Fever 1793: Chapter 29 Summary & Analysis

Mattie dashes into her mother’s arms. Lucille feels “like a frail bird.” At last she breaks away from Mattie and introduces her friend, Mrs. Ludington. Mattie, Mrs. Ludington, and Nathaniel escort her into the coffeehouse. As they do so, the customers fall silent, and each man stands out of respect for Lucille. Eliza comes from the kitchen, crying, to embrace Lucille. She pours coffee for them all and leaves them in the kitchen to catch up.

Mrs. Ludington explains that Lucille is still recovering from the fever; the doctors say it’s a miracle she survived. When she came to the Ludington farm and realized Mattie was missing, Lucille was “frantic,” taking one of their horses to search for Mattie herself. The Ludingtons found her beside the road two days later, near death. Her heart was damaged by the exertion; the doctor has instructed her to “live a life of leisure.” Mrs. Ludington wants her to sell the coffeehouse and move to the country.

After Mrs. Ludington leaves, Mattie tells Lucille about Grandfather’s death. At last, Mother’s eyes well with tears as she tells Mattie how desperately she searched for her. Mattie hushes her and cradles her mother’s head on her shoulder, assuring her that she no longer has to worry. As she continues to tell her mother the details of her survival, she marvels at the stillness of her mother’s hands. She “had a sudden sense of what was to come and […] blinked away the tears.”