Preface
To the memory
of
Mary and Willie
The baby sister
And the little brother
Who went away one
Christmas
Many years ago
Page 1
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 childrens' 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?
Page 2
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,
Page 3
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.
Page 4
 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!'
Page 7
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 to !" 
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.
Page 8
And at last they came .
Flying, fluttering down,
All white in the city,
All white iVthe town. 
They draped every steeple
And tower in sight,.
They dressed all the trees
Against^Chrisfmas'night,

And then covered the ground 
All over with white.
Page 9
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'rdady . 
To keep CKristmas night. 
Page 10
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.
Page 13
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.
Page 14
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.
Page 15
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!"
Page 16
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.
Page 19
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.
Page 20
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.
Page 21
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 shone 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.
Page 22
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.

The End