Year: 1876




Told by William Culicu Bryant In "St.
Nicholas"


Ono OF tic entertainments OF the boys
OF my time was what wcrc called the
raisings," meaning tho erection OF
tho timber frames OF houses or barns,
to which tho boards wero to be after.
ward nailed. Hero the minister made a
point OF being present, and hither the
ablo bodied men OF tho ncighborhood,
the young men especially, werc sum-
moned, and took part in tho work with
great alaCrity. It was spectacle for
us next to that OF n performer on the
tight rope, to SEQ the young men walk
steadily on tho narrow footing OF the
beams OF q great height from the
ground, or as they stood to catch in
their bands the wooden pins and the
braces flung to them from below. They
We'd with each other in the dc1tcrity
and daring with which they went
through with The work, md when the
skeleton OF the building was put TO-
gether, somo ono among them generally
capped tho climax Of fearless activity by
standing on the ridgepole with his head
downward and his heels in the air. At
that time, even the presence OF the
minister Wis no restraint upon tho ilow
Of milk punch and grog, which in somo
cases was taken to excess. Tho practice
OF calling tho neighbors to these "ruis-
ings" is now discontinued in the rural
neighborhoods; the carpenters provide
their own workmen for the business Of
adjusting the timbers OF the now build
ing to each other, and there is no con.
sumption OF grog.


Another OF tho entertainments oil rus.
tic life in tho region Of which I nm
speaking was the making OF maple
sugar. This was fayorite irolic OF the
boys. The apparatus for tho sugar camp
was OF q much ruder kind than is now
used. Tho sap was brought in buckets
from the wounded trees and poured into
O great caldron which hung over hot
fire from q stout horizontal polo sup.
ported at each end by m upright stake
planted in the ground. Since that time
they have built in every maple grove q
sugar house-a littlo building in which
the process Of making sugar is carried
on with several ingenious contriyances
unknown at that time, when everything
was done in tho open air.


From my fathers door, in the latter
part Of March ard the carly part OF
April, we could SEQ perhaps dozen col
umns OF smoke rising over the woods in
different places where the work was
going on. After the sap had been col
lected and boiled for three or four days,
tho time came when tho thickening
liquid was made to pass into the form
OF sugar. This was when tho syrup had
become OF such n consistency that it
would "feather er"-that is to Ray, when
q beechen twig, formed ut the small end
into o little loop, dipped into the hot
syrup nnd blown upon by the breath,
sent into the air light, feathcry film.
Tie hugo caldron was then lifted from
tho fire, aud its contents were either
dipped out ard poured into molds or
stirred briskly till tho syrup cooled and
took tho form Of ordinary brown sugar
iu loose grains. This process was nx-
ccedipgly interesting to the boys who
came to watch its different stages and to
try from time to time tho syrup as it
| thickoncl.


Iu autumn, the task Of stripping the
husks from the cars Of Indiin corn vas
made the occasion Of social meetings, in
which the boys took special part. A
farmer would appoint what was called
"a husking," to which he invited his
ueighbors. The eers Of maize in the
husk, sometimes along with p.rt Of tho
stalk, wero heaped on tho barn floor.
In tho evening lanterns were brought,
and seated o.. piles OF dry husks, the
men and boys stripped the cars Of their
covering, aud brclking them from the
stem with a sudden jerk, threw them
into baskets placed for tho purpose. It
was often merry time; the gossip of
the neighborhootl was talked over,
stories were told, iests went round, aud
OF tho proper hour the assembly ad.
iourned to the dwelling house and were
treated to q pumpkin pic aud cider,
which in that season had not been go
long from the press as to haye parted
with its sweetness.


Quito as cheerful were the "anplc
parings," which on autumn evenings
brought together tho young people Of
both sexes in little circles. Tho fruit OF
the orchards was pared and quartered
and tho coro extracted, and supply OF
apples in this state provided for making
what was called "apple saucc," kind
Of preserve OF which every family laid in
q large quantity every year.


Tho cider making season in autumn
was, ut tho timo Of which an speaking,
somewhat correspondent to the vintage
in tho wine countries OF Europe. Large
tracts Of land in Now England were
overshadowed by rows Of apple trees,
and in tho month OF May q journey
through that region was journey
through Wilderness o. bloom. In the
month OF October tho whole population
was busy gathering apples under the
trees, from which they fell in heavy
showers as tho branches were shaken by
the strong arms Of tho farmers. The
crcak Of tho cider mill. turned by n
horse moving in circle, was heard in
every neighborhool as ono Of tho most
common OF rural sounds. The freshly
pressed juice OF the apples was most
agreeable to boyish tastes, and the
whole process Of gathering the fruit mud
making tho cider came in among the
moro labOrious rural occupations in a
way which diversified them pleasantly,
aud which made it seem q pastimo. Tic
tiuo that was given to making cider, md
tho number OF barrels made and stored
in the cellars OF the farmhouscs, woultl
now seem incredible. Ahuudred bur.
rolls to single farm was no uncommon
proportion, and tho quantity swallowed
by the men OF that day, led 10 the hAbits
OF intemperauce which at length alarmed
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