Authors: William Souder
235
  Â
Amazingly, the Havells sweetened the deal
Ibid.
235
  Â
In early August he wrote to Lucy
Ibid.
235
  Â
Audubon now told Lucy he imagined
Ibid.
235
  Â
Meanwhile, he repeatedly insisted
Ibid. Audubon reminded Lucy of this in other letters as well.
235
  Â
Early that fall, Audubon wrote to Victor
Audubon to Victor Audubon, August 25, 1827 (Beinecke).
236
  Â
In late September, Audubon again wrote to Lucy
Audubon to Lucy Audubon, September 20, 1827 (Beinecke). Apparently, Lucy had recently written to accept Audubon's proposal that she join him around New Year's. In this response, Audubon repeats, as always, his eagerness to be with Lucy againâbut now he tells her to make no move until she hears from him with instructions.
236
  Â
By the middle of November
Audubon to Lucy Audubon, November 12, 1827, and November 25, 1827 (Beinecke).
236
  Â
He said the Scottish people's reputation
Audubon to Lucy Audubon, November 25, 1827 (Beinecke).
237
  Â
Perhaps less certain of himself
Ibid.
237
  Â
Audubon reported that his health was fine
Ibid.
237
  Â
He admitted that he was a hopeless
Ibid.
237
  Â
Audubon signed off saying he was due
Ibid.
238
  Â
Back in London
Audubon to Lucy Audubon, February 24, 1828 (Beinecke).
238
  Â
He did mention that he was thinking of going
Audubon to Lucy Audubon, March 17, 1828 (Beinecke).
238
  Â
Evidently Lucy worried that
Ibid.
238
  Â
In another letter a few days later
Audubon to Lucy Audubon, March 22, 1828 (Beinecke).
238
  Â
In August he wrote to say
Audubon to Lucy Audubon, August 8, 1828 (Beinecke).
238
  Â
Once again, he told his “dearest friend”
Ibid.
238
  Â
But instead of contemplating a return
Ibid.
239
  Â
In June she'd written to Victor
Lucy Audubon to Victor Audubon, June 15, 1828 (Beinecke).
239
  Â
“What he really means I cannot tell”
Ibid.
239
  Â
He heard that he was being made fun of
Ford,
John James Audubon
, pages 216, 219â20.
239
  Â
Feeling especially low one day
Ibid., page 222.
239
  Â
They'd met after Audubon was approached
Ibid., page 224.
240
  Â
Swainson bluntly told Audubon
William Swainson to Audubon, April 9, 1828 (Linnaean Society Archives).
240
  Â
“I assure you my dear sir”
Audubon to William Swainson, Ibid.
240
  Â
Audubon, who still suffered
Audubon to William Swainson, April 18, 1828 (Linnaean Society Archives).
240
  Â
He hoped someday that he and Lucy
Audubon to William Swainson, June 16, 1828 (Linnaean Society Archives).
240
  Â
At the beginning of July
Audubon to William Swainson, July 1, 1828 (Linnaean Society Archives).
241
  Â
She informed him that she had borrowed some money
Ford,
John James Audubon
, page 229.
241
  Â
He told Swainson that thoughts of suicide
Audubon to William Swainson, August 9, 1828 (Linnaean Society Archives).
241
  Â
Then, out of the blue, he asked Swainson
Ibid.
241
  Â
Audubon spent the next few weeks
Audubon wrote a series of notes to Swainson during the balance of August, outlining itineraries, ports of departure, etc. (Linnaean Society Archives).
241
  Â
Audubon, accompanied by William Swainson
Ford,
John James Audubon
, page 231.
241
  Â
He wrote back to say that he was happy
Audubon to Victor Audubon, November 10, 1828, and December 22, 1828 (Beinecke).
241
  Â
Audubon had learned that Lucy was disappointed
Ford,
John James Audubon
, page 241.
241
  Â
In fact, the rooms above the Havells' shop
Audubon to Victor Audubon, December 22, 1828 (Beinecke).
242
  Â
He continually pored over
Ibid.
242
  Â
Just before Christmas
Audubon to William Swainson, December 20, 1828 (Linnaean Society Archives).
242
  Â
Audubon had to decline the Swainsons' suggestion
Audubon to William Swainson, December 25, 1828 (Linnaean Society Archives).
242
  Â
And he was angry enough when
Ibid.
242
  Â
Sometime after the first of the year
Audubon to Lucy Audubon, January 20, 1829 (Beinecke).
242
  Â
Lucy, devastated by Audubon's recent letters
Lucy Audubon to Victor Audubon, January 19, 1829 (Princeton University Library). It's ironic, to say the least, that within one day of each otherâessentially at the same instant after more than two years apartâAudubon and Lucy each decided to cross an ocean to join the other.
242
  Â
In mid-January of 1829, Lucy wrote to Victor
Ibid.
243
  Â
At virtually the same moment
Audubon to Lucy Audubon, January 20, 1829 (Beinecke).
244
  Â
Audubon was also seriously worried about
Audubon to Lucy Audubon, February 1, 1829 (Beinecke).
244
  Â
The mail was so slow
Lucy Audubon to Audubon, February 8, 1829 (Princeton University Library).
244
  Â
Unsure if he was getting her letters
Ibid.
