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4/their downy broods strawberrying in the [[strikethrough]] forest [[/strikethough]] meadow bordering the [[strikethrough]] wood [[/strikethrough]] [[insertion]] forest [[/insertion]], but [[strikethrough]] their nests were rarely found [[/strikethrough]] our [[strikethrough]] childhood [[/strikethrough]] search f nests had been in vain.  Th[[line]]is day, however,[[strikethrough]] follg [[westig?]] [[/strikethrough]] [[whirring?]]in through the brush to the spot from which the bird had flown - there, at the foot of a bush lay [[underline]] twelve white eggs! [[/underline]]
What a ^ [[insertion]] luxurious [[/insertion]] sight! No meagre clutch of three or four - with [[strikethrough]] incredulous eyes [[/strikethrough]] [[insertion above]] marvelling [[strikethrough]]  niytes [[/strikethrough]] eyes [[/insertion above]] [[insertion below]] not one fell short [[/insertion below]] they were [[strikethrough]] again [[/strikethrough]] counted over -[[strikethrough]] yes, [[/strikethrough]] ^ 
twelve [[strikethrough]] [[insertion]] eggs [[/insertion]] and [[/strikethrough]] as big as hens eggs ^ [[insertion For]] [[strikethrough]] they seemed [[/strikethrough]] gauged by those of the small songsters of the branches. All other clutches were ^ [[insertion]] instantly [[/insertion]] dwarfed by the sight.
No confining coil held these ^ [[insertion]] choice [[/insertion]] eggs; they seemed a free gift to the wood, laid on Mother Earth's open hand.
To show that our entrusion had been with no ungentle thought ^ [[insertion]] & assure [[strikethrough]] the [[/strikethrough]] our guest of her welcome [[/insertion]] we hastened to scatter food about the nest [[insertion]] & left [[/insertion]] [[strikethrough]] leaving [[/strikethrough]] a [[pilatus?]] filled with grain where she would