rayer, but
somehow it sounded different in the open air under the trees and in the
midst of all the jollity of the sugaring-off. With all other people
that Ranald knew religion seemed to be something apart from common days,
common people, and common things, and seemed, besides, a solemn and
terrible experience; but with the minister's wife, religion was a part
of her every-day living, and seemed to be as easily associated with her
pleasure as with anything else about her. It was so easy, so simple, so
natural, that Ranald could not help wondering if, after all, it was the
right kind. It was so unlike the religion of the elders and all the good
people in the congregation. It was a great puzzle to Ranald, as to many
others, both before and since his time.

After tea was over the great business of the evening came on. Ranald
announced that the taffy was ready, and Don, as master of ceremonies,
immediately cried out: "The gentlemen will provide the ladies with
plates."

"Plates!" echoed the boys, with a laugh of derision.

"Plates," repeated Don, stepping back to a great snowbank, near a balsam
clump, and returning with a piece of "crust." At once there was a scurry
to the snowbank, and soon every one had a snow plate ready. Then Ranald
and Don slid the little kettle along the pole off the fire, and with
tin dippers began to pour the hot syrup upon the snow plates, where it
immediately hardened into taffy. Then the pulling began. What fun there
was, what larks, what shrieks, what romping and tumbling, till all were
heartily tired, both of the taffy and the fun.

Then followed the sugar-molding. The little kettle was set back on the
fire and kept carefully stirred, while tin dishes of all sorts, shapes,
and sizes--milk-pans, pattie-pans, mugs, and cups--well greased with
pork rind, were set out in order, imbedded in snow.

The last act of all was the making of "hens' nests." A dozen or so of
hens' eggs, blown empty, and three goose eggs for the grown-ups, were
set in snow nests, and carefully filled from the little kettle. In a few
minutes the nests were filled with sugar eggs, and the sugaring-off was
over.

There remained still a goose egg provided against any mishap.

"Who wants the goose egg?" cried Don, holding it up.

"Me!" "me!" "me!" coaxed the girls on every side.

"Will you give it to me, Don, for the minister?" said Mrs. Murray.

"Oh, yes!" cried Maimie, "and let me fill it."

As she spoke, she seized