When Winter Comes…

Article from the September 7, 1929 Weekly Hilltop Magazine printed for Poland Spring Hotels.

As we sit here gazing out the window, we beheld the first leaf floating to earth in those melancholy whorls of flight so distinctive of the leaf that falls from the nip of autumn frost. It was the first palpable harbinger of fall, and it set our mind conjuring the picture of the landscape three or four months from now.

The naked arms of the elms and oaks will be silhouetted like grotesque suppliants against a cold gray or glittering blue sky. The rolling country-side, clothed in the warm luxuriance of leaves, will be denuded and as far as the eye can reach snow will blanket the fields, will lie in drifts in the recesses of the forest, and at the horizon’s edge, blue mists will swallow up the distance.

To many the season holds a charm unexcelled by any other; to many it suggests a state of suspended activity and unpleasant imprisonment; to others it spells the most complete and joyous liberty.

To the Mansion House it is the beginning of a frolic unexceeded by that of any season. In great numbers the young people come here to partake of the opportunities offered for winter sport.

The elevation and the innumerable hills make Poland a most attractive place for the skier. Toboggan slides have been constructed on both extremities of the Hill-Top and a breath-taking ride along the winding path through the woods is possible almost any day. During the holidays, the tired college boy and girl come to the Mansion House in great numbers, and during the Christmas vacation it has been customary to hold a hockey game on the ice rinks between two outstanding teams.

The dog racing sport has found a sort of Gibraltar at Poland. Two seasons of this Alaskan pastime and the activities of Mrs. E.P. Ricker Jr., have established this sport at the Hill-Top. It can be safely prophesied that when the southern beaches are covered with heat waves and brightly colored bathing suits the runners of the dog sleds will be creaking in the frosty powder of the snow, and the crack of the whip will sound loud in the razor-keen air of Poland. The social life at the Mansion House in the winter is particularly enjoyable, with the spirit of camaraderie heightened by the intimacy fostered upon the winter boarders by the occasional inclemency of the outdoors and the compensatory friendliness of the cozy lobby and parlor of the Mansion House.

In a touch of inclemency, in a hint of hardship we come nearer to the instinctive wells of life. Have you ever noticed the eyes of a fisherman? The most uneducated of them have a certain refinement. a certain sober intelligence in their deepest far-seeing eyes which can be gained only by living near to life. In both the rigor of the sea and of the winter wind there is this earth-given culture of the elements. Perhaps those who love the winter feel some of this power and want to embrace it.

If you enjoyed reading this article, stay tuned for more coming in the future!