A STROLL IN THE FROST KING'S REALM. 



The rain of the night before had turned A barbed-wire fence, as far as the eye 

 into a heavy sleet, followed by blustering could reach, was converted into endless 

 weather. All day the sun was hidden by strings of pearls. I gazed upon this vis- 

 gray clouds, accompanied with fitful ion until, becoming dazzled,! turned from 

 snow showers ;but at last the clouds were the sun to rest my eyes, and in the back- 

 dispelled and the following morning ground saw trees that formed pearly sil- 

 dawned clear and cold. houttes against the dark blue sky. Was 



As the sun slowly rose above the hori- any enchanted land more entrancing? 

 zon he added dazzling brilliance to the al- Turning again, I resumed my walk to 



ready lovely landscape. the foot of the hill, and, by the aid of the 



The mercury was very little above zero bushes and saplings, scrambled up its pre- 



as I sought the woods to reap the full cipitous face and pushed onward through 



benefit of this wonderful transformation the underbrush, parting the interlacing 



of Nature. Just two days ago she wore branches as I went until I reached a ra- 



her usual garb of neutral tints; but what vine. 



a magical change the Frost King had I continued onward, recognizing the 

 wrought in this N time! The earth was familiar trees everywhere ; though divest- 

 now covered with a white mantle of snow ed of foliage and incased in crystal, each 

 and every tree and shrub had on a glitter- variety has its distinctive form, and bark, 

 ing armor of sleet. A few minutes' brisk A musical tinkle accompanied every 

 walk over the crisp snow brought me to movement as I brushed the twigs and 

 a corn field, and by wending my way grasses along the way. 

 along a path through this field I arrived One not accustomed to the study of 

 at a strip of woodland. Here the path Nature in her various moods might sup- 

 merged into a narrow wagon road cut out pose that such a landscape would be de- 

 of a steep bluff. The entrance to this void of animation. But this was not the 

 road introduced me to a land of enchant- case. A very pleasing feature of the 

 ment. scene was the animal life that abounded. 



On either side the face of the bluff was A rabbit snugly concealed beneath a 

 covered with a tangled growth of shrubs, bunch of grass started up, bounded away, 

 briers and weeds, while above were trees and was soon lost to view in the thicket, 

 whose over-arching branches sparkled in Small flocks of snowbirds and chickadees 

 the sun, showing all the colors of the were flitting gaily about. A crow sat in 

 rainbow. Every branch and twig was the top of a majestic oak and cawed lus- 

 decked with gems rubies, sapphires, tily in answer to one 'that was faintly 

 emeralds and diamonds everywhere and heard in the distance. A pair of cardinals 

 diamond dust formed a carpet under- flew about the border of the woods, and a 

 neath. The low bushes at me base of the single woodpecker was high up on the 

 bank where sheltered from the wind's dis- trunk of a tree, while another, whose 

 arranging blast, were wrapped in finest form could not be detected, was hammer- 

 ermine. Just in front of me, to the left, ing away. All these were suited to the 

 was a wild rose, a fountain of purest environment, but not so was yonder lone 

 crystal, the effect heightened by its scar- blackbird, doubtless a straggler from a 

 let hips. A little further on was a small flock which had settled in the tree of the 

 tree draped with a tangled vine with clus- yard in the early morning, 

 ters of pendant fruit, like crystallized Lured by the pleasant, mild weather of 

 grapes. On the other hand were rasp- the preceding week, they had arrived 

 berry canes, the livid red gleaming only to encounter snow and mid-winter, 

 through the dazzling frost, and all around and would doubtless retreat to more con- 

 was golden-rod, more resplendent than genial surroundings and absent them- 

 when its golden blossoms lighted the way selves until the true springtime should 

 in autumn, and the asters shone like herald the approach of summer, 

 jewel-rayed stars. Addie L. Booker. 



73 



