LIFE AT "MINNIE'S LAND" 235 



beach. Audubon began to build in 1841, and on Febru- 

 ary 24, 1842, Victor wrote to Edward Harris: "Our 

 house in the country is going on well, and will probably 

 be ready for us in about two months. John is at work 

 out there every day"; they were planning, he said, to 

 raise pigs and poultry, and he inquired after "draining 

 tiles, such as are made near Philadelphia." 



Audubon named his new estate "Minnie's Land," 

 in honor of his wife, Lucy, to whom he deeded the prop- 

 erty, the Scotch form of her name having no doubt come 

 into familiar use during their residence abroad. In 

 April, 1842, they turned their backs on the city and oc- 

 cupied their new home. Spencer Baird, when writing 

 on May 3 of that year, said: 



I have been in some doubt where this letter should be ad- 

 dressed, since "86 White St." will not reach you, and you 

 must by this time be snugly fixed I hope in your beautiful 

 place up the River. Do not laugh therefore if I prefix "For- 

 merly" to the old superscription. . . . 



I suppose that the First Number of the "Quadrupeds of 

 North America" is out by this time, I hope that it will be 

 hailed by a large list of subscribers, and will do what I can 

 for this desirable end. 



Submerged as Audubon was, with painting the 

 Quadrupeds, keeping the small edition of his Birds in 

 motion, and canvassing for subscribers to both works, 

 which he published himself, he nevertheless found time 

 for an extraordinary number of letters, which were 

 written with an elegance of chirography that diverts 

 our attention from their orthographic defects. In the 

 labor of drawing and in all his business affairs he was 

 constantly aided by his sons. 



In Audubon's time the center of Carmansville was 



