ROBIN 



so long, while I waited for an idea, that one other than that for 

 which I sought came to me. Why not take his picture? 



There sat that blessed bird, now of four long years' acquaint- 

 ance, through his love for and trust in us, our guest three weeks 

 before any of his kind had come; while the fence in front and the 

 logs of the veranda railing were covered with three inches of 

 snow, the ground with six. Surely that was a picture to mate- 

 rialize as well as to live in the heart. 



I polished the glass to the last degree inside and out, set a 

 camera on the library table, then focussed on the bench back. 

 The shutter was set at a bulb exposure, the long hose attached 

 and the bulb laid on my desk, where time after time I made ex- 

 posures on him. I had to work against strong light, for there was 

 the snow outside, while his face and breast were in the shadow, 

 but I did my best. I had thought he remained motionless much 

 longer than he did, when it actually came to counting off time in 

 seconds. I could not secure as long an exposure as I wanted 

 he would turn his head, ruffle his feathers, or draw up a foot to 

 warm it. But I made several good pictures that were precious 

 to all of us, for there was the window-seat cushion for a fore- 

 ground, the oak bench outside the glass for a perch and three 

 inches of snow in the distance on railing and fence. 



And still he awaited the coining of spring and his kind, while 

 no mate came. One night the Killdeers reached the Limberlost 

 at two o'clock; the following the Larks, then a few days later came 

 the Robins, so again our bird went courting. For two days we 

 missed him, and were growing more anxious than anyone who 

 has not had a like experience could believe possible; then he came 

 home, and what a bird he brought with him ! He was so proud 

 he almost perched on my head as he swept the length of the 

 veranda calling me. I turned to welcome him and there was his 

 mate. 



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