The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-05-23

When 1 was boy we lived in the
country, where 1 think all boys ought
to live for few years, and we didn't get
coddled as you youngsters do, nor have
so many things to play, 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, riding, fishing, hunting and
trapping. Aud in the spring we al.
ways had a special clark when they
made maple sugar.
Father used to let us 60 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 il on the snow to see
if it was done.
But the sugaripg off" 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.
Aud 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 a long
while after father wondered how we
could hold so much.
Well, one time, when we were abort
twelve or fourteen years old, we thought
the sugar would taste much sweeter if
we could get it 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 to 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 of sirup
waiting to be "sugared off" down in
our bush, and we though1 we'd steal a
march on 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 back by nine o'clock.
VO caW unO OONS, III WAS IN
the lane leading to the woods, where
they were waiting, whist as mice. 1t
was growing dark fast, and we cut for
the woods as fast as we could go.
There was big bed of Goals snugly
covered with ashes. and we soon had it
raked out, put new wood on, and made
blazing fire. Then we all took hold
of the long pole and swung the big
kettle over it. How to 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 it was dark as pocket.
The fire lighted up the woods for little
ways, but it seemed all the blacker in
the shadows beyond. 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 clearing, looked like
big, black giants. and there wasn't much
fun in our laughs as we watched them. One
of the littlest boys vowed he saw some
thing hiding behind a 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: "It
hairs lit must be done Who'll try it
first ?"
"Who whe!" said q loud voice out
in the darkness of the woods.
Every boy started up as if panther
had come upon us. Jim dropped his
stirring stick into the fire. Harry timed
o'er the pans of snow on the bench.
Charlie stumbled over a root and fell
head first into a sap-bucket; and then
we all held our breaths and hardened.
"Who2 who ?" said the voice again,
loud and solemn.
"Who are you, your own self ?"
shouted Frank, the boldest boy in the
party and what-r-ye doing in this
sugar bush this time Of night r.
No answer came.