ONCE I WAS PURE.

: t

Oh ! the snow, the beautiful snow.

Filling the sky and the earth below ;

Over the house-tops, over the streets.

Over the heads of the people yon meet ;

Dancing,

Flirting, '

Skimming along.

Beautiful anow, it can do nothing wrong :

Flying to kiss a fair lady's cheek,

Clinging to lips in a frolicksoiue freak,

Beautiful snow from heaven above,

Pare as an angel, gentle as love !

Oh ! the anow, the beautiful snow.

How the flakes gather and laugh as they go !

Whirling about in its maddening fun,

It plays in its glee with every one, '

Chasing, "

- Laughing,

Hurrying by.

It lights up the face and it sparkles the eye !

And even the dogs, with a bark and a bound,

Snap at the crystals that eddy around, -The

town, is alive, and its heart in a glow,

Giving a welcome to the beautiful snow.

How the wild crowd goes swaying along, . .

Hailing each other with humor and song I

Uow the gay sledges, like meteors, nasn Dy,

Bright for a moment, then lost to the eye;

Ringing, ' V

Swinging,

Dashing they go, '

Over the crust of the beautiful suow 1

Snow so pure when itiulls from the sky.

To be trampled in the mud by the crowd rush-

- ing by ! - ' T

To be trampled and tracked by the thousands

of feet, ,

Till it blends with the filth of the horrible

streets.

Once I was pure as the snow but I fell J

Fell like the snow flake from heaven to hell,

Fell to be trampled as filth in the street ;.

Fell to' be scoffed ; to be. spit on and beat .

Pleading, ,

I, . , Cursing, . .

, Dreading to die,

Selling my soul to whoever would buy,

Dealing in shame for a morsel of bread.

Hating the living aud fearing the dead ;

Merciful God 1 have I fallen so low Y

And yet I tatjaWonce like the beautiful snow.

; Norfolk Advertisements.:

Hymah, Dancy & Co;

l Commission Merchants,'

it '

-.- . Norfolk, Va.

i The New fork House will be conducted by

Juo. S. Dancy, aided by R. W. Uyman.

The Norfolk House will be conducted bj:

Jno.TI. Hymati and F. M. Hyman. -

i Particular attention given to the

sale of Cottou, Corn, Wheat,.-Kara! Stores,

&. c. &c

j Sept. 12th, I860. . ' 26 tf.

6nce I was fair as the beautiful suow,

With an eye like a crystal, a heart like it

glow !

Once. I was loved for my innocent grace

Flattered and sought for the charms of my face;

Father, ,

Mother,

, , Sisk-rs, all . ;

God, and myself, I have lost by my fall ;

The veriest wretch that goes shivering by.

Will take a wide sweep, less I wander too nigh.

tor all that is in or above me, I know,

There is nothing that's pure as the beautiful

snow ! ,

Uow strange it should be that the beautiful

snow ! . -Shmild

fall on a sinner with nowhere to go I

How strange it should be when the night

comes of ain.

If the snow and the ice struck my desi erate

brain,

Fainting, " .

. . Freesing, .

i . .;, . .. Dying alone.

Too wicked f or prayer, too v eak for my moan

To be Jieard in. the jubilant town, .

irone mad in tne joy ot the snow cowing

Tolie and to die in my terrible woe,

With a bed and, a shroud in the beautiful

. snow.