Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-09-11
Che family Circle.


OuShi-DViliuS oCIdpts
When was boy we lived in the coun-
try, where think all boys ought to live
for a 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, ridirfg, fishing, hunt
ing and trapping. And in the spring we
always had special !" lark 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 OF
throw in a piece of pork or some cold sap
to keep it from boiling over. l can almost
smell the sweet steam now, and see the
little pieces of pork bobbing around in the
kettle, and remember how my eyes water
ed when the smoke blew in them, and how
good the first taste of the sugar was wher
they began to cool it on snow to see if il
was done.
But the sugaring off" was the greatest
fun. When the sap was boiled down into
clear. sweet syrup, thew would put four OF
five pailfuls in the kettle and cook il slow
ly and carefully till it was done enough to
"cake into sugar. And then we would
wax some on snow, and stir some in sau
GERS until it cooled, and eat it warm anc
cold until we couldn't hold any more-an'
\ long while after father wondered how
we could hold so much.
Well, one time, when we were abou
twelve or fourteen years old, we though
the sugar would taste COOL deal sweetel
if we could get it in some sly and mis-
chievous way. That's the way with foolisf
boys and men in other things. Stoler
sweets make half the trouble in this
world. And so we went around to halfa
dozen of the neighbors' boys. asking them
to a sugar bee in our woods the mex
night, but telling them not to let anybody
know it. We knew there was Il churr
full and two jugs Of syrup waiting to be
sugared off" down in our bush, AMI VT
thought we'd steal a march on the men
and show 'em trick or two. So after
the chores we're done, we asked mother il
we could go and see the boys, and she saic
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 waiting, whist as mice. 1t was
growing dark fast, and we cut for the
woods rs fast rs we could go. There was
big bed Of Goals, snugly covered witt
ashes, and we soon had it raked out pat
new wood on, and mlde II blazing fire
| Then we all took hold of the long por
and swung the big kettle over it. How to
get the syrup in was the next question, AS
we couldn't lift the big jugs up. But
found the dipper, and we dipped it out oil
the churn used to store it in. until there
was pailful or more in the kettle, and il
began to boil up. is yellow and sweet rs
could be.
BY this time it WAS dark rs pocket
The fire lighted up the woods for little
ways, but it seemed all the blacker in tn,
shadows beyond. We had never been ou
alone before, and the strange stiffness be-
gan to make us feel very queerly. Oul
shadow, thrown by the freight across the
little clearing. looked like big, black 81
ants. and there wasn't much fun in ou
laughs as we watched them. One of thu
little boys vowed he saw somebody hiding
behind tree, and another thought h'
heard some animal stepping in the brusl
little ways off. You see we knew W,
weren't doing right, and that makes boy
and men, too-uneasy.
i But we kept close to the fire, and talke'
rs bravely AS we could, until the boy WHIT
was stirring the sugar said: 1t hairs ii
must be done! Who'll try it first?
Who! Who! said loud voice out in tn
darkness of the woods.
Every boy started up as if panthe
had come upon US. Jim dropped his stir
ring-stick into the fire. Harry tipped owe
the pans of snow on the bench. Charli
stumbled over II root and fell head frs
into sap bucket and then we all bel,
our breath and hardened.
Who Who! said the voice again, lou
, and solemn.
> Who are you, your own self? shoute
Frank, the boldest boy in the party-an
what-r-ye doing in this sugar bush, thi
time of nightP
No answer came.
Let's smoke him cut! said Frank, grab
, bling blazing stick from the fire and start
ing for the brush, using it as torch. H
hadn't gone many yards before grea
white owl flew from its perch in a tire
, calling who who-o o! to- whit to- who.o!
And then we all laughed at our scare
and turned TO the sugar just as dreadfu
smoke and smell began to come out of tn
kettle. While we had been owing it tn
sugar had burned!
: We had Just got the kettle swung o.
| from the fire when another voice sounde
) close behind u.s. and this time it wasn't II
: owl, but father himself. who had seen tn
, light of the fire, and come down 10 fin
: out what it all meant.
D So, SO, he said, very industrious boys,
. see!-lke to work nights! Well, we can
, have anything wasted. You can just g
at thai beautiful sugar you have made an
q eat it up. And he was II ulan that NEAR
t business, and no fooling when he spoke.
: Well, VIC tried it on snow, and tried
o warm but couldn't tell which way it tas
S ed the worse. Burnt sugar is about tn
g bitterest stuff ever got hold of, and
n few mouthfuls of it were enough to set I
4 all to begging. Father let us up on II
+ eating, but made us scrape and wash tt
/ kettle and dishes. and bank up the fiji
e again And then he put me ahead. an
o made Will take hold Of my coat-tail an
O the next boy hold of Wills and so ON
e the end, and marched Us all single ii
@ through the woods up to the house, ~ 81;
Vt Cling, but rather shecpiSh procession
v Mother said she didn't think we were
]. very happy looking sci for boys who hi
d been off for such sweet time; and-we
IS we didn't do any more sly sugaring {
v after that. There didn't seem to be mut
i fun in 1t you know.
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