Веснянки

           Heplantedharebells;violets,blue,white,andyellow;wildgeranium,cardinal-flower,columbine,pinksnake’smouth,buttercups,paintedtrilliums,andorchis.Herewereblood-root,moccasin-flower,hepatica,pitcher-plant,Jack-in-the-pulpit,andeveryotherfloweroftheLimberlostthatwasinbloomorboreabudpresagingaflower.Everydaysawtheadditionofnewspecimens.Theplacewouldhavedrivenabotanistwildwithenvy.

           Onthelinesideheleftthebushesthickforconcealment,enteringbyanarrowpathheandDuncanhadclearedinsettingupthecase.Hecalledthisthefrontdoor,thoughheusedeveryprecautiontohideit.Hebuiltrusticseatsbetweenseveralofthetrees,leveledthefloor,andthicklycarpeteditwithrank,heavy,woolly-dogmoss.Aroundthecaseheplantedwildclematis,bittersweet,andwild-grapevines,andtrainedthemoverituntilitwasalmostcovered.Everydayheplantednewflowers,cutbackroughbushes,andcoaxedoutgracefulones.Hisprideinhisroomwasverygreat,buthehadnoideahowsurprisinglybeautifulitwouldappeartoanyonewhohadnotwitnesseditsgrowthandconstruction.

           ThismorningFreckleswalkedstraighttohiscase,unlockedit,andsethisapparatusanddinnerinside.Heplantedanewspecimenhehadfoundclosethetrail,and,bringinghisoldscrap-bucketfromthecornerinwhichitwashidden,fromanear-bypoolhedippedwatertopouroverhiscarpetandflowers.

           Thenhetookoutthebirdbook,settledcomfortablyonabench,andwithadeepsighofsatisfactionturnedtothesectionheaded.“V.