"YOU SIT STILL." 27 



through more and more bogs, over a fence, and 

 out of our open fields into deep woods. 



Now, my companion in these tramps has a 

 rooted opinion that she is easily fatigued, and 

 must rest frequently ; and I have no doubt it is 

 true, when she has no strong interest to urge 

 her on. So she used to burden herself with a 

 clumsy waterproof, to throw on the ground to 

 sit upon ; and in compliance with this notion 

 (which was most amusing to those whom she 

 tired out in her tramps), whenever she thought 

 of it that is, when the bird voice was still for 

 a moment she would seek a sloping bank, or 

 a place beside a tree where she could lean, and 

 then throw herself down, determined to rest. 

 But always in one minute or less, the warbler 

 would be sure to begin again, when away went 

 good resolutions and fatigue, and she sprang up 

 like a Jack-in-the-box, saying, of course, " You 

 sit still ; I '11 just go on a little," and off we 

 went over brake and brier. 



While pursuing this vocal ignis fatuus I 

 made a charming discovery. In one of the 

 temporary pauses in our wild career, I was 

 startled by the flight of a bird from the ground 

 very near us, and, searching about, I soon found 

 a veery's nest with one egg. It was daintily 

 placed in a clump of brakes or big ferns, resting 

 on a fallen stick, over and around which the 

 brakes had grown. 



