Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-05-04
A Sugar.Boiling ScraDe

A Sugar-BOiling Scrape.
When ! was boy We lived in the country
where think all boys ought to live for a few
years, and we didn't get codded as You young
sters do, nor have so many things to play with.
nor such schools, and books, and other helps
to learning and fun. as you have. But We had
plenty Of good times in coaSting, skating rid
ing, fishing, hunting and trapping. Aud in
the spring We always had special lark
when they made maple sugar.
=, Father used to let us go to the woods with
the men when we were quite little shaverS.
and we would bring dry brush for the fire. and
watch the big kettles when the sap was boil
ing, SO as to call the men or throw in piece
of pork, or some cold sap, to keep it from boil
ing over. can almost smell the sweet steam
now, and see the little pieces of pork bobbIing
around in the kettle, and remember how my
and how good the first taste Of the Sugarwas
when they began to cool it on the snow to see
if it was done.
But the "sugaring off was the greatest
fun. When the sap was boiled down into
clear, sweet syrup, they would put four or i've
pailfnlS IN IN the e kettle and cook it slowly and
into sugar. And then we would wax some on
snow, and stir some in Saucers until il cooled
and eat it warm and cold until We couldn't eat
any more,-and a long while after father Won
dered how we could eat so much.
Well one time, when we were about II or Ii
years old, We thought the sugar would taste a
great deal sweeter If we could get it in some
sly and mischievous 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
a sugar bee in our woods the next night, but
telling them not to let anybody know it. We
knew there was churn full and two big jugs
shrnR WadIHg to DE OF in
on the men, and show em trick or two. So
after the chores We're done. we asked mother
if we could go and see the boys, and she said
yes. If we would be back by nine O'clock
We saw the boys, but it was in the lane
leading to the woods. where they were wait
ing, whist as mice. 1t was growing dark fast
ard we cut Tor the woods as fast as We could
go. There was big bed of Goals snugly COW
cred 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 1t. How to get
the syrup in was the next question: as we
couldn't lift the big Jugs up. But found the
to store it in, until there was paiful OF more
| in the kettle, and it began to boil upaS yellow
and sweet as could be.
BY this time it was dark as a pocket The
fire lightt ~ the woods for a ii tie ways but
1t seemed all the blacker in the shadows be-
yOnd. We had never been out alone before
and the strange stiffness began to make us
feel very queerly. Our shadows, thrown by
the freight across the little clearing looked
like big, black giants, and there wasn't mu .h
lun In our laughs as we watched them. One
hiding behind tree, and anO her though; he
| heard some animal stepping in the brush a
little Way off. You see we knew we weren't
dong right, and that makes boys-and men,
But We kept close to the fire. and talked as
| brayely as we could, until the boy who was
S Sara We sug gar sad hairst must be
Who! Who!'' said loud voice out in the
| darkness of the woods.
Eye Every boy started up as if panther had
| come upon us. Jim dropped his stirring stick
into the fire: Harry tipped over the pans of
snow on the beach. Charley stumbled over a
| root and fell head first into sap bucket
and then we all held our breaths and heark-
| ened.
Who? Who!' said the voice again, loud
| and solemn.
| Frank, the buldeSt boy in the party" and
What-r.ye doing in this sugar bush, this time
| of night?'
Lets smoke him out said Frank, grab
bling blazing stick from the ire and starting
Tor brush, using it as torch. He hadn't gone
many yards before great white owl flew
90! TO-Whit to who-o!''
And then we all laughed at our scare, and
turned to the sugar just as dreadful smoke
ana smell began to come out OF the kettle
While we had been lowing it, the sugar had
We had Just got the kettle swung off from
the hre when another voice sounded close BE-
mind us: and this time it wasn't an owl, but
father himself, who had seen the light of the
hle, and come down to find out what it all
|
$50 So" he said, very industrious boys, l
see!-like to work nights! Well we can't
have anything wasted. You can Just 20 at
that beautiful sugar you have made and eat it
up And he was man that meant busin esS
and no fOoling when he spoke.
wen, we trled 1t on snow, and tried it warm
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 us scrape and wash
the kettle and dishes, and bank up the fire
again. And then he put me ahead, and made
viii take hold of my cOat-t and the next bow
hold of Willis, and so on to the end, and
marched us all single file through the woods
up TO the house, giggling but rather sheep
| iSh procession.
Mother said she didn't think we were very
happy looking set of boys who had been of for
SUCH a sweet time; and,-well, We didn't do
any more sly sugaring off after that There
didn't seem to be much fun in it, you know
| Golden Rule.
s'POpular'' Music