BEAUTIFUL SNOW. In the early part of the

Amorican war, one dark Saturday morning

in the dead of winter, there died at tho

Commercial Hospital, Cincin-nati, a

young woman over whoso hoad only twoand-

twcnty Bummers hud passed. ? Sho hod

onco been possessed of an enviably shore

of beauty ; had been, us she herself

said, " flattered and Bought for tho

charms of her faco;" but, alas ! upon

hor fuir brow had long boen written that

terrible word?fallen! Once the prido of

re-spectable parentugo, hor first wrong

stop wns tho small beginning of the "

samo oid story over again," which has

boen tho only life-history of thousands.

Highly educated and accomplished in

manners, she might havo shouo in tho

beat, of society. But the evil hour that

provod hor ruin wus but the door from

childhood ; and having spent a young

life in Bhamo, tho poor friendleaa ono

died tho melancholy death of a broken-

hearted outcast. Among hor personal

effects was found, in manuscript, tho "

Beautiful dnow," which was immediately

carried to Enos B. Reed, a gentle-man of

culture mid literary tastes, who was at

thut time editor of the National Union.

In tho columns of that pupor, on tho

morning folio wing tho girl's death, tho

poem appeared in print for the first

time. When tho paper containing tho

poora como out on Sunday morning, tho

body of tho victim had not yot received

burial. Tho at-tention of Thomas

Buchanan Reed, ono of tho first American

poota, was soon directed to tho newly

published lines, who was so taken with

thoir stirring puthos, thut ho

immediately fol-lowed the corpao to its

final resting place. Such oro tho plain

facts concerning hor whoso " Beautiful

Snow " will long be regarded as ono of

tho brightest gems in American

literature Oh'. tho snow, tho beautiful

snow. Killin!; the sky anil earth below,

Over tile housetops, over the street,

Over the heads of tlie people you meet;

Itaiiclng?Flirting?Skimming ulong,

lie.iutiful snow ! it cnn ila no wrong;

Hying lo kiss a fair laity's cheek.

Clinging lo lips in frolicsome freak;

lieaulital snow from heaven above, l'are

as an angel, gentle as love ! Oli! tho

snow, tho beautiful snow. Hon- tlie

(likes gather ami laugh us they go,

Whirling about in maddening fun ;

Chasing?Laughing?Hurrying by. It lights

on tho face, unit it sparkles tho 05-0 ;

Anil the dogs willi h bark anil a bound

Snap ul tho crystals as they eddy around

; Tho town is alive and its heart in

a-glow, To welcouio tho coining of

beautiful snow ! How wild tho crowd goes

swaying ulong. Hailing cacli other witli

humor anil song : How ttio guy sleighs

like meteors Hash by, l'right tor tile

moment, thou lost to thu oyo;

Hinging?Swinging?Dashing tiley go Over

tlie crust of Hie beautiful snow ; Snow

so puru when it falls from tho sky, To

lie trampled and tracked by thousands ot

foot, 'fill it blends with tito tittil

in thc humble, street. Once 1 was as

vure as tho snow, but 1 fell, Kell liku

the snow Hakes from heaven to hell; Kell

tobe trampled as tilth mi the street,

Kell to be sculled, to bc spit on mill

beat; rieaditig?Cursing?Dreading to die,

Kelling my soul to whoever would tiny ;

Dealing in shaine for a morsel of bread,

Huting Hie living and fearing the

deadMerciful lloil, havo I fallen sn

low? Aud yet I w.is onco like lim

beautiful snow. Once I was fair as thc

beautiful snow, With un eye liku a

crystal, a heart liko its glow; Once I

was loved for my innocent graco~

flattered and sought lor thu charms of

my faco 1 Fathers?Mothers?.Sutlers, ull,

(tod and myself 1 have lost by my fall;

Tlie veriest wretch that goes shivering

by Will lanko a wide sweep leA I wander

too nigh; Kor all that is on or above

ino 1 know, Thero is nothing so puru as

tho beautiful snow. How .strange il

should ho that this beautiful snow

Should lull on a sinner with nowheru to

go 1 I low strange it should be when

tile night comes again, If tlie snow and

thu iee struck my lUspcruto bruin.

Faluting?Freezing?Dying alone, Too

wicked for prayer, too weak for a moan

To bo heard in tlie streets of tho crazy

town, Gone mad in the joy of snow coming

down; To bo and to die in my terrible

woo, Witt) 11 bed and u shroud of Hie

beautiful snow. Helpless nnd foul as tho

trampled snow, Sinner, despair not!

Christ stoopotli low, To rescue thu soul

that is lost in sin, And raise lt to

lifu and enjoyment again.

Crooning?Weeding? Dying for theo, Tho

Cruuillcd hung on tho cursed tree I His

accents of mercy fell soft on thino ear,

"Is there mercy for mei1 Will Ho heed my

weak la-ayer r" 0 Cod! in tho stream

that for sinners did How, Wash me, and I

shall ho whiter than snow