The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-06-06

saEar-ReIIlBE srrape.
When | was a boy we lived in the
country, where | think all boys ought
to live for few years, and We didn get
coidled as YOU Youngsters do, nor have
so many things 10 play, nor such
schools, and books, and other helps 10
learning and fun, As you have. But We
had plenty Of good times in cuasting,
skating, riding, fishing. hunting and
trapping. And in the spring we al
WAYS had a special clark when they
made maple sugar.
Father used 70 let us 60 10 the woods
with the men when we were quite little
shavers, and we would bring dry brush
for the fire, and watch the big kettle
when the sap was boiling so as to call
the men or throw in a piece OF pork, or
some cold sap, to keep 1t from boiling
over. | can almost smell the sweet
steam now, and see the little pieces Of
pork bobbling around in the kettle, and
remember how my eyes watered when
the smoke blew in them, and how good
the first taste Of the sugar was when
they began To cool It on the snow 10 see
If il was done.
But the sugaring of was the
greatest fun. When the sap was boiled
down into clear, sweet sirup, they would
put four or five pailfuls in the kettle
and cook it slowly and carefully till It
was done enough to cake into sugar.
And then we would wax some on snow,
and stir some in saucers until it cooled,
and eat il warm and cold until we
couldn't hold any more-and a long
while after father wondered how we
could hold so much.
Well, one time, when we we're about
twelve or fourteen years old. we thought
the sugar wOuld taste much sweeter if
we could get II in some sly and mischie-
vous way. That's the way with foolish
boys and men in other things Stolen
sweets make half the trouble of the
world. And so we went around to half
a dozen Of the neighbors' boys, asking
them 10 a sugar bee IN our woods the
next night, but telling them not 10 let
ANYBODY know It. We knew there was
churn full and two big jugs of sirup
waiting 10 be "sugared of down IN
our bush, and we thought we'd steal q
march on the men, and show 'em a trick
or two. So, after the chores were done,
we asked mother if We could go and see
the boys, and she said yes, if we voCld
be back by nine o'clock.
We saw" the boys, but il was in
the lane leading to the woods. where
they we're waiting, whist as mice. 1t
was growing dark fast, and we cut for
the woods as fast as We could go.
There was a big bed of Goals snugly
covered with ashes. and we soon had IL
raked out, put new wood on, and made
a blazing fire. Then we all took hold
of the long pole and swung the big
kettle over It How 10 get the sirup
in was the next question, as We couldn't
lift the big jugs up. But l found the
dipper, and we dipped it out of the
churn used to store it in, until there
was pailful or more in the kettle, and
it began to boil up, as yellow and sweet
as could be.
But this time il was dark as q pocket.
The fire lighted up the woods for a little
ways, but it seemed all the blacker in
the shadows beyond. We had never
been ont alone before, and the strange
stiffness began 10 make us feel very
dueerly. Our shadows, thrown by the
freight across the clearing, looked like
big, black giants, and there wasn't much
fun in ourlaughsa as We watched them. One
of the littlest boys vowed he saw sOme-
thing hiding behind tree, and another
thought he heard some animal stepping
in the brush little ways off. You see we
knew we weren't doing right, and that
makes boys-and men, too-very un-
easy.
But we kept close to the fire, and
talked as bravely as we could, until the
boy who was stirring the sugar said: at
hairs lit must be done Who'll try it
first ?"
"Who whor' said a loud voice ont
in the darkness Of the woods.
Every boy started up as if a panther
had come upon. us. Jim dropped his
stirring-stick into the fire. Harry tipped
DER the pans of snow on the bench.
Charlie stumbled over a root and fell
bead first into a sap-bucket; and then
we all held our breaths and harkened.
"Who? who 2" said the voice again,
loud and solemn.
"Who are you, your own self 2
shouted Frank, the boldest boy IN the
party" aud what-r-ye doing in this
sugar bush this time of night ?"
No answer came.
"Let's smoke him out" said Frank
grabbing a blazing stick from the fire
and starting for the brush, using it as
torch. He hadn't gone many yards be-
fore a great white owl few from its
perch in a tree. calling "Who- who 90 I
To-whit-to- who-o
And then we all laughed at our scare,
and turned to the sugar just as a dread
ful smoke and smell began to come out
OF the kettle. While we had been "owl-
ing it " the sugar had burned
We had Just got the kettle swung of
from the fire when another voice sound
ed close behind us, and this time it
wasn't an owl, but father himself, who
had seen the light of the fire, and came
down to find out what it all meant.
$50, so, he said, every industrious
boys, / see like to work nights Well,
we can't have anything wasted. You can
Just go at that beautiful sugar you have
made and eat it up." And he was man
that meant business, and no fooling,
when he espoke.
Well, we tried it on snow, and tried
it warm, but couldn't tell which way it
tasted the worst. Burnt sugar is about
the bitterest stuff ever got hold of, and
few mouthfuls of it was enough to set
us all to begging. Father let up on the
eating, but made MS ecrape and wash
the kettles and dishes, and bank up the
fire again. And then he put me ahead,
and made VIII take hold of my coat-tail