212 
THE TOWHEE BUNTINGS 
ite tree, and gave vent to his ill-feelings for 
the Towhees, in a strain of abuse that would 
have, in ordinary-tempered birds, roused a 
feeling of anger that nothing but blows could 
appease. But tlie Towhees kept on in the 
even tenor of their way, and many of their 
neighbors were provoked at their indifference 
to Bob’s abuses ; indeed, some even accused 
Mr. Towhee with cowardice ; they could not 
understand the perfect control he had over his 
feelings, nor appreciate the sublime faith he 
had in the future triumph of the right. 
Bob thus succeeded in causing some few 
of the neighbors to treat the Towhees with 
coldness ; for how could it be expected that all 
should stand such a continued torrent of 
ridicule and abuse as he poured forth ? 
One day Mr. Towhee came the nearest to 
being enraged that he did through the season ; 
it was just after his mate had laid her eggs, 
and was sitting on them ; the other birds 
were leaving her, after having congratulated 
her on her success, and Towhee was accom- 
panying them a short distance, when the hated 
