A New-Year’s Lesson

The house was little and low and old, But the logs on the hearth burned bright, And two little girls with locks of gold Were playing in the light; And their hearts were glad and their laughter gay, For the morrow would bring the New-Year’s day.

The house was little, the house was low; But cheerily shone the light Out of the window and over the snow (For the ground with snow was white), Cheerily shimmered and shone about, As if there were fire within and without.

An ancient, gnarled, and knotty tree Hung all about the eaves; So the little house just seemed to be A bird’s-nest in the leaves; And the little girls, in homespun dressed, Just like the nestlings of the nest.

And still as the wind with sharp teeth snapped A leaflet sere and brown, Right merrily their hands they clapped To see it sliding down, Past the firelight’s ruddy glow, To the fire that seemed to be in the snow.

“O mother, mother!” they cried with a will, Their cheeks to the window pressed, And peeping shyly over the sill, Like birdlings over the nest, “See how it flutters and flies about; It thinks there is fire in the snow, no doubt.”

And then they laugh and shout with glee, And tell how wild it whirls, And call it crazy as it can be, “You foolish little girls!” The mother sadly and sweetly said, Laying a hand on each golden head:—

“Suppose that leaf a crazy thing, My darlings; even suppose It thought the firelight glimmering Out there upon the snows, The same as the fire upon the hearth, Why, that were not a cause for mirth!”

And then she says, as pearl on pearl Her pale cheek trickles down: “It makes me think of the beggar-girl We saw in the streets of the town; Her hand as little and brown as a leaf,— Just such a picture of houseless grief.

“By some sharp breath of fortune whirled Away from her mother’s knee, She is left to flutter about the world, The same as the leaf of a tree; No roof for her, my dears, you know, Nor fire, except the fire in the snow.

“In her poor hand, so brown and cold, No New-Year’s gift will shine.” Dropped low was each shining head of gold. “I wish I could give her mine!” Cry both little girls, as they see the glow Of their New-Year’s fire outside in the snow.