corrals man in lonely
ranches, mountain cabins, and for
est huts, the snow makes apes and
tigers of the hardest. 1t turns the
bosoms of weaker ones to glass.
their tongues to infants rattles.
I their hearts to lawlessness and
spleen. 1t Is not all from the iso-
lation; the snow is not merely q
blockader; II is a Chemical Test
1t is a good man who can show a
reaction that is not chiefly COM
posed of drachm or two Of pot
ash and magnesia, with traces of
Adam, Ananias, Nebuchadnezzar, and
the fretful porcupine.
This Is no story, you say; we'll,
let it begin.
There was a knock ah the door
| Os the opening not full of context
and "Reminiscences, oh, best buyers of
best sellers?)
We drew the latch, and in Stun
bled Etienne. Girod Gas she afterward
named himselD,- But just then he
was no more than a worm strug
Cling for life. .enveloped in a killing
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