245
  Â
But he told her it was really the only way
Audubon to Lucy Audubon, February 1, 1829 (Beinecke).
15. MY GREAT WORK
246
  Â
Audubon, now in his mid-forties
Ford,
John James Audubon
, page 245.
246
  Â
On April 25, 1830
Herrick,
Audubon the Naturalist
, vol. I, page 437. Herrick has the Audubons departing New York on April 1, and this is one of the two possible embarkation dates Audubon had mentioned in a letter to Havell several months earlier. Alice Ford states that the Audubons arrived in Liverpool on April 2, 1830, but this can't be. They were still in Louisville as late as March 2, when Audubon wrote out his will and sent it to Victor. They could not have gotten to Englandâwith stops in Washington, D.C., and New Yorkâby the beginning of April. Everyone agrees that it must have been a rough crossing that lasted twenty-five days, which is what Audubon said in a note to Swainson shortly after their arrival. (Audubon to William Swainson, May 5, 1830 [Linnaean Society Archives].)
246
  Â
Rather than rush to Bayou Sara
Audubon to Lucy Audubon, May 10, 1829, and Audubon to Victor Audubon, July 18, 1829 (Beinecke).
246
  Â
Apparently still convinced
Audubon to Lucy Audubon, May 10, 1829 (Beinecke).
246
  Â
In an odd, quasi-legal plea
Ibid.
247
  Â
Audubon again turned to Victor
Audubon to Victor Audubon, July 18, 1829 (Beinecke).
247
  Â
Apparently there had been something like
Ibid.
247
  Â
When Havell wrote a troubled letter
Audubon to Robert Havell Jr., July 7, 1829 (Houghton).
247
  Â
Bonaparte was certainly good for the money
Ibid.
247
  Â
Audubon's friend Dr. Richard Harlan
Ford,
John James Audubon
, page 257.
248
  Â
He passed most of the month of August
Audubon to Victor Audubon, August 25, 1829 (Beinecke).
248
  Â
By October, though he'd found not a single
Audubon to Robert Havell Jr., October 24, 1829 (Houghton).
248
  Â
He'd also found a new partner
Audubon to Lucy Audubon, October 11, 1829 (Beinecke).
248
  Â
Audubon said he would be at Louisville
Ibid.
248
  Â
Although she had begun packing
Lucy Audubon to Audubon, August 29, 1829 (Beinecke).
248
  Â
Lucy said that if she remained
Lucy Audubon to Audubon September 27, 1829 (Beinecke).
248
  Â
“You
must choose
what I shall do”
Ibid.
248
  Â
Lucy added that her savings
Ibid.
249
  Â
“I thought that I would feel sufficiently settled”
Audubon to Lucy Audubon, February 6, 1828 (Beinecke).
249
  Â
“
I do not look to anything like labour”
Lucy Audubon to Audubon, August 29, 1829 (Beinecke).
249
  Â
Lucy still hoped Audubon might come
Lucy Audubon to Audubon, October 11, 1829 (Beinecke).
249
  Â
When Audubon told her he'd cut his hair
Lucy Audubon to Audubon, June 12, 1829 (Beinecke).
249
  Â
In fact, she'd grown older
Lucy Audubon to Audubon, March 27, 1829 (Beinecke).
249
  Â
“I live, and regulate all concerns”
Ibid.
250
  Â
“I am gray quite,” she said
Lucy Audubon to Audubon, June 12, 1829 (Beinecke).
250
  Â
“You say you must not speak”
Lucy Audubon to Audubon, February 2, 1829 (Beinecke).
250
  Â
Instead he collected his gun and dog
Audubon to Robert Havell Jr., October 27, 1829 (Houghton).
250
  Â
Victor was so much taller and more mature-looking
Buchanan (ed.),
The Life and Adventures of John James Audubon
, page 169.
250
  Â
At dawn he walked in on her
Ibid. Again, contrary to this account, Alice Ford states that it was on this occasion, and not on his earlier return from Philadelphia, that Audubon found Bayou Sara deserted due to a yellow fever outbreak, borrowed a horse, and lost his way in the night before finally getting home. Audubon and Lucy both mention the presence of yellow fever at Bayou Sara in their letters at this time, though for the reasons stated earlier I prefer the version I've given here. Either way it is a small matter, and seems to depend on which of two mangled versions of Audubon's journals you choose to believe. The more compelling questionâwhich unfortunately is answered nowhere in the recordâis how Audubon and Lucy patched things up when he finally came home after an absence of more than three years.
250
  Â
One of the subscriptions he'd managed to sell
Ibid., page 170.
250
  Â
Before leaving Victor and Johnny in Louisville
Audubon to Victor Audubon, March 2, 1830 (Beinecke).
251
  Â
Children had written to say
John George Children to Audubon, November 23, 1829 (Beinecke).
251
  Â
Audubon wrote to Havell
Audubon to Robert Havell Jr., January 29, 1830 (Houghton).
251
  Â
After they got to England
Audubon to Lucy Audubon, April 30, 1830 (Beinecke), and Audubon to Robert Havell Jr., June 7, 1830 (Houghton).
251
  Â
When the Audubons finally got to London
“Chronological Register of Fellows,” Royal Society Archives. Audubon was elected to membership on March 18, 1830.