and
drank so much cold molasses that she burst and died. Michael determined
another year to enclose his sugar-bush to prevent any such accidents.

In two weeks enough sugar was made to last the family all the year, to
make all sorts of preserves, besides a good supply of beer and vinegar.
With the vinegar they could pickle onions, and all sorts of vegetables,
for winter use. Vegetables are also preserved during the winter in
cellars, dug generally under the fire-place, in a log hut. A trap-door
leads to the cellar. Here potatoes, carrots, turnips, and other roots
are stored, and kept free from frost.

The snow at length melted, and spring came on as it were in a day. From
sunrise to sunset every man and boy was now hard at work, chopping,
burning, and clearing the ground to put in the spring crops. Not an
hour was to be lost, for the sun shone bright and warm, the grass sprang
up, the leaves came out, and flowers burst forth, and it seemed as if
the summer had begun as soon as the winter had ended. The summer was
hot, and soon ripened the crops, and the harvest was good and plentiful.

STORY THREE, CHAPTER 10.

Four years had passed away, and Michael Hale and his family had began to
reap the fruits of their industry. They had forty acres of land
cleared, enough to bear crops. Two acres were planted with apple-trees,
which already yielded a large supply of fruit. The apples were packed
in casks, and were then fit to be sent off to distant markets. Some
were peeled, cut in slices, dried in the sun, and hung up for home
winter use.

They had several cows and oxen, and a flock of sheep, and pigs, and
poultry. As they frequently killed oxen, and sheep, and pigs, for their
own use, they were able to form a store of fat for making candles and
soap at home. Indeed, Michael was rapidly becoming a substantial
farmer. He was not, however, without his sorrows and trials.

Susan had never completely recovered, and the year after he settled at
Thornhill she had died of consumption. Fanny Kemp watched over and
attended her as a sister to the last, and now so completely filled her
place, that no one would have thought that she was not a daughter.

Rob, indeed, hoped to make her one ere long. He had loved her for many
years; but, like a good son, felt that he ought not to marry and set up
for himself till he had helped his father to settle comfortably. He now
opened the matter to his father. "There's one thi