The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-05-18
A SUGAR CAMP IDYL.
How Catamount Helped in Win
ming a Bride.

empty Hall KEY lHJO place DelOre Une
blazing fire of pine and beech that
glowed under the sap pans.
1t was Fast day morning, and sap
must be boiled on these days as well as
on any other day when sap will run.
The Sunday question is poser to many
a conscientious church goer when the
spring sunshine fills the veins of the
sugar naples.
You wouldn't s'pose we had cata-
mounts here in these woods, would
you?" ..
No, should hope not"
care there any catamounts prowling
around at this season of the year?"
asked. And the great trees seemed to
me to bend their leafess twigs in the
breeze as if the very question startled
them. How still they stood in the
lovely air! "Now, you city Teller, you
needn't get your heart in your throat.
'Tain't very often that we see them.
Besides, you are 'spected to spend the
night with me boilin', and you do not
want to get yourself so you can't sleep
on the soft side of d pine board and
good buffalo and sheepskin robe by
and by"
go on, sit down beside me and let
us have your wild beast tragedy, within
five hours ride of Boston, if you have
got one"
You probably remember the old red
school-house az you come over the
brow of the hill. Well, it was two
winters ago that one of the sweetest
OF all girls kept school over there.
Her father was q soldier, and major of
one OF our regiments, and my father
and Joe were with him in the war.
He died, and she had to go and keep
school for living. ell, she kept our
school. Call her Lizzie Brown, though
that amt her NAME" and the big fell
low laughed in his sleeve as he spoke
with q sort of cleaning pleasure at
the mere hint of what her real name
might now be. My sensibilities were
too near frozen, or l might have seon
through a ladder at that moment, to
have guessed what her name really
was now. Lin sat pensive for mo-
ment, then l said:
''Well, she kept the SCHOOL,"
''Yes, God bless her. 1t was the first
winter | was out. run the farm, fOd-
dered and snow-plowed, and helped
father all that winter he was sick. |
began to feel myself man. | wished
Ihad Il farm of my own and was settled
down on it. At any rate, l knew l
would have no more schoolin', and l
worked hard all that winter"
.'And you took Miss Brown sleigh
riding frequently, l have no doubt,
with that smart colt of yours, and that
fine Portland sleigh. Perhaps that
was better than sitting on the back
seats over arithmetic with her to help
you"
well, now, you hold on: am tcllin'
this story. As Twas sayin', was out
OF school," and he marked all around
with his big cowhide boots in the saw
dust in front of him thoughtfully
moment, and then went on. ut was
about the first of April. when the sap
began to run, and that was about the
time that the folks in our district were
havin' a spellin' match with the dees-
trict folks over on Knobb's Hill. Miss
Brown was very anxious that our school
should come out ahead and she made
great preparations. She kept the boys
and girls after hours to train them, and
they all loved her well enough to stay.
l told her to always let me know when
she was kept late, because l wanted to
come over with my mare, that sorrel,
you know. that l showed you standing
in the further stall, and my new sleigh.
Yes, you were right. 1t was Port
land sleigh, and father said | was a
fool for buying it, but didn't think so.
didn't want Jim Southworth to come
around with his colt after her, seeP
Speaking of catamounts. knew that
wasn't the worst, for had seen tracks
of bears in the mountains when we had
light sugar snow. No doubt the var
minis came over from Canada. Bears
arc nothing in these parts. We don't
mind them in the summer, but in spring
all this sort of critter gets hungry and
live on sheep or any thing they can
get. Now, you wouldn't believe it so
near to Boston, would you? You would
not believe that right here in this sugar
camp that had my dog Snip tied one
night when went down home, because
there wasn't any sap that day. and 1
had nothing to boil. When l came
back in the morning, there was
the chain, but no Snip. Well.
along the very day of the spellin'
match was to come off l had a
sort of gatherin' to put in over near
the school house. The sun was shinin'
and VIC had lot of new tin buckets
and they cleaned from the trees so
that they made the hillside look like a
great silver mine. l felt pretty good.