172 



John James Audubon. 



deer and elk rambled over the grass and 

 beneath the ancient trees. Here, as he 

 himself wrote in 1846, "Surrounded by all 

 the members of my dear family, enjoying 

 the affection of numerous friends who have 

 never abandoned me, and possessing a sufifi- 

 cient share of all that contributes to make 

 life agreeable, I lift my grateful eyes toward 

 the Supreme Being and feel that I am 

 happy." 



Toward the close of his life his sight 

 began to fail him, so that he could no 

 longer see to draw, and we may imagine 

 what a deprivation it was to him to be 

 obliged to lay aside his pencil. He bore 

 his affliction with wonderful patience and 

 sweetness, but it was the beginning of the 

 end. In 1848 his mind, for sixty-eight years 

 so vigorous and active, entirely failed him, 

 and it was not until the day of his death, 

 three years later, that the light of intelli- 

 gence shone again from those eyes, hereto- 

 fore so keen and piercing. 



Cared for and protected by loving hearts 

 and tender hands, he passed down into the 

 Valley of the Shadow of Death, and on the 

 morning of January 27, 185 1, the long 

 adventurous, useful life ended. 



In a sketch of this nature it is not neces- 

 sary to enlarge upon Audubon's work, nor to 

 demonstrate its importance to science. The 

 world has already given its verdict as to these 

 points ; the name of Audubon has been in- 

 scribed high up on the roll of fame. Wilson, 

 Bonaparte, Swainson and Nuttall all did 

 their part toward making known the birds 

 of America, but Audubon differed from all 

 these as the artist differs from the skilled 

 mechanic. In their drawings, however ex- 

 act, the birds suggest immobility, in Audu- 

 bon's, arrested motion. Their figures lack 

 the true artist's insight, which, penetrating 

 beyond form, size and color, enabled him to 

 depict the birds as instinct with life, char- 

 acter and motion. Besides this, it was 

 Audubon's hai)py lot to live near to Nature's 

 heart, and to have her whisper to him se- 



crets that she withheld from others. Wil- 

 liam Swainson, in writing of the work in 

 the Natural History Magazine in May, 1828, 

 did but justice to the artistic aspect of 

 Audubon's work when he said: 



" It will depend upon the powerful and 

 the wealthy, whether Britain shall have the 

 honor of fostering such a magnificent under- 

 taking. It will be a lasting monument not 

 only to the memory of its author, but to 

 those who employ their wealth in patroniz- 

 ing genius, and in supporting the national 

 credit. If any publication deserves such a 

 distinction, it is surely this, inasmuch as it 

 exhibits a perfection in the higher attributes 

 of zoological painting never before at- 

 tempted. To represent the passions and 

 the feelings of birds, might, until now, have 

 been well deemed chimerical. Rarely, in- 

 deed, do we see their outlined forms repre- 

 sented with anything like nature. In my 

 estimation, not more than three painters ever 

 lived who could draw a bird. Of these the 

 lamented Barrabaud, of whom France may 

 justly be proud, was the chief. He has 

 long passed away; but his mantle has, at 

 length, been recovered in the forests of 

 America." 



Indomitable energy and perseverance 

 were two most striking attributes of Audu- 

 bon's character, and joined with these was 

 an enthusiasm and freshness that old age 

 could not subdue. His temperament was 

 sanguine, and he was never worn out by 

 delays, never defeated by disappointment. 

 He had an abiding faith in himself, and in 

 the ultimate accomplishment of his work. 

 For years he labored alone, facing with 

 smiling courage obstacles which would have 

 crushed hope out of the heart of a man less 

 vigorous. 



One person there was who from the be- 

 ginning shared his hopes and fears, who 

 encouraged him in times of depression 

 and doubt, who labored in order that he 

 might have money with which to carry on his 

 investigations, and who, whether by his side 



