The Babes in the Snow

Two little children seek their home
Within the folding hills ;
From yon far village school they come,
Blithe babbling like two rills.

Earth shines and sparkles to the sun,
Blue airs are keen and bright ;
The children's shadows while they run
Grow long behind their flight.

Now eddying snow-feathers fall;
The rosy children play
With flakes that soon will prove their pall,
Dark drifting o'er their way.

They flounder helpless in the snow,
Unheard their piteous cry.
Drowned in blasts that round them blow ;
No mother's help is nigh !

As robin buried under leaves
Lost babes within the wood,
Snowflake a winding sheet soft weaves
For these, the pure and good.

Now they are lying breast to breast,
Poor fluttered hearts are still ;
The babes arrived ; they found their rest
In Homes beyond the hill.