The blanket on the earth lay smoothly in
even places, rose with knolls, fell with valleys, curved over
prostrate logs, heaped in mounds where bushes grew thickly, and
piled high in drifts where the wind blew free. In the shelter of
the bottom the wind had not stripped the trees of their loads as
it had those along the river. The willows, maples, and soft woods
bent almost to earth with their shining burden; but the stout,
stiffly upstanding trees, the oaks, elms, and cottonwoods defied
the elements to bow their proud heads. While the three mighty
trunks of the great sycamore in the middle looked white as the
snow, and dwarfed its companions as it never had in summer; its
wide-spreading branches were sharply cut against the blue
background, and they tossed their frosted balls in the face of
Heaven. The giant of Rainbow Bottom might be broken, but it never
would bend. Every clambering vine, every weed and dried leaf wore
a coat of lace-webbed frostwork. The wind swept a mist of tiny
crystals through the air, and from the shelter of the deep woods
across the river a Cardinal whistled gayly.
The bird of Good Cheer, whistling no doubt on an empty crop, made
Dannie think of Jimmy, and his unfailing fountain of mirth. Dear
Jimmy! Would he ever take life seriously? How good he was to
tramp to town and back after five miles on the ice.
Pages:
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84