The Republican journal., 1898-02-17
A True Fairy Tale of Paris.


wise Grimm brothers wrote. Hardly one
thing is lacking. The poor woman with
her wish her trials and goodness of heart.
the girl who talks with the fairy, and, best
of all, the princess whose touch is gold;
they are all in this tale which is true.
Only the wicked one is lacking. 1t is
a story of suffering and sweetness. with
delightful reward: a number of heroines,
but no hero OF villain.
The picture is alf-length oil sketch of
an old woman, whose slivery hair strangely
contrasts with her pink cheeks and bright,
though Sunken eyes. She is dressed IN the
ordinary, common clothes of the poorest
of Parisiennes, and wears plaid kerchief
knotted about her head Upon her back
is the familiar basket of the French street
vender, reaching high above her shoulders,
and she rests her left hand upon a strong
stick. Her countenance is sweet and shows
the soul shining through the honest blue
eyes.
Those in san Francisco " ho have studied
ant ID The atelieIs OF Paris may recognize
in the picture a favorite model whose
attractive. WON face and ga1b not more
than her pleasant voice made her welcome
upon The studio thrones. Nine, Martinez
canned vel the four francs she gained
by posing Ton Julian 5, Delacluse' : and
Colaros>i ; pupils. With her queer, high
basket on her back. she sat as hen she
rested upon the doorsteps during her daily
walking up and down the streets. as a
lnaIchaude de mouron. For it was Only
now and then that the poor woman was
wanted iii the schools, and her regular
avocatiou was the selling of chickweed.
Hel customers were mostly the concierges
-jalitols II Hats and apdrtment-houses-
who loved the songs OF cdnalies. and bought
the fresh greens daily for THEN pets.
Every afternoon she tramped five miles
from her humble home on the Rue Latour
to the woods of Fontenay aux Roses, where
she plucked enough of the chickweed to
fill her basket Then back fiva miles, and
early in the morning one heard her cry in
the Latin Quarter, Pour les petits oiseaux.
Pour les petits oiseaux"
She knew every little warbler that ate
her merchandise, and for each she had a
word OF welcome Their slender pipings
were music to her ears. ooh, my little
yellow soldier, she cried to one, and
MA Mignonne, You look well to-day to
another, She was sorry in her heart for
the tiny bird whose owner would not or
could not buy it one sou worth of verdant
breakfast.
''Mais, - she would say, thou shalt not
suffer, petit" and often she fed a choice
bit to those thus treated by niggardly
masters.
A franc was good days sale, and not
seldom La Martinez went to bed supperless
after her weary march to the fields.
Some of her neighbors called her Veuve
Martinez, but she was not widow So far
as having husband went. However,
IF l,o1, 1,,
getting of a living. His acquaintance
said that he was lazy He denied it. He
had fought for his country. had been
wounded and was unable to work This
was his own statement, and lie abided
by it.
So he sat in the sun when it shone. or
when he had enough to buy wine he sat
il the cafe. A franc is but 20 sous, and one
finds 1T difficult to support two on thar.
The rent alone Tor their tumble down hut
was but Il francs month, which left but
Is tor theil food, candles and clothes. So
II Vas blessing VIII Il She could get 4
sitting la 1le studios, tor eevI ime it was
week occupation, from 5 o clock in the
morning till noon, and - flames pay
She liked TO held her pose and have the
students draw and paint her She felt
keen interest in each canvas. Never a
culver On breathing was allowed to disturb
the work.
''Quel model, exclaimed the Fl, noh
students.
''Isn' She erandH' said the English.
A san Francisco girl embodied her
admiration in the one phrase; shes an
right"
While She sold hel bird food she was
sure of franc average a day, but even
this she was to lose. one night, returning
in The dusk fro~ Fontenay aux Roses, She
saw group OF boys stoning q kitten. The
heart of La Veuve NJ ,rtjnet bed She
rushed into the crowd and rescuing the
innocent victim, loaded it with caresses.
The boys followed ler shouting and
demanding their prey She FASTENED on.
when one, bolder than the others, seized
fence paling and stru ok her on the knee
he hurt VAS severe and though that
night the Kitten SLEPT warm in a bundle
of rags, La Maritime moaned with the
pain OF her injury.
Able to move about in few DAYS she
could go no more the miles to where the
chickweed grew. This cut off her usual
earnings, and for the former marchande
de mouron life became a fiercer struggle
tor existence. Days, With hardly enough
to keep the spirit tlickering within. now
were her lot. Jacques complained bitterly
OF the Government, fate and all other
powers capable of alevlating his condition.
Two SOUS for wine were not forth coming.
tor the same amount ot bread would keep
them for day. La Martinez could have
gone to the hospital, hut she would not.
Her leg was very lame, but she hobbled
about the studios and schools, offering
herself as a model, with little acceptance.
Really she had had her sittings in most
of them twice within year, and the
students and artists dislike to have the
same model often, good as he or she
might be. Occasionally some girl or man
employed her privately for two francs the
morning or afternoon.
When rent day came she lacked three
francs of the II necessary.
All, maybe the Nam zelle Americana
in the Rue de la Grand Chaumiere might
provide.
And when the poor little California
exile learned her need, the three francs
We're supplied.
True, madame did not know that la
petite Americana lived off 1000 francs
the year, and had eaten no butter on her
bread for six months. She wore always
such nice dresses that Nine Martinez
could lot know that the 3 francs meant
that her ''bon ange' must breakfast on
bread aione for fortnight
Madame Martinez paid her rent and
nrpmj sp1 tn sit for "a n,ari..an ri