Books by Anna J. Granniss


    =SKIPPED STITCHES.= Verses, cloth, 16mo. 50 cents.

    =SANDWORT.= Verses, cloth, 16mo. 50 cents.

    =SPEEDWELL.= Verses, cloth, 16mo. 50 cents.

                       (Set complete in box $1.25)

    =A CHRISTMAS SNOWFLAKE.= An illustrated rhyme for children.
    Cloth, 10mo. 50 cents.

                             ALL BOOKSTORES
                         or ordered of the author
                            Plainville, Conn.




[Illustration: Looking wistfully up at the gray winter skies]




                               A CHRISTMAS
                                SNOWFLAKE

                           A Rhyme for Children

                                    BY
                             Anna J. Granniss

                             SECOND THOUSAND

                               ILLUSTRATED
                            WITH LIFE PICTURES

                             HARTFORD, CONN.
                        C. M. GAINES, 66 STATE ST.
                                   1904

                             COPYRIGHT 1903
                           BY ANNA J. GRANNISS

                          _All rights reserved_




                              To the memory
                                    of
                             Mary and Willie
                             The baby sister
                          And the little brother
                            Who went away one
                                Christmas
                              Many years ago




ILLUSTRATIONS


    FRONTISPIECE                         PAGE

    ONE LITTLE FELLOW CRYING OUTRIGHT       1

    THE STAR AND THE ANGELS                 3

    “I’M SO GLAD!”                          5

    THE SNOWFLAKES COMING DOWN            8-9

    GOING TO FIND SANTA                    11

    MOTHER SNOWBANK                        14

    SANTA CLAUS SCANNING THE SKIES         15

    THE REINDEER AT HOME                   18

    CHRISTMAS BELLS                        20

    A DEAR LITTLE ONE                      21

    THE WORLD ASLEEP                       22




A CHRISTMAS SNOWFLAKE




A CHRISTMAS SNOWFLAKE


    A little white snowflake that lived in the sky,
    Kept looking down here with a tear in its eye;
    And wherever it looked, alas, it could see
    The ground was as bare, and as brown, as could be;
    And out of the windows, the children’s bright eyes
    Looked wistfully up, at the gray winter skies,
    While one little fellow was crying outright,
    Because the white snowflakes were nowhere in sight,
    And how could Santa come
    In his reindeer sleigh,
    And Christmas now only
    Just two days away?

[Illustration]

    It happened just then, that there came dancing by,
    Two lovely large flakes from somewhere in the sky,
    And the little flake cried, “Oh, beautiful flakes,
    I’ve been here looking down, till my very heart aches;
    See how dismal it looks, down there on the earth.
    Instead of gay laughter, and shouting, and mirth,
    The children are crying, their bright eyes are wet,
    For thinking the snowflakes are going to forget.
    Will you go down with me sometime before night?
    The children would see us, and laugh with delight.”
            “Why you dear little flake
            Now just dry your eye,”
            Said the lovely white flakes,
            “We’ll go down by and by.
            Just now, we would rather
            Whirl ’round in the air,
            Than to settle ourselves
            Away off down there!”
    “And just think,” said one, “of my pretty new gown,
    Being stepped on, and spoiled, and all trodden down!”
    Then gaily enough they were dancing away,
    When the brave little flake found courage to say,

[Illustration]

    “There’s a beautiful
    Story, so I’ve been told,
        Very sweet, and tender,
            And true, and old,
                About a star,

    And the wonderful birth,
        Long ago, of a Christ-Child
            On the earth;
                And now, every year
                    At a certain time

    The bells everywhere
        Ring out their chime,
            And children gather
                From near and from far,
                    To sing of that wonderful
                        Child, and the Star.

    And oh, beautiful flakes,
      The time now draws near;
    But alas, see the earth,
      How dark and how drear!
    And on Christmas morning,
      Why, do you not know,
    The earth must be covered
      All over with snow?”
    Then the little flake said,
      With a brave bright air,
    “I’m
        going
            to
              get
                  ready
                      and
                          go
                            down
                                there!”

[Illustration: “I’m so glad!”]

