200 THe Aroostook Woops. 

the two bushel bag. At this time the contents consisted of 
our dinners, dippers, tea pail, fry pan, rubbers, extra woolen 
stockings, in case of wet feet, small packages, etc. Wrap- 
ping them in paper and packing properly, the sack (but half 
full) is gathered together at the mouth and thrown oyer the 
right shoulder. A cord is made fast to one bottom corner 
(which bottom corner hangs at the left side) then passed 
under the left arm, up across your breast and made fast to 
the gathered together mouth of the sack, with one round turn 
and one-half hitch. Should you wish to be relieved of it, 
quickly, the end of the cord is dangling, give it one twitch 
and instantly you are free from it. Quite a load can be easily 
carried in this manner, requiring but little attention, leaving 
your hands and arms free for other use. 
An elegant day it proves, and we enjoy the walk in the 
early morning through the wildwood, over the well-known 
path. The birds singing as cheerily as if ’twere nesting 
time, and the squirrels barking us a welcome, remembering 
us as friends from our having passed through their play- 
ground often before. Upon the way we step to one side, and 
from a hollow stub take our ice chisel, which has had a 
year’s rest, and in a moment we are at the lake. 
Ho! the bonny lake; so pretty in the early, sunny morning, 
surrounded by the gently rising hills of hard woods, all dressed 
in their winter garb of brown and gray, with the tall 
spruce scattered through, standing straight and prim above, 
spotted here and there with patches of small evergreens, 
theside which, and away to the top, is seen the white shining 
crust, showing plainly beneath the cpen growth and between 
the leafless branches of the hard wood trees, while below, 
around’ the shores, all is warm and melting in the sunshine 
