'Murphy'

Book Excerpt: ...cloudless morning, as the stars faded out, and the pale sun lit up a world that was now pure white. Snow lay everywhere to the depth of three inches--not more--for it had spread itself evenly in the stillness, and covered the ground, and the roofs, and the barges that had come with the grain, making everything look strange, even to the waters that were licking the banks, and that somehow or other had turned the colour of green bottle-glass.Then, by-and-by, came the Over-Lord, and called this name and that; and the last that he called was "Murphy."Here were games indeed Here was something new to play with; to be skipped and rolled and gambolled in to heart's content; to be even bitten at, and swallowed till forbidden. Why, this new material that the younger ones had never seen before called even the limpest to forget his limpness, as though new blood flowed in his veins and he were endowed with a new life They were soon out of the yard, and away down the lane. And then the Over-Lord tu...