FINAL FEVER SUMMARY!

Chapter 26:
A week and a half has passed since Mattie had last written and the three children caught the fever and the first frost is finally here! This proves to be a much needed relief for Mattie and Eliza. Joseph sends a message with food and the market is open again. As the strikingly thin Mattie cheerfully takes a trip down to the market she runs into Mrs. Epler who graciously provides her with some food. As she contemplates her future Nathaniel appears surprising her and walking him home as he tells stories of his experiences in the fever stricken city.

Chapter 27:
Nathaniel continues to visit with Mattie over the past week, free to wander the town that was gaining its population back. He continues to question on whether Mattie had heard from her mother which stirs confusion and doubt in her mind. Eliza makes a thanksgiving meal for the crew including Mother Smith. As Eliza attempts to avoid talk of Mrs. Cook, Mattie counters the conversation with a huge request: Eliza and Mattie creating a partnership to run the coffeehouse. Mother Smith seals the deal ending the conversation with authority and agreement upon Mattie's request just as a messenger from the coffee bean warehouse comes to the door. Mattie answers with tact and the Cook Coffeehouse is back in business.

Chapter 28:
Business is booming at the coffeehouse and the place is incredibly lively. Walls are lined with Nathaniels paintings and Mattie strategically passes free samples to prompt their customers to buy more. Nathaniel comes quickly yelling into the coffeehouse about the president being back in town. The capital city is booming with more people than it has seen in months and President Washington is led down High Street on a white horse. As Mattie gets carried away in her excitement she kisses Nathaniel. After the eventful presentation a carriage arrives at the door .. it's Mattie's mother!

Chapter 29:
As Mrs. Ludington and Mattie help mother into the kitchen of the coffeehouse the room stands to honor her. Mattie learns that mother had left for the Ludington's farm only a few days after she had sent her daughter along. Distraught by the fact that she couldn't find her baby she left the farm to find her, falling very ill. Mother literally worried herself sick and she had lost most of her strength. Mattie shares the story of her struggles and adaventures while mother was gone and then helps her up to bed.

Epilogue:
It is now December and we are given a glimpse of what a typical morning looks like for Mattie. She wakes before sunrise and heads to the kitchen careful not to wake anyone yet. She prepares coffee for herself and the breakfast table for the family. As she steps out the front door she reflects on the past few months, remembering the ways the city is the same as well as the many people who had passed. As the sun finally rises she heads inside to begin work.

Fever Summary : Chapters 22-25

Chapter 22
Mattie finds out from Eliza that Mother is still alive and she went to the farm to find Mattie and Grandfather.  We find out that Eliza is living with her brother, Joseph, and his twin boys, Robert and William.  Mother Smith, an elderly woman with a cane, is introduced.  Mattie and Eliza sit down to talk and discuss everything that has happened to Mattie since they have last seen each other.  Eliza talks about the help she offers through the Free African Society.

Chapter 23
Mother Smith acts like Mother to Mattie, saying "They would have gotten along famously, complaining about me and out-scrubbing each other." (179).  Mother Smith tells Mattie she is being selfish and cruel by not taking Nell to the orphanage.  Mattie struggles with what she should do.  Eliza agrees with Mother Smith so Mattie and Eliza go to take Nell to the orphan house.  When they get there, a lady answers the door and tells them that the orphan house is overcrowded and to only leave Nell if it is the absolute last option.  Mattie decides to keep Nell and is very excited about it.  Eliza gossips about the chaos going on with the Ogilvie's.  On their walk back, they see a hand dropping daisies out of a window.  They realize it is Mr. Peale's house, the painter.  They knock but no one answers so they leave.  In the end of this chapter, Mattie decides to help Eliza at the Society.

Chapter 24
Mattie struggles getting used to the emotion and smell while helping Eliza take care of the sick.  They visit three more sick families before they call it a night.  They come home to Joseph who is crying, soon to find out the twins have become ill.  Eliza is frantic to think of a way to help them.  Mattie suggests hot water and going to Bush Hill, both ideas shot down by Eliza.  Then, Mattie think of places cool with windows and suddenly shouts out, "The coffeehouse!"

