AUNT SUE'S SNOWBANK 291 



pointed star form intact. These swirled over the 

 treetops, but straight to earth behind all wind 

 breaks, and hung a film of flowing lace between 

 the eye and all distances of the nearby woods. 

 Such a curtain the makers of stage scenery imi- 

 tate when they wish to let the audience see 

 through the veil into fairyland and through it 

 we see all beautiful things become more dainty 

 and we know in our hearts that all wonder-tales 

 are true, so long as we see them made real 

 through the magic of this illusory veil. So 

 through this floating, fairy film of snowflakes it is 

 easy to see gnomes and sprites dancing and all 

 the people of northland legends grow and vanish. 

 The children may believe in Santa Claus in bright 

 weather with the ground bare, and good luck to 

 them. It is only when the snow falls in the 

 woodland that we elders hear the jingle of his 

 bells in the tinkle of ice-crystal on twig and see 

 his reindeer lift through the air of the woodland 

 glade and prance to vanishment over the treetops 

 in a whirl of the storm. For a little the world is 

 young again and Santa Claus no myth, even to 

 graybeards in the Dorchester backwoods, when 

 Aunt Sue's snowbank comes tumbling home 

 through the pine tops. On such days weather- 



