Fever 1793 By Anna Caroline Adams

Fever 1793

By Anna Caroline Adams

Matilda Cook, also known as Mattie, is the 14 year old daughter of Lucille Cook, also known as Mother, and the granddaughter of Captain William Farnsworth Cook, also known as Grandfather. When Matilda was younger her father fell off a ladder and died 2 months before the Coffeehouse opened. Mattie lives above the Coffeehouse with her mother, Grandfather, her Grandfather’s pet parrot King George, and her pet cat Silas. The Cook’s owned a coffee house where a black girl named Eliza works. Eliza is Matilda’s best friend. Matilda also had a maid named Polly. Polly didn’t show to work so Mother went to look for her. When Mother returned she said Polly was dead. After about a week people started saying there’s a fever coming from the river. Everyone was avoiding stores

Mattie hides in the dark and then she starts running towards the garden. The tall of the robbers catches her and brings her back to the house. Grandfather wakes up and gets his rifle. The short robber leaves but the tall one is not afraid. Grandfather shoots but misses. The tall robber jumps on Grandfather and chokes him. Mattie grabs the sword and cuts the robbers shoulder. After she threatens to cut his heart out the robber dashes away. When the robber leaves Grandfather, trying to stay alive, tells Mattie that he loves her and then dies. When morning came she puts Grandfather in the cart and they bury him. She went looking around town and hears a child crying in a house. She walks in and sitting in a corner is a baby girl whose mother had died. The girl’s name was Nell and her mother was a fever victim. After walking around, neighbors tell Mattie to look for the women delivering care baskets. While she was looking she saw a woman who looked like Eliza so she started following her. Mattie finally called her name and Eliza