THE THREE SNOWFLAKESTHE THREE SNOWFLAKES
THE THREE SNOWFLAKES
THE THREE SNOWFLAKES
Once upon a time there were three snowflakes, and they were called Faith, Hope, and Charity. When I say three snowflakes, I don’t quite mean that, but three little girls dressed in white, and looking like snow Princesses as they trudged along across the white covered country.
They were the Earl’s daughters, and, as I have just said, their names were Faith, Hope, and Charity. I wonder what the Earl would have called a fourth daughter, supposing he had had one.
The three snowflakes lived at the Castle, which was on a hillside, surrounded by a beautiful park, and overlooking the valley.
In the summer it was a lovely valley, with a river running through it, and beautiful green woods coming down to the edges of the water.
Now the winter had come it was all white, except the river, which looked grey in the distance. In one corner of the valley lay the village, and in the last cottage of the village there lived a little girl called Ruth.
Ruth was very poor, indeed, she was so poor that she possessed nothing.The tiny cottage she stood in had been rented by her grandmother, and now her grandmother was dead; the only relation she had left in the world had been taken from her.
There was not a crumb of bread in the cupboard, not a stick with which to make a fire, not a penny in the girl’spocket, so no wonder she stood looking out of the window with dismay in her face.
The window was a little open, and through the opening came three flakes of snow.
They fell upon the brick floor and melted slowly away.
Ruth shuddered; it was the first snow of the year, it might mean the beginning of a long, hard, cruel winter.
She shuddered again, and then of a sudden knelt on the brick floor andclasped her hands in prayer, and this showed she had Faith in her heart.
And as she prayed the sun broke through the snow clouds, and poured in through the window, and shone on the girl’s brown hair. She rose with a smile on her lips and a light dancing in her eyes, for there was Hope in her breast.
Ruth opened the window and took in the withered flowers on the sill.
“Poor flowers,” she said, “you will be warmer inside.”
Now this was Charity, for kindness is Charity, and we can be kind even to flowers.
Then, of a sudden, there came shouts of laughter from the lane without, and the sound of merry voices; the door of the cottage flew open, and in ran the Earl’s daughters, the three snowflakes.
“Oh, Ruth,” said Charity, “we have heard of your trouble, and our father has sent us to help you.”
And Charity kissed Ruth on the cheek.
“And you are to come and live in the lodge by the gates,” said Faith, putting her arms round the poor girl’s waist, and leading her to the door of the cottage.
“And you are to be happy the wholeyear long,” cried Hope, clapping her hands, and turning, she led the way, skipping and laughing, up the lane.
And so it happened that Ruth went and lived in the lodge of the great lord’s beautiful estate, and there she may be living, contented and happy, to this day.