Page:The Garden of Years.djvu/94

 Harlequin

And, when the world was silver-girt with garland and fes- toon,

He drew the cloudy curtain that had lain across the moon,

And his wand awoke the wonders of his dazzling distant clime,

When the Frost King gave the signal for the Christmas pantomime !

Then around the benches, crowded with the audience of

earth, Ran the sound of hands applauding, and of little people's

mirth,

And the air was full of savors such as only Christmas knows, When the ruddy cottage windows cast their roses on the

snows : And the Fire-God cracked the drift-wood 'twixt his fingers

and his thumbs, And the merry pop-corn answered like the roll of little

drums, While the snow-clad belfries wakened, and the midnight

heard their chime,

As the Frost King gave the signal for the Christmas panto- mime!

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