The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-10-20

Anna, the heroine Of an idyllic friend
! ship-is at this moment the most dis
tinguished.
| Her name is on the lips of half the civ
| ilized world, from the village of BY, al
along the Seine, even to the Quarter
Latin. where students drink to it with
pleasure, remarking that she struggled
and studded with them before she came
into the great good fortune Of being Ro-
sa Bonheur's friend.
Many and various are the tales told OF
this first meeting
The peasant women talk of it as they
gather in their vintage. Tehy. tinge it
with romance as they sit by their fire.
sides in their quaint 1alf-timbered, heavy
beamed cottages. As 1t passes from
mouth to mouth 1t takes a thousand
forms. 1t is the gossip of the hour, for
the village of BY belonged to Rosa Bon
heur.
According to one enthusiast, Anna
Klumpke first met the artist when the
Wild West show of Buffalo Bill was in
Paris. Entranced. enchanted with what
she believed to be a typical Western life.
Rosa Bonheur was a daily visitor. She
had remarked there an American girl,
sketching horses. Day after day she had
mind that she was possessed of some
talent
Imagine then" explain the people Of
by. "she allowed herself to be interested
in this young American. She sent for
her Out of the goodness of her heart
you understand our chatelaine sum
moned her And when she arrived the
great artist condescended to admire her
criticized her drawing. recommended her
to abjure animals and surrender herself
to the study of the human figure, con-
graduated her upon being an American
and sent her upon her way rejoicing"
According to another tale, Anna
KIumpke, fresh from the West, where
girls are not ticketed with conventional
tiles that tie them to the commonplace,
and with a courage born Of inexperience,
determined as she expressed it to her
fellow students, to see Rosa Bonheur or
die She went to Fountainebleau and re-
turned from there alive. Thereupon the
students threw up their hats and shouted
They knew that Anna had succeeded.
She described with ardor the little gray
coated figure glistening with orders and
medals from the brilliant decoration of
San Carlos to the Royal Order of Isabella
the Catholic.
Whatever the manner OF her advent at
the chateau it is certain that she was ac-
corded a welcome that warmed her heart
for all time. She saw, as have hundreds
of other struggling students a woman
who at the first glance gave the impress
sion OF man, little, elderly, pale. with
siIvery hair and stronge features. She
saw a splendid head and brilliant hazel
eyes. smiling above a small and womanly
mouth. She heard low, gentle voice
She listened to the expression Of sincere
opinions.
From the moment OF this meeting, Anna
Klumpke developed new enthusiasm. She
sketched buffaIos ceaselessly by DAY and
by night. She contemplated cutting her
hair short and wearing trousers Finally
she determined to work-work-work-s
that ''Chere MademOiselle,' she finally
wrote 10 the great artist, Il may some
day paint your portrait
And how the students laughed at the
naive little American, how they j0llied
her and leased her. The people talk OF it
at By now. while Miss KiUmpke, within
the great chateau. looks wistfully al the
sealed doors which guard the treasures
OF her friend.
The Iegstee IS TOW alone in the Chateau
de By. on the edge CT the forest OF Fon-
taineoisau, just over the way from Bar
bizon.
In the midst Of al this Z Anna
Klumple. the cause OF The disputes and
suspicious.
She declines to talk Of the frindShip she
holds sacred Yet through The oak trees.
out through he great paved courtyard.
float stories Of Anna HlDmpke's hold up-
or Rosa Bonheur. Strangely enough. m
uukfna tale IS told. According 10 them ali
Il VS. some tine in iSs7 that the corner
stone o. friendship watch promises %
become histoT1c vas censatef- Even then
Anna hlumpse was not unknown % fame
She had exhibited n The Salon a picture
called The Knitting Girl" L had basn
praised aid The yong girl had returned
for . season % America.
Whether she first sought Rosa Bonheur
o. whether Rosa Bonheur sought her IS
discussed hourly fl the beautiful vrooa-
land country Ehere the simple people wh8
l0ved he great painter are srisvs4 70 see