Fever 1793: Chapter 24 Summary & Analysis

Mattie is unprepared for the heartache among the sick. Dying strangers at Bush Hill were sad; a dying mother surrounded by her children leaves Mattie in tears. But Mattie faithfully accompanies Eliza from dawn to dark. The heat and the fever persist, and Philadelphia is awash with rumors. When she hears the rumors, Eliza just shakes her head and tells Mattie they have work to do.

One day Eliza is infuriated by the unjust prices charged by Mr. Barrett, the apothecary. She says that pharmacists and coffin makers are the only ones benefiting from the epidemic. They go on to tend to several suffering families. Mattie stays by Eliza’s side all day, prompting Eliza to raise her eyebrow and say, “Never knew you to look for extra work.”

When the two return to the cooperage, eager for supper, they find the house dark and silent. They discover Joseph sitting before the fire with his face in his hands; he’s weeping. The twins are panting on the bed; Nell is feverish, too. Seeing their condition, even Eliza is shaken. Mattie thinks about what to do. Her attention is drawn to the window, and she realizes that the children need fresher air. She tells Eliza, “We’ll take them to the coffeehouse.”