8 JOHN JAMES AUDUBON 
That he realised how crude his early 
efforts were is shown by his saying: 
‘“‘My pencil gave birth to a family of 
cripples.’? His steady progress, too, is 
shown in his custom, on every birthday, 
of burning these ‘Crippled’ drawings, 
then setting to work to make better, 
truer ones. 
His father returning from a sea voy- 
age, probably when the son was about 
twenty years old, was not well pleased 
with the progress that the boy was mak- 
ing in his studies. One morning soon - 
after, Audubon found himself with his 
trunk and his belongings in a private 
carriage, beside his father, on his way to 
the city of Rochefort. The father oc- 
cupied himself with a book and hardly 
spoke to his son during the several days 
of the journey, though there was no 
anger in his face. After they were 
settled in their new abode, he seated his 
son beside him and taking one of his 
hands in his, calmly said: ‘‘ My beloved 
