The Nursery, April 1873, Vol. XIII
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Willy and his sisters lived in Vermont, where a great deal of maple-sugar is made. One spring, when their Cousin Leonard came to see them, they thought it would be fine fun to go to the maple woods, where the men had been making sugar, and try to make some candy. It was a bright day, not very cold, although some snow was still left upon the ground.
"Mother," said Willy, "may we go to the woods to-day, and make some maple-candy?"—"Yes," said his mother, "only be careful not to wet your feet."—"Oh! what a nice time we will have!" said the two girls; and they all clapped their hands for joy.
In a few minutes their mother had put them up a nice luncheon. Then they took a small kettle, two or three tin cups, three spoons, and a hatchet. These things they packed upon a hand-sled; and, when all was ready, they set out at a brisk pace through the fields, over the snow, the boys drawing the sled, and the girls following close behind.
There was a good path, and they soon came to the woods. On the edge of the woods was a hut, where the men rested sometimes while making sugar. The children thought they would play that was their house. Nobody was there that day: so they had it all to themselves.
A little way out of the woods were two large stakes with a pole across them, on which hung a large kettle. Some half-burnt logs and ashes were under the kettle, but the fire was all out. A pile of wood was not far off; and branches of trees, chips, and logs were scattered around.
The children gathered dry leaves and sticks, and made a fire in a safe place. The next thing to do was to get some sap to boil into candy. What is sap? It is the juice of a tree. When the warm spring sunshine melts the snow, the roots of the tree drink in the moisture of the earth. This goes up into the tree, and makes sap. The sap within the tree, and the sunshine without, make the buds swell, and the bright fresh leaves come out.
For making sugar the sap of the maple-tree is used. But how is the sap got from the trees? and how is it made into sugar? I will tell you. A hole is bored in each tree, a spout put in the hole, and a bucket is placed underneath. This is called "tapping the tree." The sap runs from the tree into the bucket, drop by drop, until it is full. Then the sap is boiled till it becomes sirup; and the sirup is boiled into sugar.
The children found that the sap was dropping from the spouts in the trees around them. Some of the buckets were nearly full. They soon gathered enough into their little tin cups to fill their kettle; and then they put it on the fire to boil.
While it was boiling, they thought they would eat their luncheon. What do you suppose they had besides bread? I will tell you. They had thin slices of raw meat. "But did they eat it raw?" perhaps you will ask. Oh, no! The boys whittled out some clean, pointed sticks, on which they held their meat close to the fire till it was roasted to a beautiful brown; and then you cannot think how good it tasted. After eating their bread and meat, they had some nice crullers and cheese to end off with.
Well, by and by the sap in the little kettle had boiled into sirup. Then the children brought some clean snow in their cups, and carefully dipped a spoonful of hot sirup into each cup. The snow cooled it at once, and turned it into clear, hard candy. I wish you could have had some of it to eat! I know they thought it was delicious.
Soon after they had eaten their candy, they put out the fire with snow, and went home, having had a very happy time; and they did not forget to take candy enough with them for mother and little sister, and all the rest of the family.
Anna Holyoke.WHERE IS THE BABY?
Oh! who has seen my baby?Does anybody knowWhere I can find my darling,My precious little Joe?The house is very lonesome;No baby do I see:Oh! if my missing treasureWould but come back to me!Ah! here is a young lady,Just four years old to-day,Who tells me that my darlingIs not so far away.What! this great girl my baby?Well, well, it must be so;But, really, it's amazingTo see how babies grow.Kate Cameron.THE BIRD'S RETURN
"Where have you been, little birdie,—Where have you been so long?""Warbling in gleeFar o'er the sea,And learning for you a new song,My sweet,—Learning for you a new song.""Why did you go, little birdie,—Why did you go from me?""Winter was here,Leafless and drear;And so I flew over the sea,My sweet,—So I flew over the sea.""What did you see, little birdie,—What did you see each day?""Sunshine and flowers,Blossoms and bowers,And pretty white lambkins at play,My sweet,—Pretty white lambkins at play.""Who kept you safe, little birdie,—Who kept you safe from harm?""The Father of all,Of great and of small:He sheltered me under his arm,My sweet,—Under his dear, loving arm."George Cooper.THE DUCKS AND GEESE
