Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-05-04
A Susar.BOilinr Scrana

Nhen l was boy we lived in the country
where think all boys ought to live for a few
years. and we didn't get coddled as you Young
SterS do, nor have so many things to PLAY with,
nor such schools, and books; and other helps
plenty of good times in cOasting skating, rid.
ing, fishing, hunting and trapping. Aud in
the spring We always had a 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 a piece
OF pork, or some cold sap, to keep it from boil
ing over. l 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 SugarwaS
when they began to cool it on the snow to see
But the "sugaring off" was the greatest
fun. When the sap was boiled down into
clear, sweet syrup, they would put four or fl We
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 it warm and cold until we couldn't eat
any more,-and 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 mlSchievOuS way That's the way
with foolish boys. and men in other things
Stolen sweets make half the trouble of the
Il
dozen of the neighbOrs' boys, asking them to
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 lug,
of syrup waiting to be "Sugared off = down in
our bush, and we thought we'd steal march
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
IISf u mia If
and We cut for 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 Wool 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
clipper, and we dipped it out of the churn used
To store it in. until there was a paiful or more
In the Kettle, and 1t began to boil up,aS yellow
and sweet as could be.
BY this time Ii was dark as a pocket The
fire iightt u the woods for a Ii tie WAYS hui
it 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
ilke big, black giants, and there wasn't mu ch
lHn IL, IN our laughs as we watched them One
OF the littlest boys vowed he saw somebody
hiding behind a tree, and anO her though; he
neard some animal stepping in the brush
little Way off You see we knew we weren't
III.
tOO-Very uneasy.
But We kept close to the fire, and talked as
p!avely as we could; until the boy who was
done: Who'll try it tirst?''
Who. Who said loud voice out in the
darkness of the woods.
Every boy started up as if panther had
come upon us. Jim dropped his s5irring-stick
| INTO The ire. Harry tipped over the pans of
snow on the beach. Charley stumbled over a
roof ana Tell bead first into a sap bucket
nIIr hral fhS nd hnr IL
ened
Who? Who" said the voice again, loud
and solemn.
"Who are YOU, your own self?' shouted
| Frank, the bOlieSt boy i'm the party and
what,rye doing in this sugar bush, this time
Lets smoke him out said Frank grab
bling blazing stick from the fire ana starting
Ioa Dru S 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 SIN ok e
and smell began to come out OF the kettle.
Whlle we had been lowing it, the sugar had
We had just got the kettle swung off from
the fire when another voice sounded close b.
hlnd us: and this time it wasn't an owl but
| father himself, who had seen the light of the
hre, and come down to find out what it ali
! meant.
so 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 business,
and no fOOling, when he spoke.
Wen, we tried it on snow, and tried it warm,
but couldn't tell which wayit tasted the worst.
Burnt sugar is about the bitterest stuff ever
| got hold OF, and few mouthfuls of it was
enough to set us AL to begging. Father let up
on the eating, but made US scrape and wash
| the Kettle and dishes, and bank I'D the fire
again. And then he put me ahead and made
VIII take hold OF my coat tail and the next boy
! hold OF Willis, and so on to the end, and
marched us all single file through the woods
| iSh procession.
| Mother said she didn't think we were very
| happy looking set of boys who had been OF for
any more sly sugaring off after that. There
didn't seem to be much finn I'M IL vnu !. na.,