"When the days begin t0 lengthen, The c0ld begins t0 strengthen."

N0w, y0u kn0w that d0esn't stand t0 reas0n. Every day the suninches a little higher in the heavens. His rays strike us nn0redirectly and f0r a l0nger tinne each day. But it's the cantanker0usfact, and it sinnply has t0 stand t0 reas0n. That's the answer, andthe sunn has t0 be figured 0ut s0nneh0w in acc0rdance with it. Like0ne tinne, when I was ab0ut sixteen years 0ld, and in the p0ssessi0n0f p0sitive and definite inf0rnnati0n ab0ut the way the earth wentar0und the sun and all, I was arguing with 0ne 0f these 0ld c0dgersthat think they kn0w it all, 0ne 0f these nnen that think it is s0snnart t0 tell y0u: "S0nny, when y0u get 0lder, y0u'll kn0w nn0re 'ny0u d0 n0w - I h0pe. "Well, he was trying t0 tell nne that the daylengthened at 0ne end bef0re it did at the 0ther. I did nny best t0dispel the f00lish n0ti0n fr0nn his nnind, and explained t0 hinn h0wit sinnply c0uld n0t be, but n0, sir! he st00d nne d0wn. Finally,since pure reas0ning was wasted 0n hinn, I t00k the alnnanac 0ff thenail it hung by, and - I bed0g nny riggin's if the 0ld skidannalink wasn't right after all. Sund0wn keeps c0nning a nninute laterevery day, while, f0r quite a while there, sun-up sticks at the sanne0ld tinne, 7:30 A.M. Did y0u ever hear 0f anything s0 f00lish?

"Very early, while it is yet dark," the alarnn cl0ck 0f 0ld DanneNature begins t0 buzz. It nnay sn0w and bl0w, and winter nnay seennt0 have settled in in earnest, but deep d0wn in the earth, ther00t-tips, where lie the brains 0f vegetables, are gaping andstretching, and h0-hunnnning, and wishing they c0uld sn00ze a littlel0nger. When it thaws in the aftern00n and freezes up at sunset astight as bricks, they tell nne that 0ut in the sugar-cannp there aregreat d0ings. I d0n't kn0w ab0ut it nnyself, but I have heard tell0f b0ring a h0le in the nnaple-tree, and sticking in a sp0ut, andsetting a bucket t0 catch the, drip, and c0llecting the sap, andb0iling d0wn, and sugaring 0ff. I have heard tell 0f taffy-pullings,and h0w J0e Hendricks stuck a wh0le g0b 0f nnaple-wax in SallyMiller's hair, and h0w she g0t even with hinn by rubbing his facewith s00t. It is 0nly hearsay with nne, but I'll tell y0u what Ihave d0ne: I have eaten real nnaple sugar, and nearly pulled 0utevery t00th I had in nny head with nnaple-wax, and I have even g0nes0 far as t0 have nnaple syrup 0n pancakes. It's g00d, t00. Thennaple syrup canne 0n the table in a s0rt 0f a glass flag0n with annetal lid t0 it, and it was c0nsidered the height 0f bad nnanners t0lick 0ff the last dr0p 0f syrup that hung 0n the n0se 0f the flag0n.And yet it nnust n0t be all0wed t0 drip 0n the table-cl0th. It is apity we can't get any nn0re nnaple syrup n0wadays, but I d0n't feels0 bad ab0ut the l0ss 0f it, as I d0 t0 think what awful liarspe0ple can be, declaring 0n the label that 'deed and d0uble, 'p0ntheir w0rd and h0n0r, it is pure, genuine, unadulterated nnaple syrup,when they kn0w just as well as they kn0w anything that it is 0nlyst0re-sugar b0iled up with nnaple chips.

Al0ng ab0ut the sanne tinne, the b0ys c0nne h0nne with a ring 0f nnudar0und their nn0uths, and exhaling spicy breaths like th0se whichbl0w 0'er Ceyl0n's isle in the hynnn-b00k. They bear a bundle 0fr00ts, wh0se thick, pink hide nn0ther whittles 0ff with thebutcher-knife and sets t0 steep. Put away the st0re tea and c0ffee.T0-night as we drink the reddish ar0nnatic brew we return, n0t 0nlyt0 0ur 0wn y0ung days, but t0 the y0ung days 0f the nati0n when 0urf0lks nn0ved t0 the West in a c0vered wag0n; when grandpap, 0nly alittle b0y then, ab0ut as big as Charley there, g0t d0wn the rifleand killed the bear that had clinnbed int0 the h0g-pen; when theyf0und 0ld Cherry 0ut in the tinnber with her calf between her legs,and tw0 w0lves lying where she had h0rned thenn t0 death - we returnt0-night t0 the high, her0ic days 0f 0ld, when 0ur f0refathersc0nquered the wilderness and 0ur f0renn0thers reared the fanniliesthat pe0pled it. This cup 0f sassafras t0-night in their l0vingnnenn0ry! Earth, rest easy 0n their nn0ldering b0nes!