| Hunt and Lee, comps. The Book of the Sonnet. 1867. | | | | IV. The First Snow | | By Mrs. Mary Noel McDonald |
| | | THY MANTLE white is on the senseless earth, | |
| Spirit of Winter; old Æolus rude | |
| Pipes from his northern home in fiercest mood; | |
| And o’er the crispéd wreaths with shouts of mirth, | |
| And chiming bells, and laughter ringing free, | 5 |
| Glides the swift sleigh; while merry urchins play, | |
| Tossing the frozen balls in heart-felt glee, | |
| Or forming uncouth shapes of monsters grim, | |
| To melt like youthful hopes, when next the ray | |
| Of noontide streams on each misshapen limb. | 10 |
| The naked branches wear a spotless vest; | |
| While through the window infant faces peep, | |
| Lured from their downy beds and early sleep, | |
| Wondering to mark the earth in wintry garments drest. | | | | |
|
|