Chapter 25
Eliza and Mattie pack up the wagon with the twins and Nell and head out for the coffeehouse, leaving Joseph and Mother Smith behind.  Eliza and Mattie struggle to keep up with the sick children needing so much attention 24/7.  They lose track of time and there seems to be no distinction between night and day to them.  Eliza wants to get a doctor to bleed the three kids but Mattie talks her out of it, remembering that the French doctors at Bush Hill said it did not help.  Eliza finally agrees with Mattie and goes to sleep.  Mattie stays awake for awhile reminiscing on the day when Mr. Blanchard took off in his hot-air balloon and her and Nathaniel watched on a clear January morning.

Sumary: Chapters 18-21

Chapter 18

Since Matilda and Grandfather were safely back at their home, they took advantage of the food, warm water, and serenity for a minute. Mattie let Grandfather sleep softly as she gathered a few things for them to eat and cleaned up the kitchen. When Grandfather was done resting, they both talked and wondered about where Eliza and Mother were. Mattie prayed and they both fell asleep for the night.

Chapter 19

            Mattie woke in the middle of the night when she heard weird sounds and footsteps in her house. Two men had climbed in through the window and were looking to take what was left of their belongings. They both figured that no one was home because the house still looked deserted. Then men took Mattie’s prized chess set along with more items they found. They started handling Grandfather’s sword. That’s when Mattie stood out of bed and away from hiding. She knew they could not take the sword. She ran through the kitchen and through the yard to get help, but the men caught up to her. Grandfather heard the commotion and woke up to step in. One of the men pushed Grandfather to the ground. Grandfather got ahold of his gun and by the time he counted to three, he fired at the taller man, but missed. After more fighting, the men fled. At the end of the chapter, Grandfather could no longer hold on, and passed away.

Chapter 20

            This chapter starts out with Mattie hearing a man outside. He was pushing a cart carrying two corpses. He was asking for the dead. With much hesitation, Mattie decided to bring her Grandfather down to the man. She walked with him to the place where they have been burying everyone. Before burying Grandfather, Mattie prayed out loud with the other men there. After the prayers, Mattie wandered the street looking for signs of life. She also wanted to find Mother. In order to do this, she entered the Federal Gazette office in hopes of putting an advertisement in the paper. After being turned down because of the lack of paper, Mattie left the store. She continued down the street in search of Mother.

Chapter 21

Mattie came across a doll on the ground which belonged to a young girl, Nell. Mattie brought Nell along with her during the search for signs of Mother. During her search, they surprisingly found Eliza. Mattie and Eliza gave each other big hugs as the chapter closes.

Summary: Chapters 13-17

Chapter 13:

                Mattie awakes on the side of the road where the farmer left Mattie and her grandfather to find that grandfather is still very sick. She gets up to get more water for herself and grandfather. When she gets to the stream she enjoys how cold the water is on her bare feet. As Mattie stands in the stream she starts to think about Nathaniel. At the stream Mattie also tries to get food for her and grandfather. She finds some berries by the stream and also sees fish swimming through the stream. She takes off her petticoat and decides to try to catch a fish. As she is about to catch a trout, King George gets in her face and knocks her into the stream. Mattie doesn’t catch any fish but brings back berries for her and grandfather to eat. She also went to search for a farm to get some food, but when the farmer sees her coming he runs into his house and locks Mattie out. The farmer does not want any fever victims around his house and family. On the way back to grandfather from the farm Mattie starts to find some fruit trees. Before she makes it back to grandfather, Mattie starts feeling the fruit in her hands get real heavy. Before she can make it back to grandfather, Mattie passes out.

