The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-11-22
MARGUERITE'S MUSIC BOX
Story of Skillful Wood Carver
and His Loving Sister.

High up on a spur of the mountain
chain which lies in the Southern part of
the Pays de Vaud, stood little chalet,
or mountain hut, where lived Antoine
Beauvert with his wife and two chill
dren, Francois and Marguerite. The
Beauverts were very poor, but Antoine
was very industrious mau, and man
aged by skillful cultivation of his little
vineyard to raise, some years, fine
crop of grapes, while in winter he
would sit all day before the cottage
window which looked down into the
valley, and here, where the daylight
shone brightest and fingered longest,
he would work busily away, making
music-boXes.
ut is such pity for Antoine that he
has sickly wife" all his neighbors
said to one anothe; ga wife who can do
nothing at all, but lies in bed all day to
be waited upon
But Antoine did not think so. Every
night when he retired he thanked God
for the blessing of home, wife and
children, He still called them children,
though Francois was tall young man
of twenty, and Marguerite had Just
passed her eighteenth birthday. ''My
good Jeanne" Antoine was wont to
say to himself, sis the best of wives.
Few men have so much cause for con-
graduation. In all the twelve years
that she has been obliged to keep her
bed, no one has ever heard her COM
plain of her hard lot. AS for my chill
dren, there is not their like in the whole
canton, | venture to say. Where, in
deed, is there another daughter like
Marguerite so dutiful and affectionate?
And Francois-a little self-willed and
rebellious, it is true but known already
as the best wood-carver for miles
around, and with a talent for music
that will make him famous man
some day"
1t was true that Francois was the
most ingenious of all the wood-casvers
who carried their work to the market
town for sale twice year, and though
there were many older and more expe-
rienced carvers among them, he was
sure to receive the highest price, not
withstanding the fact that he was COM
paratively unframed.
sit is all favoritism," old Baptste
Godin would say, shaking his scanty
white locks reprovingly at his grandson
the slow, good-natured Jacques. at
stands to reason, / say, that you, whose
father was the most expert carver in the
canton in his day, and whose father
and grandfather were carvers before
him, should do better work than this
young upstart, whose father spends half
his time as vine-dresscr and the rest
in making music-boXes. 1t is his hand
some face and smooth tongue that be-
guiles the money from the close-handed
buyer, while your better work goes I'M
sold"
Better or not, retorted Jacques, 81
can never sell my carvings while his are
beside them. And where is the advan-
tage of being descended from race of
carvers, if one must use the same old
patterns that have been in use for gem
erations, while Francois disdains to use
a pattern that he has not himself in
VentedP He goes to nature for his
models, and one seems to see the real
ferns and lichens and eidelweiss he
carves upon his boxes. You should see
the casse-noiX he makes! No grinning,
hideous old men, like those the Godins
have been carving, father and son, for
three generations, but lizards, grifIins.
o, there is no lack of invention, prom
Use you"
Mature, indeedr' replied old Bap-
tiste, wrathfully. SIS it more natural,
then, that lizard should crack nuts
with his teeth than a MANI And in
what part of the canton does he find
live griffins for models? You are as
mad as the rest, Jacques!n
Jacques was right, however, in at
tributing the number of Francois Gus
toners to his skill in designing A GER
tain dainty charm of delicacy and origi-
nality distinguished his work among
the hackneyed subjects of his competi-
tors A tiny box for holding a betrothal
ring would be covered with delicately