Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 31.djvu/709

Rh was compelled to work for a living. He took up the drawing of crayon-portraits with much success, and is said to have seemed to get a new start in life. In a short time he received an invitation to become a curator of the museum at Cincinnati, and for the preparation of birds received a liberal remuneration. In conjunction with this situation he opened a drawing-school in the same city, and obtained from this employment additional emolument sufficient to support his family comfortably. His teaching succeeded well until several of his pupils started on their own account. The work at the museum having been finished, Audubon fell back upon his portrait-painting and such resources as his genius could command. Applying for assistance to an old friend whom he had helped into business, the ungrateful wretch declared he would do nothing for his benefactor, and further added that he would not even recommend one who had such wandering habits. On more occasions than this his genius for discovery was made an argument against him.

In October, 1820, Audubon left Cincinnati, and sailed down the Ohio in company with Captain Cumming, an engineer, who had been appointed to make a survey of the Mississippi River. He was provided with letters of introduction from General Harrison and Henry Clay, and intended a long ornithological excursion through Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, up Red River, and down the Arkansas. At Bayou Sara, in the following June, he accepted an engagement with Mrs. Perrie to teach her daughter drawing during the summer months at sixty dollars a month. Mrs. Perrie's real aim is supposed to have been to provide for Audubon an opportunity to carry on his pursuits under the guise of an employment which would be congenial and not interfere with his work. Later in the year he was invited to join another artist in painting a panorama of New Orleans. But, he wrote in his journal, "My birds, my beloved birds of America, occupy all my time, and nearly all my thoughts, and I do not wish to see any other perspective than the last specimen of those drawings."

For the first two months of 1822 it is written by his wife in her "Life," "the records of Audubon's life are sparse and imperfect, on account of his inability to purchase a book to write his journal in!" The one at last obtained was made of thin, poor paper, and the records entered are rather in keeping with his financial difficulties. It took all his means at this time to supply his family with the necessaries of life; and in order to obtain money to educate the children, his wife undertook the duties of a situation in which she had charge of and educated the offspring of a Mr. Brand. They afterward removed to Natchez, where Audubon drew and taught drawing in the college at Washington, Mississippi, and Mrs. Audubon taught; and then to Bayou Sara, Louisiana, where Mrs. Audubon established a school, with the proceeds of which she was enabled to aid materially in the publication of the "Birds," and Audubon assisted her by teaching music and dancing. A member of one