| Higginson and Bigelow, comps. American Sonnets. 1891. | | | | The Snow-Flake | | By Robert Burns Wilson (1850–1916) |
| | | FAIR, fragile waif;—whose wandering child art thou! | |
| Climb’d’st thou the sun’s beam, from the ocean’s breast, | |
| Or from some ice-capped mountain’s sparkling crest; | |
| Or from the rill which bathed yon hill’s hot brow | |
| When summer’s fever burned;—all ashen, now, | 5 |
| With winter’s savage frown? or didst thou rest | |
| Within some pool which breathing spring caressed | |
| With silken leaves, that decked the dipping bough? | |
| Mayhap a tear-like drop of morning’s dew | |
| Wert thou—spilled from the hare-bell’s trembling cup, | 10 |
| Or nestled on some blade—content to be | |
| The glory of the ray which bare thee up, | |
| Far—far—within the skies’ wide sea of blue:— | |
| Now, wandering back across the frozen lea. | | | | |
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