the country about gather at the camp. The moon was a
book and every star a word that read fun and frolic to the jolly crowd
at the camp at Uncle Jake's that night.

Alfred sang songs, and told jokes.

They had sugared off, made a big kettle of sugar. Some dipped big
spoonfuls of the thickened syrup from the kettle, and poured it slowly
into tin cups filled with ice cold water. As it cooled the large lump of
wax was pulled out of the water with the fingers. Some, with buttered
hands, worked the wax until they had whitish taffy, others filled their
mouths with the wax as it came from the water.

The writer will engage to cure any case of stomach trouble that ever
worried man or woman with this maple wax.

The night wore on, the fun flagged. Ben Paul, a husky country boy,
proposed that two or three go to Nick Yonse's still house and procure a
little "licker." Cousin Wilson frowned upon this proposal but as the
boys were his guests he did not further protest. It was impossible to
awaken anyone to get the matured article from the distillery; therefore,
with the aid of a clothesline fastened to a jug which Ben lowered into a
vat filled with corn juice distilled the day previous, a supply was
secured. Ben returned to the camp. He was truthful when he explained
that the offering he brought was no old stale stuff such as they were
accustomed to, but something new and fresh.

Its newness did not deter the boys from helping themselves to big swigs
from the jug, smoothing out their wry faces with draughts of sugar
water. Cousin Wilson refused to participate as he busied himself with
his work. The sight of a tin cup made Alfred fearful that he would spill
his sugar. He also declined. After the custom that had prevailed in the
tavern cellar, the tin cup went round and round, the result was the same
or nearly so as at the tavern. Some sang, others danced, one or two
slept, some wanted to fight. Alfred attempted to pour melody on the
troubled revellers but the only effect of his song was to encourage Ben
Paul to knock the bottom out of a new tin pail endeavoring to keep time
to the song as he had seen Alfred do with the tambourine.

Cousin John, unnoticed by Cousin Wilson, was chief among those who
passed the tin cup around. John was of a friendly disposition and, not
to be rude to his guests, sent the cup around often. Several of the boys
retired into the shadows of the trees just beyond the glare of the
furnace fire to regret t