Oh! the snow, the hc.ititil'ut --now,

Filling the sky and cart h In-low.

Over the housetops, over the streets,

Over the heads of the people you meet :

Incing Flirt lngskinniniig aloiis;

Beau ti I'll I snow, it ran do no u nuig.

Flying to kisa I 'ir lady's chrrk.

Clinging to Hps in fro lu some freak ;

Beautiful snow from heaven above,

Pure us an angel, gentle as love.

Oh ! the snow, the beautiful snow,

How the Hikes gather and laiih as thev s

Whirling a-miit iu maddeiiiiiu mu;

Chasing laughing hurrying by.

It lights on the lace, and sparkles the eye:

And the dogs with a bark and a hound

Snap at the crystals they eddy around ,

The tnwn is tiltve and it?- hearts in a yluw

To welcome the turning tuMiitilul -now '

How wild flie crowd yors -wayiuif aloim.

Hailing each oilier with humor mid sun,

How tlie gav sleighs like meteor- tla-h hy,

Itiigbt lor the moment then lo-t totlu-ee

Kiiiiiinii swinging da-tnim tlh-y go.

Over the crust of the li-autilnl snow. '

Snnw so pure when it tal's from tlie-kv.

To be trampled and tan ked hy a t'Hiu ieet

Till it blends with tilth on t Me dirty stieei.

Once I was pure as the snow, but I fell.

Fell like snow ll,ijxs Iroiu heaven to hell.

Fell to he trampled like tilth on the si n et.

Fell to be scolU-d. to be spit on and beat

Heading, cursing, dn tding to die.

Selling my soul to whoever would Imv:

I tailing in sha for a nior-el of (trend,

Hating the living, fearing the dead

Merciful (iod, have I fallen so .,w '

And yet I was once like the beautiful -imw.

Once I was fair as the beautiful snow.

With an eye like rrv-tal. heari like it glow

Once I w.is loved tor my Hi'ioceut giaee,

Flattered mid sought tor charm-, ot m face

Fathers mothers -shLts all

(rod and mvselt 1 h ue lo-.t In mv i.ill.

The veriest wietrh fiat go.-s -iluvenng lv

Will make a wide sw.-ep le-s I go (,,, nuli .

For all that is on or above me know,

There is nothing so pure as the snow.

How strange that this beautiful mmw

Should fall on a "inner wit h now litre to go

How strange when n ght comes again.

If snow and ice it nick my brain

Fainting -freezing dying alone.

Too weak tor a prayer, too weak to moan.

Or beard in the streets of the erav t iwu

Gouts mad iu the joy ot snow coining down

To be and to die iu my terrible woe,

Witu bed and shroud of beautiful snow