AND THEIR NEIGHBORS. 
219 
hended all, and they felt that Bob must have 
a hard heart, indeed, if he could withstand 
this treatment. 
At length Bob, who had visibly begun to 
fail, his wing having become badly inflamed, 
and the inflammation having extended up over 
the shoulder and breast, refused to take food, 
and he soon grew so feeble that the birds felt 
that his end must be very near. 
It was towards the close of a beautiful day 
that the Towhees, with some food for the 
Bobolink family, flew down to the clump of 
bushes in which the afflicted ones were stay- 
ing ; they had hardly alighted when they per- 
ceived that Bob was very weak, and they were 
on the point of flying off to inform the neigh- 
bors, when Bob stopped them. 
Stay,” he said ; I wish to say a few words 
to you alone, for I feel that I may never have 
another opportunity. As my end draws near, 
I cannot longer refrain from acknowledging 
my appreciation of your great kindness and 
charity. My pride, my curse, would not per- 
mit me to speak to you thus before this, but I 
