yly
through the mazy branches of the old elm-tree, and bordering its traceries
with glimpses of purple and golden light. But gradually, and even as he
looked, the sun became brighter and hotter, and as his heat momentarily
strengthened, Weary Heart saw the green leaves creep out, one by one, and
place themselves daily between the window and the sun, so as to intercept
his fiercest rays; until at length, when the sun had attained his greatest
power, these leaves were all arranged so as to shade the window, as a bird
overshadows her young; and the room was as much refreshed by the cool
green light, as it had formerly been gladdened by the spring-tide beams.
Then Weary Heart was softened; yet he feared to breathe, lest the dread
winter-time should come, when the cool leaves which brought balm to his
heart, should fall away from him and die.

Gradually, however, the sun became lower in the heavens, and his heat was
less fervid upon the earth. Then the leaves went noiselessly away, in the
same order in which they had come. One by one, they crept silently out of
sight, like earnest hearts whose mission is fulfilled; and yet so glad
were they for the consciousness of the good which they had been given
power to do, that when the Weary Heart observed them more closely, he
could see how bright a glow of joy decked even their dying moments, and in
how frolicsome a dance many of them delighted ere they lay down on the
cold earth to die.

The dark winter had now come on, and anxiously poor Weary Heart watched
the lozenged panes. He saw the branches stand up bare and desolate against
the gray and chilly sky; but soon he saw beautiful things come and sport
upon them. The snow piled itself in fairy ridgeways along the boughs, and
even on the slenderest twigs; then the sun would shine brightly out for an
hour at mid-day, and melt the quiet snow, and the laughing drops would
chase each other along the branches, sometimes losing all identity, each
in the bosom of its fellow--sometimes falling in glittering showers to the
ground. [And he saw that it was from these glittering showers that the
snowdrops sprang]. Then, when the sun was gone down, the frost would come;
and in the morning the silver drops would be found, spell-bound in their
mirth; some hanging in long, clear pendants, full of bright lights and
beautiful thoughts, far above the rest--and others, shorter and less
brilliant, with one part transparent, and another part looking mor