The Project Gutenberg EBook of Little Sister Snow, by Frances Little

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Title: Little Sister Snow

Author: Frances Little

Release Date: August 16, 2004 [EBook #5960]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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LITTLE SISTER SNOW

BY

FRANCES LITTLE

Author of "The Lady of the Decoration"

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY
GENJIRO KATAOKA
1909

TO MY NIECE

ALICE HEGAN RICE

IN MEMORY OF MANY HAPPY MONTHS
SPENT TOGETHER IN JAPAN

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

A fervent, whispered prayer . . . _Frontispiece_

With outstretched hands and flying feet

She would throw her into the ditch

The two old people

Yuki San was called before her father

With paint and brush she fell to work

At the slightest sound she listened

Not willing to be surpassed in salutation

"My heart bleed for lonely"

She busied herself with serving the tea

Very helpless and lonesome

To make good her promise to the gods

CHAPTER I

A quaint old Japanese garden lay smiling under the sunshine of a
morning in early spring. The sun, having flooded the outside world
with dazzling light, seemed to sink to a tender radiance as it wooed
leaf and bud into new life and loveliness. It loosened the tiny
rivulet from the icy fingers of winter, and sped it merrily on its way
to a miniature lake, where shining goldfish darted here and there in
an ecstasy of motion. It stole into the shadows of a great pine-tree,
and touched the white wings of the pigeons as they cooed the song of
mating-time. It gleamed on the sandy path that led to the old stone
lantern, played into the eyes of Kwannon, the Goddess of Mercy, and
finally lost itself in the trees beyond.

Under a gnarled plum-tree, that for uncounted years had braved the
snow and answered joyously the first call of spring, a little maiden
stood and held out eager hands to catch the falling blossoms. The
flowering-time was nearly done, and the child stood watching the
petals twirl quickly down, filling the hollows and fashioning curious
designs on