On ! the snow, the

beautiful snow, Filling the sky and

earth below. Over the housetops, over

the street, Over the heads nf the people

you meet ; Dancing-Flirting- Skimming

along. Beautiful suow ! it can do no

wrong ; Flying to kiss a fair lady's

cheek, Clinging to lips in frolicsome

freak; Beautiful snow from heaven above,

Pure aB an angel, gentle as love ! Oh !

the snow, the beautiful snow, How the

flakes gather and laugh as they go,

Whirling about in maddening fun ;

Chasing - Laughing-Hurrying by, It

lights on the face, and sparkles the eye

And the dogs with a bark and a bound

Snap at the crystals as they eddy around

; The town is alive, and its heart in a

glow, To welcome the coming of beautiful

snow How the wild crowd goes swaying

along, Hailing each other with humour

and song : How the gay sleighs like

meteors flash by, Bright for the nrunent

th^n lost to the eye ; Binging-Swinging-

Dashing they go Over the crust of the

beautiful snow ; Snow so pure when it

falls from the sky, To be trampled and

tracked by thousands of feet, Till it

blends with the filth in the horrible

street. Once I was pure aB the snow, but

I fell, Fell like the snow flakes from

heaven to hell; Fell to be trampled an

filth in the street, Fell to be scoffed,

to be spit on and beat ; Pleading-

Cursing-Dreading to die, Selling my soul

to whoever would buy ; Dealing in shame

for a morsel of bread, Hating the living

and fearing the dead. Merciful God, have

I fallen so low ? And yet I was once

like the beautiful snow. Once I was fair

as the beautiful snow, With an eye like

a crystal, a heart like its glow Once I

was loved for my innocent grace

Flattered and sought for the charms of

my face Fathers-Mothers-listers, all,

God and myself I havsj lost by my foll :

The veriest wretch that goes shivering

by Will make a wide sweep lest I wander

too nigh ; For all that is on or above

me I know, There is nothing so pure as

the beautiful snow. How Btrange it

should be that this beautiful snow

Should fall on a sinner with nowhere to

go ! How strange it should be when the

night comes again, If the snow and the

ice struck mv desperate brain, Fainting-

Freezing-Dying alone, Too wicked for

prayer, too weak for a moan To be heard

in the streets of the crazy town, Gone

mad in the joy of snow coming down ; To

be and to die in my terrible woe, With a

bed and a shroud of the.beautiful snow.

HelplesB and foul as the trampled snow,

Sinner, despair not ! Christ stoopeth

low To rescue the soul that is lost in

sin, And raise it to life and enjoyment

again. Groaning-Bleedjng-Dying for thee,

The Crucified hung on the cursed tree !

His accents of mercy fell soft on thine

ear, " Is there mercy for me ? Will he

heed my weak prayer ?" O God ! in the

stream that for sinners did flow, Wash

me, and I shall be whiter than snow.