The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-10-09
WASHINGTON, ID. c.
For the National Era.
uJ-STARRED- PART NINTH.
BY PATTY LEE.

The winter was almost gone faches Vi
snow Law on the northern slopes OF the hiiis :
the moss about the roots of the trees began 10
grow green again the buds were swelling IN
the lilacs, and the little birds picking up sticks
and gathering shreds Of wool from the bf'er
vines, which were reddening more every Gay,
to build new, nests or repair the old ones; ana
as the village maid sits spinning the FAX by the
window, she sings:
March is piping SPRING. sweet praises,
Night by night the new moon fills,
Soon the goden-hearted daisies
viii be ever all the hills
Mr. Clayerel has already laid by the coat for
the coming summer, and, with the white sleeves
roIled hack from the red ones, is busily at work
in the sugar camp. A rudely-built stone arch
stands lust in the edge of hill thickly wooded
with maples. and great fire is blazing under
the half dozen black kettles of huge dimensions:
and filed with the sap of the aforesaid naples.
lets of red flame issue from the chimney and
clouds of white vdpor rise from the boiling
water, and blow away toward the south
Fronting the furnaces is d Tadely-eonssr',esed
cabin, of which the side next the fire is entirely
open 1t is nicely carpeted with fresh straw,
and furnished with wooden bench and pail
of sugar water" From the buckeye logs of
which the hut is composed, fresh twigs are
sprouting. How vigorous and thrifty they
look but they can't live long-a part of the
summer, perhaps-for the principle that sus-
tains them must dry away, and the young plants
wilt Made fast in creyice of the wall are
two of the late Republicans so that when Mr..
Claverel sits down to rest he may be reading
little too. Over haste is over waste, is one Of
his maxims, and his hard labor is tempered oc-
casionally with little respite; and in this way
,Ioco br,n for
the next Presidency, whose principles We're most
in accordance with his own, how to keep flies
from plaguing cattle, descriptions Of the last
newly-invented plough, with now and then a
recipe for the certain cure of the rheumatism
though these last Mr. Claverel always protested
were humbugs enlarging at the same time ON
the wonderful virtues of red flannel both as O
preventive and cure All these things he learn
ed, and great many more, that his neighbors
who did not read the Republican never knew
anything about.
From deep and dark hollow away in the
thick woods rung the axe strokes of David and
Oliver for they had gathered their books to-
gether ten days before the rewards of merit
we're distributed, and heaped them in the old
closet again for six months rest. David had
been particularly sorry for this, inasmuch as the
master often selected him to choose sides" be-
sides pointing the younger scholars to him as a
worthy example of steady and patient perseve-
rance Certainly his hopes of carrying off the
first honor were not without foundation; never
theless when his father said, al think boys,
tomorrow will be good sugar day. and, if I
could only have you to help we might get
nicely under way" it required that he should
say no more A little sadly, it is true, David
went to the barn and twisted string of unspun
flax, which he managed to do with his fingers
and teeth, musng the while whether John Hart
or Abner Belts would get the first prize, He
said nothing of his reluctance to leave school,
however-nothing of his intention to leave, but
at night when he returned home he brought
his books with him, tied together with the flaxen
string.
Every one said "David is good boy" but
every one expected him to be Just as patient
and industrious and mild-tempered as he
was so that he received less credit perhaps
than he would have had for an occasional good
act. Even the heart of his mother remembered
Richard first
Carlo, the house-dog, enjoyed the sugar
making vastly, and went rambling up and
down the woods now starting a rabbit from its
burrow of leaves, and now barking at the foot
OF some tree from the safe top of which spur
rel is peepng down. Sometimes Martha and
Jane are his companions and sometimes they
wander off by themselves, gathering curious
stones or stripping the moss-golden and green,
and brown-from the decayed logs which lay
about the woods; and digging roots with bits of
sticks which they tie in punches with grass,
and call radshes, parsnips &C.. the while Carlo
lies sobery before the fire. with his nose close to
the ground, watching the jets of fame and the
white vapor as it blows away on the wind, that
is sometimes winter chill, and sometimes soft
and bland as April
From the top Of the dead tree in the meadow
the crow calls all day long; and the rivulets
swollen with recent rains, babble noisily from
the hollows where the violets are sporting with
their circular and notched leaves, from which
no blue flower is peering yet There, too, the
spotted leaves of the adders tongue are thick,
and the pale pink shoots Of the mandrake are
beginning to push aside the leaves. Soon the
daisies will spot the southern slopes, and the
daffodils and7spurple flags bloom flauntingly
beneath the homestead windows.
The brown tops of the distant woods are all
a-glow-for the suns going down-the waters
are flashing, and the ragged shadows growing
longer Martha and Jane and Carlo linger vet
in the woods, and the ringing strokes of the
axes sound yet from the hollow and are echoed
back from the distant hill Mr. Clavsre after
heaping the furnace with great logs of hickory
with shelving bark, and heart so hard and red
and tasting the syrup to nee how sweet il is
getting walks slowly homeward little bent
for he is tired-and with his hands crossed be-
hind him, for he is thoughtful. The ground,
which the thaw has made very soft during, the
day, stiffens as the sun goes down, and NE
nears his home, grows quite hard-so hard that
ITS surface is not broken by the heifer that runs
along the lane to meet him, thinking, perhaps,
he has an ear Of corn for her. But no--he
does not stop to pat her glossy BACK, or say,
Get out of my path, Bossy ? y ara lashing
her sides with her tail, she strf H1s her head
and neck to their full extent elI1 lows to some
nelghboring fellow across tbeSAk
Mrs Clayerel stands Mt the door with n bowl
I,yellow butter in her hand, which she has just
aken from the churn She is tired too but
,ne SMILES cheerfulIy---for she is never too tired
Snlle--and says, looking towards the sun
A. 1 think, Sammy, we shall have a pleasant
Jay Tor our visit tomorrow
The evening rcd, the morning gray
~ sure sign Of fair day"
s piled MIR Claverel and taking up neatly
ranged parcel from chair, he seated himself,
asking what it was.
E.. yut what he might have known it was--a
s" luz present for Richard; some warm woollen
new handkerchief and cravat, with two
IN Inree shirts which nobody could make SO
wen as his mother.
Really, Dolly, you are always doing some
30 Thing and this time am glad to know
Mchard deserves your kindsess ! guosa, how
ss'e,l ne 10 successful more by hit than good wit,
~ Me- @c was as never the boy 70 work and wait"
continued ~'~''''-