The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-04-19
A Sugar Boiling Scrape.


When / was boy we lived in tie
country, where think all boys ought to
live for few years, and we cidn't get
coddled as you youngsters do, nor have
80 many things to play, nor such schools,
andsbooks, and other helps to learning
and fun, as you have. But we had
plenty of good times in coasting, skat-
ing, riding, fishing, hunting and trap
ping. And in the spring we always had
a special clark" 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 kettle
when the sap was boiling; so as to call
the men or throw in piece of pork, or
some cold sap, to keep it 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 snow to see if it was
done.
But the "sugaring off" was the great
Cbb lubs w iNh biO Sup wan bOlACo INV IL
into clear, sweet strip, they would put
four or five pailfuls in the kettle and
cook it slowly and carefully till it was
done enough to "cake int 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
hold any more-and long while after
father wondered how we could hold SO
much.
Well, one time, when we were about
II or IA years old, we thought the sugar
would taste good 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 dozen
of the neighbors' boys, asking them &c
sugar bee in our woods the next night
but telling them not to let anybody
know it. We knew there was churr
full and two big jugs of strip waiting
to be "sugared off" down in our bush
and we thought we'd steal march OF
the men, and show 'em 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 would be bacl
by o'clock
We "saw" the boys, but it was in the
lane leading to the woods, where they
were waiting, whist as mice. 1t wai
growing dark fast, and we cut for the
woods as fast as we could CO. There wal
big bed of Goals snuglY covered with
ashes, and we soon had it raked out, pu
new wood on, and made blazing fire
Then we all took hold of the long pol,
and swung the big kettle over it. How
to get the strip In was the next cues
ton, as we couldn't lift the big jugs up
But found the dipper, and we dipped
it out of the churn used to store it in
until there was pailful or more in tn,
kettle, and it began to boil up, as yellow
and sweet as could be.
But this time it was dark as a pocket
The fire lighted up the woods for it'll
ways, but it seemed all the blacker il
4 the shadows beyond. We had neve
been out alone before, and the strang
stiffness began to make us feel YER
queerly. Our shadows, thrown by tn
freight across the little clearing, locke,
like big, black giants, and there WASH
much fun in our laughs as we watche,
them. One of the littlest boys vowed h
saw something hiding behind tree. an,
another thought he heard some ANNA
steppingir the brush little WAYS of
You see we knew We weren't doing right
and that makes boys--and men, too
very uneasy. 1900 =, r.,-,, .--...
But we kept close to the, fire. an
talked as bravely as we could, until Tia
boy who was stirring the sugar said: .
hairsl--it must be done Who'll try
first ~ cas- -rt eric -
WHO whol' said loud voice OF
in the darkness OF the woods.
Every boy started up as if panth,
had come upon us. Jim dropped h
stirring-stick into the fire. Harr
tipped Ger the pans OF snow on IL
bench. Charlie stumbled over n TO,
and fell head first into sap-bucket: an
then we all held our breaths and harl
ened.
Who who T. said the voice agaiI
loud and solemn.