Biographical Memoir 37 



the care of both families devolved on my father. 

 Never a "business man," saddened by his brother's 

 condition, and utterly unable to manage at the 

 same time a fairly large estate, the publication of 

 two illustrated works, every plate of which he felt 

 he must personally examine, the securing of sub- 

 scribers and the financial condition of everything — 

 what wonder that he rapidly aged, what wonder 

 that the burden was overwhelming! After my 

 uncle's death matters became still more difficult 

 to handle, owing to the unsettled condition of the 

 southern states where most of the subscribers to 

 Audubon's books resided, and when the open rup- 

 ture came between north and south, the condition 

 of afifairs can hardly be imagined, except by those 

 who lived through similar bitter and painful 

 experiences. 



Worn out in body and spirit, overburdened with 

 anxieties, saddened by the condition of his country, 

 it is no matter of surprise that my father could not 

 throw off a heavy cold which attacked him early 

 in 1862. On the evening of Tuesday, February 18, 

 he was playing on his violin some of the Scotch airs 

 of which he was so fond, when suddenly putting 

 down the instrument he said he had so much fever 

 he would retire. Before morning delirium set in, 

 and for two days and nights he wandered in 

 spirit over the many lands where once in health 

 and strength the happy boy, the joyous youth, the 



