ke that I described in the
manufacture of black salts. The sap is poured into immense cauldrons,
and boils sometimes for several days. As fast as it evaporates, fresh
sap is poured in until the syrup becomes thick, and then follows
granulation, or, as the farmers call it, 'sugaring off.' These periods
of sugaring off, which occurred usually once or twice a week during the
sugar season, were participated in by the neighbors from far and near,
who would come to eat sugar and make merry.

"I forgot, however, to tell you that while the sap was boiling, some
one had to spend the night in the woods to refill the cauldron, and to
keep up the fire. In our family this duty fell to brother Barnes, who
took much delight in it. With some boy friend he would camp out upon a
bundle of straw before the fire, and with a nice supper, and songs and
stories, diversified by rising every half hour to stir up the fire, and
watch the cauldron, and to have a private sugaring off for their own
benefit, the boys would pass away the night.

"But were they in no danger from wild animals, mamma?" inquired
Marguerite.

"Not much," replied mamma; "the boys always took their guns with them,
but although the deer would rustle over the leaves, and bears and
wolves would creep softly up to the little encampment, the fire was
usually sufficient protection, and the wolves would content themselves
with howling, and with a dissatisfied grunt the bears would move slowly
away.

"Often the boys would see through the darkness a pair of fiery eyes
glaring at them, and seizing their rifles they would shoot; but if they
missed aim, the bears or wolves would have been sufficiently alarmed by
the noise to make their escape whilst they could. Boys accustomed to a
pioneer's life feared nothing; such adventures were as great sport to
them in the woods, as they are to you, Gabrielle, while listening to
them safely housed."

"But in novels, and books of travel in new countries, auntie," said
Gabrielle with a dissatisfied shake of her pretty head, "when you fire
at a bear or other wild animal and do not kill him, he instantly turns
and kills you. Were the bears and wolves of Pennsylvania less
ferocious than those of other countries?"

"They did not often seem bloodthirsty," replied mamma, "for the reason,
I suppose, that the woods were full of smaller animals on which they
could prey, and consequently they did not need to attack human beings
for sustenance.