- 52 THE SPRING OF THE YEAR 



^^ 



'' pealed to them at once, and from that moment the 



\ building went steadily on. 



Saddled upon this bracket, and well mortared to 

 f" the stringer, the nest, when finished, was as safe 

 ^ as a castle. And how perfect a thing it was ! Few \ 

 '[ nests, indeed, combine the solidity, the softness, and 

 - the exquisite inside curve of Phoebe's. 



In placing the bracket, I had carelessly nailed it c 

 ' under one of the cracks in the loose board roof. The 

 H nest was receiving its first linings when there came \ 



a long, hard rain that beat through the crack and 

 y soaked the little cradle. This was serious, for a great 

 ;' , deal of mud had been worked into the thick founda- 

 tion, and here, in the constant shade, the dampness 

 < would be long in drying out. 



The builders saw the mistake, too, and with their 

 ,% great good sense immediately began to remedy it. ; 

 [. They built the bottom up thicker, carried the walls ^ 

 J over on a slant that brought the outermost point \ 

 within the line of the crack, then raised them until v| 

 ; ' the cup was as round-rimmed and hollow as the 

 mould of Mrs. Phoebe's breast could make it. 



The outside of the nest, its base, is broad and \ 

 rough and shapeless enough; but nothing could be :< \ 

 softer and lovelier than the inside, the cradle, and ',, 

 nothing drier, for the slanting walls of the nest shed <v 

 every drop from the leafy crack above. 



Wet weather followed the heavy rain until long / 



'- 



after the nest was finished. The whole structure was 



