NO MORE FAMILIARITIES. 43 



tree to recover breath and strength to go on. 

 They never attempted to make the whole as- 

 cent at once, but always stopped four or five 

 times, perching on the ends of fallen branches, 

 of which there were eight or ten below the 

 living part of the pine. Even when no wind 

 disturbed them, they made these pauses on the 

 wa}^, and it was always a hard task to reach 

 the top. They learned, after a few days, how- 

 ever, to begin their ascent at a distance, and 

 not approach the tree till at least half as high 

 as they wished to go, which simplified the mat- 

 ter very much. It was beautiful to see them, 

 upon reaching the lowest of the living branches, 

 bound gayly up, as though over a winding stair, 

 to the particular spot they had fixed upon. 



During the building I missed the daily music 

 of the singer. Occasionally he alighted on the 

 roof, looked over at me, and bubbled out a few 

 notes, as much as to say, "You must excuse 

 me now; I am very busy ; " but all the time I 

 hoped that while sitting was going on I should 

 have him back. I reckoned ignorantly; I did 

 not know my bird. No sooner was he the pos- 

 sessor of a house and family than he suddenly 

 became very wary. No more solos on the roof; 

 no more confidential remarks; no more famil- 

 iarities of any sort. Now he must beware of 

 human beings, and even when on the grass he 