Chapter 14:

                Mattie started having weird dreams at the beginning of the chapter from her spout with the fever. When Mattie finally woke up she found herself in Bush Hill hospital. The Bush Hill hospital was a hospital for victims of the yellow fever. When Mattie found out where she was she began to freak out because Bush Hill was not an acceptable place for her. The nurse who had been taking care of her, Mrs. Flagg, explained that Bush Hill was under new management. Stephen Girad had put all new French doctors in Bush Hill and brought in all kinds of supplies to the new and improved Bush Hill. Mrs. Flagg said it was not Mr. Girad that knew how to cure the fever but instead that it was the French doctors who knew how to cure the fever.  Grandfather was healthy enough again and he began flirting with Mrs. Flagg. Grandfather also explained to Matilda that he had returned home to see the shop locked up with no sign of Mother, and had not heard from her since they left.

Chapter 15:

                After 10 days of being at Bush Hill, Mattie was moved out to the barn. Mattie was more alert and started asking more questions about what would happen next, but nobody answered her questions. The barn was a relief for Mattie because it didn’t have people who were yelling out in pain or people telling horrible stories of what is going on in the outside world. Even at this stage, she is still worried about Nathaniel.  Grandfather was still helping out around Bush Hill. Grandfather was helping serve food and burn the soiled mattresses and sheets. After 6 more days of being in the barn, Mattie is released from Bush Hill. As the clerk was discharging Mattie he tried to send her to the orphanage. Grandfather told the clerk that as long as he was alive nobody in his family would be going to the orphanage. The clerk seemed disappointed because he was really pushing the orphanage.

Chapter 16:

                Mattie and grandfather took a wagon home to Philadelphia. Mrs. Bowles was also in the wagon and she also was trying to convince Mattie to come to the orphanage. Mrs. Bowles promised Mattie food, clothing, warmth as well as wages for the help she would be offering. Mrs. Bowles said that Mattie should help out because she already had the fever, so she couldn’t get sick again. As the trip continued back to Philadelphia she began to see just what the fever has done to the city. She sees dead people thrown out of their houses by their families, as well as people getting buried with a coffin.

Chapter 17:

                Mattie and grandfather return to the coffee house to see that the place has been ransacked. There are broken chairs and broken pottery all over the floors. The clock and candle sticks are missing, as well as all the food the Eliza had stocked up on. Mattie then rushed upstairs to find that nothing had been taking from the upstairs and the strong box is safe. There is still no sign of Eliza or Mother though. Mattie sends grandfather to bed because his face his red, he is breathing heavy, and his arm isn’t responding. She has decided to clean up the coffee house and find food from the garden all by herself. Mattie was only able to find a few green beans and some squash that the mice had already starting eating. Mattie thought that the green beans had tasted a little bad, then she remembered she hadn’t prayed yet.

Fever 2 Chapter 7-12

Summary Fever 2 (7-12)

In chapter 7 Matilda and her mom go to the Ogilvie mansion where her mom is trying to see if Pernilla Olgavie’s sons are single and hook one of them up with Matilda. When they go to visit Matilda is wearing her best outfit which wasn’t near as nice as the Olgavie’s outfits. Matilda was very cautious as to how she moved because she didn’t want to rip her outfit due to the lack of quality of the material. Matilda meets the daughters, Colette and Jeannine who were spoiled and quite snobby. Jeannine saw Matilda reaching for the cakes and moved the plate so she couldn’t and passed it the opposite direction as Matilda and the other stuck out her tuck at her too. It didn’t take long for Matilda to see that she didn’t belong to the upper class people especially when they were putting down the coffeehouse and calling it the Grog shop where criminal and other dregs of society gathered to drink whiskey and fight.   

In chapter 8, Colette has the fever and Grandfather and Matilda go to the African Society meeting that is talking about the fever. A letter from the major gets printed with advice from the college of physicians on yellow fever. Grandfather, having been in a war thinks that you just face this soldier with a sword and run it through it. He has a hard time understanding why everyone is running from it instead of riding it out and facing it. Grandfather and Matilda pass a man limping and dressed in dark rags pushing a cart. They wonder where he is going and follow him. They soon come to a conclusion that he is taking a poor sick person to the Rickette’s Circus where the poor sick people go to die. Instead the man continues and stops in front of the coffeehouse where he dumps a woman, it was Mother.