    And then looking down
      On the dark dreary space,
    The lovely flakes said,
      “But in such a big place,
    Why, whatever could one
      Tiny snowflake do?
    Such a wee little
      Delicate bit like you,
    You just wait half a minute
      And we’ll go too!”

    So they hurried, and skurried,
      And flew around,
    And told every snowflake
      That could be found;
    They waltzed ’round in circles,
      They danced on tip toe,
    They could not hold still
      Getting ready to go.

[Illustration]

    And at last they came
      Flying, fluttering down,
    All white in the city,
      All white in the town.
    They draped every steeple
      And tower in sight,
    They dressed all the trees
      Against Christmas night,
    And then covered the ground
      All over with white.

    They hung to the shutters,
      They clung to the doors,
    They went with the customers
      Into the stores.
    They tapped on the windows
      And peeped thro’ the pane,
    Then in a twinkling
      They vanished again.
    And they found everywhere,
      With merry delight,
    The world getting ready
      To keep Christmas night.

    Now good Mother Snowbank
      Up there in the sky,
    Had dropped into a doze
      As the hours slipped by;

    She awoke with a start,
      And looking around,
    Not one of her snowflakes
      Was anywhere found.

          She tip toed
    In here,
          And she tip toed
                    Out there,

    She turned the clouds over
      With greatest of care,
    Not a sign of a snowflake
      Was seen anywhere.

[Illustration: Going to find Santa]

    Then she puffed out her cheeks
      And began to blow;
    She whistled up high,
      And she whistled down low;
    And she blew, till the tree tops
      Went to and fro.

    She whistled and blew
      Till the air was clear,
    But the snowflakes pretended
      They did not hear,

    And each nestled down
      In its chosen retreat,
    To wait for the click
      Of the reindeer’s feet.

    So good Mother Snowbank
      Up there in the sky,
    Just drew in her breath
      With a long drawn sigh—

    Then, she suddenly tore
      A small cloud in two,
    And in the queer fashion
      That some people do,

    She made her a night cap
      To put on her head,
    Then shook up her pillows
      And went off to bed.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

    ’Way off up in Northland,
      His hand to his eyes,
    In his door stood Santa Claus
      Scanning the skies;

    He saw Mother Snowbank
      Go off in a huff,
    And he knew where the snowflakes
      Were well enough;

    For he shook his head,
      And he laughed “Ho, ho, ho!
    Tell me of a Christmas
      Without any snow,
    It’s time I was getting
      Things ready to go!”

    He harnessed his reindeer
      So nimble and fleet,
    The snow would not feel
      The light touch of their feet;
    He loaded his sleigh
      Full of everything nice,
    Then jumped in himself,
      And was off in a trice—

    When the reindeer snorted,
      And stamped their small hoofs,
    People thought ’twas the wind,
      And the snow on the roofs;
    So all unmolested
      He worked with his might,
    And was ready for home
      Long before daylight.

[Illustration: The reindeer at home

_By permission of the Berlin Photographic Co._]

    Then fainter,
                  and fainter,
                                And farther away,

    Came the
            Ting-a-ling-ling,
                        From the vanishing sleigh.

    Back, over the snow
              It flew like the wind,
                        And never once stopping,
                              Or looking behind,

    Old Santa rode on,
                    Till he reached
                                  His own door,

    Just where
            He had loaded,
                          A short time before.

[Illustration]

          Then
    Over the mountains,
    And over the dells,
          The world
        Set to ringing,
          With sweet
      Christmas bells;
          And gifts
      And kind wishes,
          Went flying around,
        As fast as the flakes
      When they fell
      To the ground.

    And the good little flake
          That up in the sky,
                Had looked on the earth
                      With a tear in its eye,

    At sound of the bells
          Fairly shown with delight,
                For Christmas had come,
                      And the world was in white,

    And Santa had been
          At the dead of the night,
                In his reindeer sleigh,
                      And was safe out of sight.

[Illustration]

        And the dear little ones
        Whose eyes were so wet,
        Knew now, the snowflakes
            Did not forget;
            For over the earth
    They were spread far and wide,
        In a beautiful robe
    For the glad Christmas tide—
    While down to the wondering
          World from above,
    Came the spirit of Peace,
          Of Goodwill, and Love.

[Illustration]