The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-04-20

Nine lie Brun, her court painter, moi
as a servant, but as trusted friend
She was careful not to wound her
feelings; and, when the artist was
sick, even though queen, with her
own hands she was ready to render
her a service.
Nine LIE Brun painted many por-
traits of Marie Antoinette, and a
lovely picture of the queen with her
children, that has been copied again
and again, and only few months
ago appeared in popular magazine.
We can imagine the dauphin and
his sister in the studio of the famous
artist, watching her as she painted
the portrait of their beautiful mann
ma, or perhaps listening to stories of
her own little girl, her lovely Jean
Julie Louise, her "little brunette as
she called her.
Like many boys and girls in our
own country and in our own day, the
dauphin found his best happiness in
the company of his mother. No moth
er ever loved her children more ten
derby or watched over them more de-
votedly than Marie Antoinette. She
entered into their sports, danced with
them, and planned little comedies for
their pleasure, often acting in them
herself.
A pretty saying of the dauphin's
brother, Charles Louis, shows how
sweet the queens voice sounded to
her children. AS she sang, the child
was SO quiet some one said he was
sleeping, when he Immediately spoke,
and asked, "Can any one sleep when
Mamma Queen is singing?"
While the first dauphin lived,
Charles was entitled the Due de Nor
mandie, and was his fathers "big
Norman" and, because SO healthy
and strong, his mothers peasant
child" The oldest sister was called
Nine. Royale. The baby sister,
Sophie Beatrix, died short time be-
fore Nine. La Brun painted her ia
nous picture of the queen with her
children.
The queen wished her children not
simply to be happy themselves, but
to be mindful of the happiness OF
others; to consider not only those
around them, but the sick and the
poor.
Once at New Years she sent for
some costly toys, and showed them
to the children. After they had ad-
mired them, she told them the toys
we're indeed very beautiful but that
it was more beautiful to distribute
aims. She told them of people who
needed food and clothing; and the
children willingly gave up these rich
playthings, that the money they
would cost might be used for the
suffering.
It is pleasant to think of these
happy years, for the last part of the
dauphin's life was full of weakness
and pain. His back became misshap-
en-, his face grew thin and pale, and
an expression of anguish showed his
sufferings. He could not walk, or
even stand, without support. No
medicine helped him. The tenderest
care gave him no relief. He grew
rapidly worse, and died in his moth
er's arms before he was twelve years
old.
Nine. LIE Bruins beautiful picture
was taken away. The queen could
not bear to look at it: it reminded
her so painfully of her sorrow. But,
even in her grief, she thought of the
artist, and babe some one tell her
why the picture was removed, that
she might not be made unhappy by
it.
There are no more painful pages in
history than those following the
death of the first dauphin. The boy,
who is described as beautiful as an
angel" who delighted all by his
goodness and kindness, was indeed
taken away from "evil to Gomez
Christian Register.