250 CROSS-CUT VIEWS OF WINTER. 



and at such regular intervals as to appear like the 

 skeleton of a pinnately-veined leaf. In the centre 

 is a small star of embossed silver, placed over the 

 point where the converging needles meet; its 

 shorter rays alternate with those of the principal 

 structure. This choice setting appears whiter than 

 the other parts and scatters the light from its many 

 glittering facets. Here is a wheel of six plain, 

 fragile spokes that has fallen from the lapidary so 

 far above, yet none of its parts are broken. Here 

 is a spangle of club-shaped rays with a hexagon 

 scale in the centre, and here a bunch of frosted 

 moss-fern leaves. Are the airy fays so pleased with 

 my attention to their handiwork that, eager to fur- 

 nish new designs, they fling them down so fast that 

 the delicate crystals strike against each other and 

 become distorted and irregular masses of snow ? 



How evenly they are placed over the land ; as 

 mosses grow on the damp, shady forest's floor! 

 Not a spear or twig that is without its coverlet of 

 wool. Does the squirrel hear the tufts of down 

 as they tick, tick, on his leafy roof high up in the 

 walnut-tree ; or the wood-mouse think of the path 

 he perforce must shovel before his door ? 



All day long, and perhaps half the night, their 

 soft white feathers have continued to fall, when 



