BEAUTIFUL SNOW Oh I the snow, the

beautiful snow I Filling the sky and

earth below; Over the housetops, over

the street, Over the heads of the people

you meet Dancing, flirting, skimming

alongBeautiful snow It can do nothing

wrong. Flying to kiss a fair lady's

cheekClinging to lips in a frolicsome

freak; Beautiful snow, from the heavens

above, Pure as an angel, gentle as love.

Oh I the snow, the beautiful snow! How

the flakes gather and laugh as they g

Whirling about in their maddening fun;

-It plays in its lee with every one.

Chasing, laughing, hurrying by, It

lights on thie face and sparkles the

eye; And the dogs, with a bark and a

bound, Snap at the crystals that eddy

around. The town is alsve, and it's

heart's in a glow, To welcome the coming

of the beautiful snow, How wildly the

crowd goes swaying along, Halling each

other with humour and song I Hlow the

gay sledges like meteors flash by,

Bright for a moment, then lost to the

eyetlinging, swinging, dashing they go,

Over tie crust of the beautiful snow;

Snow, so pure when it falls from the

sky, As to make.one regret to see it

lie, To be trampled and tracked by tie

thousands of feet Till it blends with

the filth of the street. Once I was pure

as the snow, but I fellFoll, like the

snow flakes, from heaven to hell. Fell,

to be trampled as filth in the

streetPell, to be scoffed, to be spit

on, and beat. I'leading-cursing--

dreading to die, Holling smy soul to

whoever would buy; Dealing in shame for

a morsel of bread, listing the liing,

and fearing the dead! Merciful God I

h'ave I fallen so low ? And yet I was

once like the beautiful snow! Once I was

fair as tlhe beautiful snow, With an eye

like its crystal, a heart like its glow;

Once I ases loved for my innocent

graceFlattered and sought for the charms

of my face. Father, mother, sister, and

all, God, and smyself, I have lost by my

fall. Tie veriest wretch that goes

shivering by WIll nmake a wide swoop,

lest I wander too hilgh ; For all that

is on or shove ame I know, There's

nothing so pure as the beautiful snow.

Ilow strange it shouil bn that this

beautifil snow Shold fiall noi a hiuner

with nowhere to go flow strange It

shoulhl be, when i night conies again,

if tile snow and the Ice struck my

desperate brain I lalnting,fr, fre dying

alolne, TIlo wicked for ,praiyr, too wak

for a Inmoan To lie hieer' I i the

street of tloe crary town, (lolne ilasd

II thile joy of tlie alsuw comolig down

I To he and to ileo in ily terrible won,

With1 a be. ad na slhroud of the

beautiful allow