The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-08-11
ROSA BONHhUR.

turc castle. Its lrrcgulurity ls ite greatest
charm, and your eyes could feast all day on
the turrets hung with ivy and the balconies
entwIncd with hJneysuckle; II your ears did not
ring with peculiar harmony, which detracts
from your admiration. You imagine that in the
barn near by an Orpheus transformed into an
animal Is chanting forth chorus OF Richard
Raguers; but after listening attentiyely, this
strange concert Is found to proceed from the
5ieatinr of sheep the loving q. cows, the
neiebing OF horses, aud tie yelping OF dog.
At those bCsual sound5 you know that YOU
are in the right spot, and, approaching the
gate you pull the bell. good OLD woman
Tan old servant. one oi The lat OF a race tdat
are dying OIL, called devoted seryants') ans Eers
the bGmuOns:-
ais Miss Rosa Bonheur at homer
"Sbe Is Out,n
'When will she retumT
~ cannot say"
a,N here Is she Y
81 n. not know
When u servant answers you In this STYLE you
may to su, e that the mistress Is aithln. In TINS
calc you n,is buug forward your &c erye forces
the ietter of, ecommenda ION.
am sorry lhs I, her pVpg l"nds mon no, AZ aTeS mog
b,lsiuess. ne gnve mn. this letter Tor uer. Please
hand il to her and eApr, s' nv I@ellet',' @ b,,..,
VERY weli,r SAYS the Old woman shutting
the uCOr.
Here am, forty miles from 'ar's, IN a hamlet
where spare rib with anchOyy saN W, - my w.
ard whore cIyIiZiuon peneratcs oncG lay,
~ early morn. n the shape OF the Pen "0u, , mu'
What am TO do? Take walk. In IN mean
time Miss Boz heur VIII read my letter, an
seeing the signature at the bottom, will sch. Ia
her houscEoeper for having sent away lreu6
OF her friend. So, when / show myselt within
hearing, Gertrude (lll the old servants are
called Gertrude) viii call ont, "Miss Bouhcur
has Just come IN, AID would like 10 see you"
Wen, you ale III staken, OF your mouolugue
is entirely false, Tor 1t yOu approach again tue
inhospitable threshold, Gertrude, in glum
voice, says:-
"Mademoiselle las not returned Perhaps
she Nlll dine at FOntalnebeau. Sometimes
she sta away .or fortnight without letting
me know. You know these artists are so
slranpP.n
If you are not cunning you will think YOU
must give up the game, ald, disappointed, you
Will 90 back the forty miles as mad as Lucl'er;
but II you are gifted With little nal ce, ask
Gertrude TO give you back the etter, as you
wele directed 10 hand 1t III person.
The letter mas been opened. Gertrude cannot
return it without ackno wledgng thai she IS Il
tathless servant v hat Will she do? Miss Bon
neur cries out, "Do leJ that man come IN who
wants to disturb me-"
1t is my own experience which ! am relating.
l was ignorant OF the tact that tie warmest
cOmmeauatiOns are as nougnt to our rural
PALMER, and that Miss Bonheur avoids with
out exception, whoever asplres to oher her q
tribute OF enthusiasm. Praise be to God! |
had overcome ali obstacles. GeItrude poluted
out to me tunDy looking little woman Who was
cCmlng towards me, knutlng her eyeoroWs.
she had on al enormous straw hat, ch
concealed he1 features. Looking under it ]
perceived a so t, beaI uess lace, bro Wned by the
sun, and lighted up by Two moderate.sizPd
chestnut-colored eyes The smallness OF her
nose, pinched at the nostrils with uran parent
cartilage exaggerated the dimension OF d large
mouth, showing Two 70 rs of superb teeth.
Long hair, whIcL was light in color, flowed from
under her large peasant hat, upon her broad
shoulders in great negligence.
who are you you? Where do you come
from,
sharply. She stopped in front OF me, after turn
ing no the tails or her blue linen lrock, and
thlusting her hands In the pockets of pair of
grey ribbed velvet pants. l had been struck
with the minuieness OF those hands, and looked
at her feet, which were equally microscopic,
in spite OF their thick covering of caf-skn
undressed, with pegged soes.
This C@sar-lke aposrophe disconnected me
little, but recovering my GOODNESS, I answered:
II am a Journalist, and wish to see Miss
Bonheur."
"Wel, look at her." said the little peasant,
taking oH her heaG gear.
saw then that the color of her hair was not
auburn, but white. | saw, likewise, two dia-
mOnd buttons which fastened he collar OF her
coarse linen shirt.
''My dear SIR" said Miss Bonheur in mil6er
manner, "you must excuse me; you understand
that | am Obliged to keep intruders away. Some
English gentlemen came five hundred leagues to
see me, and after having stared at me, went oil
without even thanking me. IL talent makes a
wild beast OF person, II Is scarcely worth
desiring. You know, also, tue los, OF time occa.
stoned by the visits OF strangers the WEAKNESS
caused by their questions. If you were writing
a novel, would you be glad If in the most dill
cult part some one would come and compliment
your
81 shall leave you, Miss"
'"Oh 90 not refer to you who by your pro-
fessIon belong to the craft, and besdes in stay
ing with me to-day, you Will not have much TO
trouble your conscience. / am going to smear
my sheep; come with me; il il tires you, | can't
help II; hurry, because lett one hall shorn.
ana if the heece is not taken of at once, the
poor beast burns on ono side and freezes on tue
other. That is INJURIOUS"
When Miss Bonheur had in my presence
feeced three sheep and four lamb, she sad:-
"DO you want to see my deer, my stags and
my hounds? Ore had little ones yesterday u
] Alter the deer and their con panons came the
! dogs, then the horsts; in short, the whole
menagerle.
'Do you want terrier puppy? They are fine
for hunting rabbits"
"DG you hunt p
"0f course; but am awkward at it, really
am good for nothing but taking care of animals.
i was born TO be farmer, out fate decided
otherwise. am painter, and out of my el3.
mentr
Miss Bonheur heaved big sigh. | answered
her in a grave tone:-"You are right, Miss; the
brush has not been successful IN your hand. In
spite OF your efforts, You are unknown, poor,
and greedy Tor fame. Yonr senselPss daubs in
vite ridicule. II j. still time t. change your
occupation. Think about il, and | will in the
\ meantime look for place tor you as farmers
boy-you can wear your decorations in your
riding coat. Perhaps your Red Ribbon Will
and-bY they viii get accustomed to it,
Both of us burst out laughing and went to her
studio.
Before perfecting her work, this great artist