Year: 1876

ed at meeting, so unexpectedly, fine
young gentleman from the city What
a horrid calico figure Jane Fairfield
wore; and what graceless knot was
that into which her brothers cravat was
twisted What clumsy boots Lizzie Wy
man tramped about in-she was so fear
full Of their soles ! How small were the
pretsnsions to fashion displayed by any
of their guests What must Lawrence
Gray think of all these things? Eliva
didn't know. She could only imagine.
She shuddered to contemplate the scene.
At one time she had no idea she would
have the fortltude to 60 through with it.
She sEas afraid she might die


But Lawrence seemed to like it. He
talked with the young farmers about ag-
ricultural affairs until they had gained
confidence, finding that on certain SUBJ
jeets they could teach him. He chatted
with the glrls, and found out what books
they had read and what they liked
then passing to gayer matters, jested
about coming into the country to settle
down among them.


Besides, Lawrence was deeply con-
cerned in the fate of the sugar. Every
few minutes he would escape into the
kitchen to see how it was getting along.
Perhaps it was because Helen Snow was
watching the slowly boiling syrup, the
golden froth of which filled the shining
copper kettle /; or it might have been the
golden froth itself that called him thith-
er. l do not know which. He certain
ly talked gayly with Helen; but at the
same time he tasted the luxurious liquid,
by dropping little from a ladle upon
a pan of snow.


Lawrence also was much interested in
the experiment of ascertaining when the
sugar was done sufficiently to grain,


Helen taught it to him. 1t is this !;


Make little hoop or bow of a splinter,
or straw which you may pluck from
the broom, and plunge it into the boil
ing sugar in such way as to have a
heavy film adhere to 1t; then blow thro'


the hoop, and if the dross of sugar flies


away, white and light like feather
why the syrup has been over the fire


long enough, and all you have to do is


to cool it, and stir it to make it grain.


Helen also explained to her new ac-


quaintanee that, as soon as the maple


trees begin to bud, the sap becomes USE


less for sugar. You may boil it and


boil it till you burn it up; but it will


not grain. This appears to be prOvis-


ion of nature.


At length the sugar "feathered p


then the kettle was removed from the


fire, and all things made ready for the


feast. Nicholas tub of snow was in de-


nand. Basins and pans we're filled


and the snow covered and deeply streak.


ed with sugar which had been poured


upon it, was passed around to the com.


pany. Boys and girls ate from the same


dishes, delighted drawing the hard wax
out of the snow and quarreling' for it
playfully. Some, however, took theil
sugar IN saucers, and cooled it by STIR
ring to make it grain. The kitchen was
the scene of this. ''sugaring off" ant
the most perfect happiness prevailed
With one exception. Eliva did not
like to see Lawrence drawing wax will
Helen. in corner by themselves. Hav


ing tried in vain to separate them, sh'
, gave up in despair, and was only miser
, able. Yet she would not acknowledge
, even to herself, that Helen,was anything
but a silly goose, and that Lawrence wa
not making fun" of her.


E Was it possible that her cousin enjoy
E ed himself as wellsas he pretended to
t Was it genuine good nature which caus


ed him to appear so highly amused
E when Jane Fairfield and Lizzie Wymal
! became engaged in sweet combat, an
e fought each other with ropes of wax
l Eliva felt more like crying with vexa
f ton


2 At length, after few games had bee
q played. and the company had danced
e little to Edward Jones' playing on th
: flute after the guests had feasted 0
sugar, and exhausted all the invention
y of mirth, the party broke up and th
d young people began to take their leave
o Eliva was congratulating herself wit
is the reflection that 1t was all over, an
/ that Lawrence would never see one
; the vulgar, Odious company" agaiI
IT when, to her infinite astonishment an
g vexatiOn. her cousin whispered in h'


ear that be had engaged to walk hon
n with Helenl


How blind is pride Eliva saw in th
If arrangement only the vanity of Hele
re and the mischievous nature of her cou
e. in ! She would not believe he had al
/ better motive than to amuse himse
rs with the effect of his fattery And a
N though she was little astOnished tn


he did not make fun" Of her on his I
lg turn. she would not change.


at Even on the following day, when La
lg renee called on Miss Snow, EliYa siler