The author reflects on his youth, expressing a sense of nostalgia and loss. He compares his memories to fleeting, pale fragments that resemble used tissue paper whisked away by a train's movement. This imagery emphasizes the transitory nature of time and how quickly it passes, leaving behind only remnants of experiences. The chaotic whirling of tissue paper serves as a metaphor for the disarray of his recollections.

Through this quote, Nabokov captures the essence of looking back at one's life, highlighting both the beauty and the melancholy associated with such reflections. The use of delicate imagery suggests a longing for the simplicity of youth while acknowledging that those days are now just distant memories, easily lost in the passage of time. The comparison to a snowstorm adds a layer of inevitability, reminding us that time continues to move forward, regardless of our desire to hold onto the past.