CHAPTER XVII. 



1848—1852. 



His Second Marriage. 



Health fails — sojourn at madisox springs — visit frox 

 victor audubon —letter to edward harris — <iuai)ru- 

 peds of north america — his part in the work. 



To Victor G. Audubon : 



Charleston, Dec. 18th, 1848. 



DEAR \^ICTOR: I am sure that you will be 

 glad to see a few lines written by my own 

 hand, at daylight. It is just to say tliat the old 

 fellow is alive, and only half blind. For three 

 months I have been sadly off. If I only wrote or read 

 for half an hour I was punished all night with sand 

 in my eyes, and such an itching that I waked every 

 half hour. I tried to abide by the Doctor's pre- 

 scriptions ; rested my eyes, and even used no notes 

 in the pulpit or at college. 



I go out of toAvn, and leave cares behind me 

 whenever I can — and am the better for it. I shall 

 go to Columbia, Lexington, etc., to spend my vaca- 

 tion-w-eek, and return to m}- duties on Saturday. 



Now^ about the letter-press. At last, I think, I 

 see m}^ way clear ; Maria has promised to be my 

 amanuensis, and, on the second day of January, she 

 will hold the pen for me. There is only one other 

 person that could do this, and that is yourself ; but 

 I won't call on you unless the other plan foils. 



