48 NATURE STUDY MADE EASY 



In the Sugar Camp 



The sun is pouring from a cloudless sky; 

 The glittering snow o'er stream and field and hill 

 Will bear our weight; there's summer in the air; 

 But ah ! how bare the leafless wood and still ! 



There's scarce a breath to stir the maple trees ; 

 There's not a wildwood voice or bird afloat 

 Save the low alto of the chickadee, - 

 But hark ! Hurrah ! the bluebird's joyous note! 



And oh ! the sun, the flooding, golden sun ! 

 The roof trees pour their floods beneath its beams, 

 And from the maples come the gay drip-drop 

 Of sap on every hand in limpid streams. 



The sun rolls high. The snow no longer bears. 

 The roads are swimming o'er with bubbling streams. 

 The tubs are filling in the sugar bush, 

 Drip-drop, and every drop like crystal gleams. 



And now the steers. Leap on the hogshead, boys, 

 'Tis now high time the gathering was begun ; 

 The snow is deep, but every maple tree 

 Must yield its pail of sweet ere set of sun. 



And next the boiling. Through the whole long night 

 The foaming pans pour out their clouds of steam ; 

 And when the darkness falls among the trees, 

 The fires send o'er the snow their ruddy gleam. 

 ********* 



FRED LEWIS PATTEE. 



