FOR days the sun shone and the weather was warm. There was no frost on the windows in the ms. All day the icicles fell one by one from the eaves with soft smashing and crag sounds in the snowbanks beh. The trees shook their wet, black branches, and ks of snow fell down.
When Mary and Laura pressed their noses against the cold window pahey could see the drip of water from the eaves and the bare branches of the trees. The snow did not glitter; it looked soft and tired. Uhe trees it itted where the ks of snow had fallen, and the banks beside the path were shrinking aling.
Then one day Laura saatch of bare ground in the yard. All day it grew bigger, and before night the whole yard was bare mud. Only the icy path was left, and the snowbanks along the path and the fend beside the woodpile.
"t I go out to play, Ma?" Laura asked, and Ma said:
"May, Laura.」
"May I go out to play?" she asked.
"You may tomorrow," Ma promised.
That night Laura woke up, shivering. The bed-covers felt thin, and her nose was icy cold. Ma was tug another quilt over her.
"Snuggle close to Mary," Ma said, "and youll get warm.」
In the m the house was warm from the stove, but when Laura looked out of the window she saw that the ground was covered with soft, thiow. All along the branches of the trees the snoiled like feathers, and it lay in mounds along the top of the rail fence, and stood up i, white balls on top of the gate-posts.
Pa came in, shaking the soft snow from his shoulders and stamping it from his boots.
"Its a sugar snow," he said.
Laura put her tongue quickly to a little bit of the white snow that lay in a fold of his sleeve. It was nothing but wet oongue, like any snow. She was glad that nobody had seeaste it.
"Why is it a sugar snow, Pa? she asked him, but he said he didnt have time to explain now. He must hurry away, he was going to Grandpas.
Grandpa lived far away in the Big Woods, where the trees were clether and larger Laura stood at the window and watched Pa, big and swift and strong, walking away over the snow. His gun was on his shoulder, his hatchet and powder horn hung at his side, and his tall boots made great tracks in the soft snow. Laura watched him till he was out of sight in the woods.
It was late before he came home that night. Ma had already lighted the lamp when he came in. Under one arm he carried a large package, and iher hand was a big, covered, wooden bucket.
"Here, Caroline," he said, handing the package and the bucket to Ma, and the the gun on its hooks over the door.
"If Id met a bear," he said, "I couldnt have shot him without dropping my load." Then he laughed. "And if Id dropped that bucket and bundle, I wouldnt have had to shoot him. I could have stood and watched him eat whats in them and lick his chops.」
Ma uned the package and there were two hard, brown cakes, each as large as a milk pan. She uncovered the bucket, and it was full of dark brown syrup.
"Here, Laura and Mary," Pa said, and he gave them each a little round package out of his pocket.
They took off the paper ings, and each had a little, hard, brown cake, with beautifully kled edges.
"Bite it," said Pa, and his blue eyes twinkled.
Each bit off otle kle, and it was sweet. It crumbled in their mouths. It was better even than their Christmas dy.
"Maple sugar," said Pa.
Supper was ready, and Laura and Mary laid the little map