Of ice, frost, and snow, on his jolly old back,

And hies to the mountain, but leaves in his stead

The Goddess of Love, with the blossom-crowned head;

And a breath that is filled with the nectar and dew,

She stole from the heart of the violet blue;

A voice—O, the music that swells on the air

From fresh-budding woodland, from hedge,—everywhere,

Caressed by the sunlight and bathed by the showers,

She walks on a carpet of mosses and flowers.

Again comes the pessimist, grumpy and grim,