Chapter 9 and 10, they get mother in the house and get her cleaned up and to bed. Grandfather has a doctor come look at her and insists that it is definitely not yellow fever. The doctor turns out to be an imposter and a real doctor confirms that she has yellow fever. Matilda wants to stay and take care of her but mother yells and insists that she leave immediately so she doesn’t get sick. She then wants to take mother with her but the doctor lets them know that no town will let her in and that grandfather should hire a wagon as soon as possible to take them because they are scarce as hens teeth. Because Mother has yellow fever they have to tie a yellow cloth on the doors and close the coffeehouse. The next morning, the wagon arrives. It’s a farmer and his wife with their little baby that is going to take them. Matilda gives her goodbyes and off they go leaving home. While on their way they run into four horsemen with muskets. They have to stop and get off to let a doctor check them for the fever because no one is allowed to pass through if they are carrying the fever. While the farmer was being checked Grandfather breaks off into a coughing fit. This brings suspicion and they order for them to take him back to the city. The farmer panics and leaves them hanging with no food, water, or clothing.

Chapter 12, Grandfather is getting sicker by the minute and they have no food or water to help him get his energy back. Grandfather couldn’t go any farther they had to stop a rest. They decide to rest under a chestnut tree and Matilda decides she needs to find water and food. Using her old soldier tricks that grandfather taught her she finds water by following the willow trees and while getting water she finds berries for them to eat too.

Summary: Chapters 1-6

            Matilda is a girl who lives with her widowed mother. Her mother has very high expectations for Matilda. Whenever the housekeeper is late or fails to show up, Matilda is responsible to begin the day’s duties. Matilda adores the waterfront, where her mother forbids her to go for fear that she will become ill, although she looks for any opportunity to make long detours while out on errands to visit her favorite spot.
           
            They run a coffee house, along with their grandfather, out of their house. Eliza, a free African American, works for them as a cook for the coffeehouse. She is saving her money to set her husband free of slavery and is sure to take special care of Matilda. Polly is a servant at their house and is late today. She has become a long-time friend to Matilda. There is sickness in the air but mother assures Matilda that “serving girls don’t get sick”. Since Polly is not there to run the errands to the market, Matilda volunteers to go and look for Polly while she is out, but mother won’t allow it.

            Upon her return, she tells Polly that Polly has died. It was a sudden. Matilda is in shock and wants to go see Polly’s family, but mother does not want her to. That day in the coffeehouse, grandfather and many of the other men begin talking about the illnesses that seem to be coming from the refugees living at the waterfront. A doctor interrupts the conversation and says that it is not just the refugees, but that the disease yellow fever is in the air again. The people in the coffeehouse quickly jump to the conclusion that doctors make people worry about unnecessary things and that moving farther into the country would be unnecessary.

            Weeks later, more people had died. They needed items from the market and mother was extremely exhausted so they ended up sending Matilda as grandfather suggested. Mother was still worried about this because she felt like the sickness was coming from the water’s edge. There was a lot of fever talk in the market. While there she sees a long lost friend, Nathaniel. He had the day off from his job as a painter and was going fishing. He asked Matilda to join him and although it was tempting because she enjoyed being herself around him, she knew that she needed to get back home. Before she left she heard the church bells ringing. Another person had died of the fever.

            After more weeks have gone by, they begin to talk about making a bigger coffeehouse as people begin to move away from the waterfront in hopes of avoiding the fever. Mother thinks this is an irrational idea. Later that day, mother and Matilda are invited to afternoon tea with Pernilla Ogilvie. Mother thinks this is a wonderful idea because she had a handsome son that she thought would be good for Matilda. They struggle to find clothes in their home that are good enough to wear to tea with Pernilla Ogilvie. As chapter 6 comes to a close, they are headed out the door to tea and grandpa thinks Matilda looks like a “china doll”.