CHAPTER II 



A LITTLE BIRD THAT DIED 



The life of John James Laforest * Audubon reads like 

 a wonder tale. He was born in New Orleans, May 4, 

 1780, in a house in whose gardens the mocking-birds sang. 



He was a wonderful boy. His father was a French 

 naval officer, sometimes called " admiral." His mother 

 died when he was fourteen; his father married again, and 

 his new wife became dotingly fond of her little stepson, 

 who had genius, grace, and beauty, and a heart overflow- 

 ing with love. His new mother thought him the " hand- 

 somest child in France." 



In childhood his heart went out to birds; he seemed 

 to love and almost worship everything that had wings. 



He was taken to Santo Domingo, where his Spanish 

 mother lost her life in the insurrection of the blacks. He 

 returned with his father to New Orleans, and lived amid 

 the charms of a mossy plantation outside of New Orleans — 

 probably the same that Louis Philippe came to call " Fon- 

 taine plain." 



* Although Laforest is omitted in many biographies, Audubon's orig- 

 inal name was John James Laforest, and his wife addressed him as 

 "Laforest."— H. B. 

 8 



