St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1895-03-29

THE sUGARIN' OFF

-, hardly ever think 1t, sir
ll. on this big city, now astir
TIA TIA, very lively rattlin' thing
Wltn,Iinetcenth Century thought TO pring,
Ihle, zoo rrnofs a.shuttin' out the SKY,
WIZ i.aoIIey.wagons skippin' by,
An, u IDS 'a.dodgin' here an there,
an W So,ts TO whisper through the air,
f to factories at the da Ss s CLEAN
A 'pI1dmh hardly ever think, say,
{ouasnnin' round the usual way,
A,rea11 ,nre instead o. things like these,
T hat a NICE, grove o. maple trees,
va a',,nder yon electric lamp,
~ 'erd TO run sugar-camp!
ne ;ust the coolest end O. spring,
- W. the trees begun to sing,
Beio, ,yinter still a-hangin' round,
WIZ nv vbc snow across the ground,
a. stii the sun upon It's way,
pu' YcIitnbin' higher every day.,
was . ~ the brooks appeared to know
Az al 9 1rost would have to let 'em go,
'S Mother Nature seemed about
~ axe a thurrer thawin out;
,T,,.os then we asked the Twin WOOD
~ ",Sys MS somethin' sweet an good
,..hon,some trees they used to rise
! !e tbey was huntin' for the skies
i ~ summer they would kind o seem
~ ~, ,vake an sleep. an sleep an dream;
TG.;r leaves was fresh as fields O. grass
tnr clouds to step on as they pass
r9L I'E IN their language soft an low,
49,, W seemed to W hisper to an froi
u.s. very sweetest wind that blew,
Al, every drop o. heavens dew,
AZ, every flower that blossomed near,
-, every bird a singin' here,
rSrough all the blessed summer, would
~. gether up what sweet they could,
d. n, then, it a1'ays 'peared to me,
resent ii to some maple tree!
orc starlit night it seems, you know,
ibout a year or two ago
p,,+ wher YOU come to count it square,
Tfs fifty Of 'em, declare
lie Gathered on my fathers lands.
Ront where that market-wagon stands;
~ younger folks each other found
rrorn wooded regions all around,
M then with genuine laugh an smile,
Ne sugared off in country style!
s;rce then. these memory -hallowed spots
Are fenced up into city lots;
The farm is raisin' spires an domes,
where once the naples had their homes;
Pig feasts are given, rich an rare,
Dt which, own, have my share;
But nothin' ever tasted quite
So good as on that star-lit night!
We sat aroun' the leapin' blaze
that sent its glitter different ways,
IN struck the trees. an made em shine
Like we was in a silver-mine;
We laughed an chatted matters DER,
AZ no one ever had before;
r'ntil the woods, the first we knew,
Began to laugh an holler too!
An when the sap was boilin' there
Till we could taste 1t in the air,
We woodland boys, with hearts awhirl.
Each took a cup-fuil to his girl,
An cuddlcd down with her, an ate,
With Just the white snow for plate;
You see that first-class candy shop
III yonder where them school girls stop!
They've gathered sweetness there that
worth
As much as any now on earth.
Bat they've got nothin' that's in sight
Of what we ate that star-lit night!
An up on Woodland avenue.
4 youug-old lady, kind an true,
With handsome tresses gray enough,
But still on earth an up to snuff"
VIII tell you when we go that way,
II she hasn't changed her mind today
That, though the years havebrought her mig
Al earthly goods that cash can buy,
She'd give 'em all for that one night
When, from the sap fires fadin light,
We wandered homeward side by side
An kindled flames that never died,
IN felt Confessions sudden charm,
IN, slowly walkin' arm in arm
With no one there to laugh or scott,
tust had private sugarin'-off!
will Carleton, in Every Where for Marcel