AUDUBON 



51 



venture to dispose of one hundred and twenty-five cents 

 to pay for this book, that probably, hke all other things in 

 the world, is ashamed to find me so poor." On March 

 5th of the same year: " During January my time was prin- 

 cipally spent in giving lessons in painting and drawing, to 

 supply my family and pay for the schooling of Victor and 

 Johnny at a Mr. Branards', where they received notions of 

 geography, arithmetic, grammar, and writing, for six dollars 

 per month each. Every moment I had to spare I drew 

 birds for my ornithology, in which my Lucy and myself 

 alone have faith. February was spent in drawing birds 

 strenuously, and I thought I had improved much by ap- 

 plying coats of water-color under the pastels, thereby 

 preventing the appearance of the paper, that in some in- 

 stances marred my best productions. I discovered also 

 many imperfections in my earlier drawings, and formed 

 the resolution to redraw the whole of them; consequently 

 I hired two French hunters, who swept oft" every dollar 

 that I could raise for specimens. I have few acquaint- 

 ances ; my wife and sons are more congenial to mc than all 

 others in the world, and we have no desire to force our- 

 selves into a society where every day I receive fewer bows." 

 This winter (i 821-1822) in New Orleans, proved to 

 Audubon that his wife's judgment was correct ; it was not 

 the place for them to make either a permanent income or 

 home. True, they had been able to live with extreme 

 simplicity, and to send the boys to school ; they had had 

 their own pleasures, as the worn, brown volume, the journal 

 of 1822-24, with its faded entries, bears witness. There 

 are accounts of walks and of musical evenings when they 

 were joined by one or two friends of like tastes and talents. 

 Both played well, she on the piano, and he on a variety of 

 instruments, principally the violin, flute, and flageolet. 

 For over two months a fifth inmate was added to the home 

 circle in Mr. Matabon, a former friend, whom Audubon 

 found one morning in the market, in a state of great 



