CHAPTEE XVII 



THE SICK BOY WAGON TALES 



One day there came a hasty messenger to Mrs. Audu- 

 bon in Louisiana bearing a letter marked " In haste." She 

 broke the seal and read: 



" Victor is very sick of the fever; he lies in the wagon 

 at Beechwood under the trees. He calls for you con- 

 stantly — ' Mother, mother! ' " 



" I must go to him," said Mrs. Audubon. 



" The journey is a long one and will be hard," said 

 her friends. 



" But I can not stay," said Mrs. Audubon. " Did ever 

 a woman hesitate at the call of ' mother ' ? " 



" He may have the yellow fever," said an alarmed 

 servant. " The country is full of it this fall." 



" That does not matter; I must go to him. He calls 

 ' mother ' ! " 



It was early autumn — the still, dry time of the year. 



The river towns were almost deserted on account of the 



fever. The intense heat of the summer continued; the 



roads were dusty, and the stage-drivers rode with fear past 



the great plantations on account of the sickness. 



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