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White House, May 10, 1908.
DEAREST ARCHIE:
Mother and I had great fun at Pine Knot. Mr. Burroughs, whom
I call Oom John, was with us and we greatly enjoyed having him.
But one night he fell into great disgrace! The flying squirrels
that were there last Christmas had raised a brood, having built
a large nest inside of the room in which you used to sleep and
in which John Burroughs slept. Of course they held high carnival
at night-time. Mother and I do not mind them at all, and indeed
rather like to hear them scrambling about, and then as a sequel
to a sudden frantic fight between two of them, hearing or seeing
one little fellow come plump down to the floor and scuttle off
again to the wall.
But one night they waked up John Burroughs and he spent a misguided
hour hunting for the nest, and when he found it took it down
and caught two of the young squirrels and put them in a basket.
The next day under Mother's direction I took them out, getting
my fingers somewhat bitten in the process, and loosed them in
our room, where we had previously put back the nest. I do not
think John Burroughs profited by his misconduct, because the
squirrels were more active than ever that night both in his room
and ours, the disturbance in their family affairs having evidently
made them restless!
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