Read Online Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Laurie Halse Anderson
Tags: Fiction, Juvenile Nonfiction, Action & Adventure - General, Survival, Children: Grades 4-6, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Epidemics, Children's 9-12 - Fiction - Historical, Historical - United States - Colonial, Health & Daily Living - Diseases, Yellow fever, Health & Daily Living - Diseases; Illnesses &
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for the small purse hidden in my pocket and nudged Grandfather with my elbow. The farmer let his hand drop to the knife handle rising up
80
from his boot. The baby wailed and the horse shifted nervously in his traces. The riders advanced.
One of the men lifted his hat.
"Don't be afraid, we mean you no harm."
The farmer's hand stayed on the knife.
"You are entering Pembroke," said a second man. "Planning on staying here?"
"Just passing through," said the farmer. "I'm taking these folks on up to Gwynedd, and the wife and me are heading for her mother's in Bethlehem."
"We don't have any money," said the farmer's wife.
The first man took a piece of paper from under his coat.
"We aren't highwaymen, Ma'am. We have been authorized by the town council to keep out fever victims. I have to ask you to step down so our doctor here can have a look at you. If you aren't sick, you can pass through town. If you are, you'll have to turn around."
The farmer jumped to the ground. His wife handed their baby down to him, then hopped into the dust herself. I shook Grandfather to wake him. The doctor examined the little family, peering under their eyelids and looking down their throats. I shook Grandfather harder.
"Wake up," I said. "There is a doctor who must see us."
He didn't move. Something twisted inside me. I pinched his nose.
"Grandfather," I said, my voice louder. "Please wake up."
43
"Is there a problem here, Miss?" The doctor walked to the side of the wagon. He opened one of Grandfather's eyes with his lingers. Grandfather woke with a start.
"What in the name of heaven!" Grandfather shouted. He broke off into a coughing fit. "Water," he croaked.
I looked at the men on horseback.
"Can he have some water, please? We have been traveling in the sun all morning."
The men looked at each other and at the doctor. Grandfather stopped coughing and leaned back wearily.
"I'm fine, child. I can wait until we get to the farm. I seem to have contracted a summer grippe." He tried to sit up straighter. "No need for further delay. Off we go!"
The doctor stepped back and covered his mouth with his hand.
"Take this man back to the city," he commanded. "He is infected with disease."
"No!" the farmer shouted.
One of the horsemen turned his horse and galloped away.
"Nonsense," Grandfather said. "There's nothing wrong. . . ." He broke off coughing again. I stared in horror, first at Grandfather, then at the doctor.
"You must help him," I cried. "If he is sick, you must help him."
The farmer grabbed me under the arms, pulled me from the wagon, and threw me onto the road. He and the
&
doctor lifted Grandfather and deposited him beside me. King George squawked and circled above the commotion.
"They aren't my family," the farmer said as he motioned for his wife to climb aboard. "They only rode in back the last mile or so. They was walking and we picked them up."
"He's lying!" I shouted.
"I don't have no fever," the farmer continued. "My wife and baby are healthy. Let me just drive through so I can get to Bethlehem by nightfall. We won't stop for nothing."
The doctor nodded to the leader of the group.
"Go ahead," the man said. "Make haste."
The farmer brought the whip down with all his strength, and the wagon lurched forward. I stared, mouth open, as the wagon disappeared into a cloud of dust. Our food, our clothing-gone. This couldn't be happening.
"Go back to Philadelphia," the doctor advised. "There are physicians there who will treat you. You can't stay here."
"We can't walk!" I protested. "It's miles!"
"Have you no mercy?" asked Grandfather.
The leader of the group looked down on him.
"We have to take care of our own, Sir."
Grandfather glared at the man. I had never seen him so angry. He looked as if he wanted to run the man through with his sword. But he just stared.
"And I shall look after mine," Grandfather vowed. "I shall look after mine."
44
CHAPTER TWELVE
September 8th, 1793
Our inhumane neighbors, instead of
80
from his boot. The baby wailed and the horse shifted nervously in his traces. The riders advanced.
One of the men lifted his hat.
"Don't be afraid, we mean you no harm."
The farmer's hand stayed on the knife.
"You are entering Pembroke," said a second man. "Planning on staying here?"
"Just passing through," said the farmer. "I'm taking these folks on up to Gwynedd, and the wife and me are heading for her mother's in Bethlehem."
"We don't have any money," said the farmer's wife.
The first man took a piece of paper from under his coat.
"We aren't highwaymen, Ma'am. We have been authorized by the town council to keep out fever victims. I have to ask you to step down so our doctor here can have a look at you. If you aren't sick, you can pass through town. If you are, you'll have to turn around."
The farmer jumped to the ground. His wife handed their baby down to him, then hopped into the dust herself. I shook Grandfather to wake him. The doctor examined the little family, peering under their eyelids and looking down their throats. I shook Grandfather harder.
"Wake up," I said. "There is a doctor who must see us."
He didn't move. Something twisted inside me. I pinched his nose.
"Grandfather," I said, my voice louder. "Please wake up."
43
"Is there a problem here, Miss?" The doctor walked to the side of the wagon. He opened one of Grandfather's eyes with his lingers. Grandfather woke with a start.
"What in the name of heaven!" Grandfather shouted. He broke off into a coughing fit. "Water," he croaked.
I looked at the men on horseback.
"Can he have some water, please? We have been traveling in the sun all morning."
The men looked at each other and at the doctor. Grandfather stopped coughing and leaned back wearily.
"I'm fine, child. I can wait until we get to the farm. I seem to have contracted a summer grippe." He tried to sit up straighter. "No need for further delay. Off we go!"
The doctor stepped back and covered his mouth with his hand.
"Take this man back to the city," he commanded. "He is infected with disease."
"No!" the farmer shouted.
One of the horsemen turned his horse and galloped away.
"Nonsense," Grandfather said. "There's nothing wrong. . . ." He broke off coughing again. I stared in horror, first at Grandfather, then at the doctor.
"You must help him," I cried. "If he is sick, you must help him."
The farmer grabbed me under the arms, pulled me from the wagon, and threw me onto the road. He and the
&
doctor lifted Grandfather and deposited him beside me. King George squawked and circled above the commotion.
"They aren't my family," the farmer said as he motioned for his wife to climb aboard. "They only rode in back the last mile or so. They was walking and we picked them up."
"He's lying!" I shouted.
"I don't have no fever," the farmer continued. "My wife and baby are healthy. Let me just drive through so I can get to Bethlehem by nightfall. We won't stop for nothing."
The doctor nodded to the leader of the group.
"Go ahead," the man said. "Make haste."
The farmer brought the whip down with all his strength, and the wagon lurched forward. I stared, mouth open, as the wagon disappeared into a cloud of dust. Our food, our clothing-gone. This couldn't be happening.
"Go back to Philadelphia," the doctor advised. "There are physicians there who will treat you. You can't stay here."
"We can't walk!" I protested. "It's miles!"
"Have you no mercy?" asked Grandfather.
The leader of the group looked down on him.
"We have to take care of our own, Sir."
Grandfather glared at the man. I had never seen him so angry. He looked as if he wanted to run the man through with his sword. But he just stared.
"And I shall look after mine," Grandfather vowed. "I shall look after mine."
44
CHAPTER TWELVE
September 8th, 1793
Our inhumane neighbors, instead of
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