WITH ROOSEVELT AT PINE KNOT 



On our return trip, Roosevelt's secretary being 

 on the train, Roosevelt threw himself into the 

 dictation of many letters, the wrens and the warb- 

 lers already sidetracked for the business of the 

 Administration. 



I passed another night at the White House, and 

 in the morning early we went out on the White 

 House grounds to look for birds, our quest seeming 

 to attract the puzzled attention of the passers-by. 



"They often stare at me as though they thought 

 me crazy," he said, "when they see me gazing up 

 into the trees." 



"Well, now they will think I am your keeper," 

 I said. 



"Yes, and I your nurse," laughed Mrs. Roosevelt. 



When I left, Roosevelt gave me a list of the birds 

 that we had seen while at Pine Knot and hoped 

 that I would sometime write up the trip; in fact, 

 for years after, whenever we would meet, almost 

 the first thing he would say was, "Have you written 

 up our Pine Knot trip yet, Oom John?" And his 

 disappointment at my failure to do so was always 

 unmistakable. 1 



1 The following letter may be of interest in this connection. 



C. B. 

 DEAR OOM JOHN: 



Did you ever get the pamphlet on Concealing Coloration? 

 If not, I will send you another. I do hope that you will include 

 in your coming volume of sketches a little account of the time 

 you visited us at Pine Knot, our little Virginia camp, while I 

 was President. I am very proud of you, Oom John, and I want 



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