The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-11-15
HEADQUARTERS MUSIC BOX.
CHAPTER i.

mou0ta1n nut, Wnefe uve0 A0to1ne heau~ vert, with his wife and two children. Francois and Marguerite. The Beauverts were sery poor, but Antoine was veEy industrious man, and managed by skill full cultivation of his little vineyard to raise, some years, fine crop of grapes, while in winter he would sit all day be- fore the cottage window, which looked down into the valley, and here, whese the daylight shone brightest and fingered longest, he would work busily away, making uusic-boxes.
 '.l, is such a pity for Antoine that he has a sickly wite," all his neighbors said to one another: a wife who can do nothing at all, but lics in ped all day, to be waited upon"
 But Antoine did not think %. Every night when he retired he thanked God for the blessing of home, wife and children. He stin called them children, though Francois was tall ycanR man of twenty, and Marguerite had jus, passed her eighteenth birthday. My good Jeanne," Antoine was won't to say to himself, " is the best of wives Few men have so much cause for congratuiation. In all the twelve years that she has been obliged to keep her bed no one has ever heard her complain of her hard lot. As for my children, there is not their like in the whole canton, venture to say. Where, indeed, is there another daus hter like Marguerite, SO dutiful and affection ate! And Francois-a little self willed and rebellious, it is true, but known already as the best wocd-carver for miles around, and with talent for music that will make him famous man some day. p
 It was true that Francois was the most ingenious of all the wood -carvers who carried their work to the market town for sale twice a year, and though there were many older and more experienced carvers among them, he was sure to receive the highest price, notwithstanding the fact that he was comparatively untrained.
 .lt is all favoritism," old Bapt;ste Godin would say, shaking his scansy white locks reprovingly at his grandson, the slow, good-natured icques. "'t 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 tune as a vine-dresser and the rest in making music boxes. It his handsome face and smooth tongue that beeuile the money from the close-handed buyer, while your better work goes unsold."
 Better or no,," retorted Jacques, can never sell my carvings while his are beside them. And where is the advantage cf hA,nu d~~r>uA~& E-~.. >~~. -f carvers if one must use the same old patterns that have been in use for genera tons, while Francois disdains 10 use a pattern that he has not himself inventedl | He goes to nature for his models, and one seems to sec the real ferns and lichens and eidelwei $ he carves upon his boxes. You should see the casse- noix he makes. No gunning, hideous old men, hke those the Codins have been carving, father and son. for three genera tions, but lizards, griffins. Oh, there is no lack of invention, promise you"
 Mature, indeed l" replied old BAptiste, wrathfully. "ls it more natural, then, that lizard should CT .ck nuts with his teeth than a man? And in what part of the canton does he find live Rrifins for models? You are as mad as the rest, JacquesT
 Jaeques was right however, in ate tributng the number of Francois GUS toners to his skill in designing. A cer- tain dainty charm of delicacy and origin ality distinguished his work among the hackneyed subjects of the competitors. A tiny box fos holding betrothal ring would be covered with delicately carved blossoms of the eidelweiss. A lsyet box. which vas to hold the dainty linen gar ments of some young mothers darling. he would ornament with . background of hchens and s.zus, with a group of chesuo faces on the cover in high relief, framed in with border of rosebuds and pansies.
 But the best piece of carving that Francois had yet done vas on the case of . music-box that he and his father had made for Mareuezite's birthday pre- sent.
 .She has 70 few pleasures" her loving old father had said, "let's make her, Francois. something that will be the envy of the neighboshood"
 LA me compose the tune it is to play," suggested Francois, "and then there viii not be another like it in the whole world"
 So tor many months they secretly wrought an tAeir spare moments into it and when her 18th birthday came and Marguesite held the exquisite, dainty little box in her hands, she vas hsn wild with delight.
 "Sse, dsar mother," she said, with chiIdixh Ynpture. e she turned if cver and over, shere is goats head that is surely that Of Bebe. who follows me to the pasture every day here are the very grapes and tendrils that grow in our v,ne- yard, but 70 tiny thae ooe's eyes can scarcely make them out; this is the tower of the little chapel where ve 20 to ~osship every Sunday, and here "-vith a sudden blush-@ is the birds pess that vas built in the cliff, and that Iaeoues risked his neck to gss tor me, because thoughuessly expressed wish for it. It .s half hidden vish ichens and eidelveiss,