The Opelousas courier., 1904-08-13
FIT FOR A PRINCESS.
How a Great Artist Decorated HIS LII
tie Daughters Room.

tie Daughters Room.
Charles Francois Daubigny is the
name of a famous artist. He was not
however, always famous. and once ne
was a little boy. playing around ana
having fun just as you do. NOW IN
France some mothers do strange
things. 1t is their custom to send
their tiny baby children off into the
country to be taken care of by a farm
er's wife. When they are older ana
are less trouble to their parents, they
are brought back to live at home. This
is what happened to the little Charles.
No doubt he enjoyed it very much,
however, for all children like the coun-
try. When he grew up to be a pig
man, his passionate love for the coun-
try. continued. and he chose a home
near the very place where he had been
brought uD.
The name of this place is Auvers-
sur-Oise, and it is a little town not far
from Paris. 1t is not at all like an
American village, with its new houses
and barns. but is merely a collection
of old Stucco houses. one church also
old and picturesque, and a few strag-
Cling shops.
Here he made a home for himself
and family, and it was here that some
of his most famous pictures were
painted. He had a queer boat built
on which he lived fog days at a time,
moving about on the river at his will.
Thus he was able to secure effects one
could get in no other way. 1t is not OF
this, however, that l wish to tell you.
When o grow up, O may read a
great deal yourself about this famous
PAINTER of nature.
What / wish to describe to you is
the room which he decorated for his
little daughter who liked fairy ale
just as much as American children
like them. When people go to Auvers
to see the famous painters room, they
are seldom shown this special room,
which to young folks is certainly n
of the most interesting in the whole
house.
No doubt Daubigny spent much OF
his valuable time in decorating this
room for the amusement Of his little
girl. 1t may not be work which added
to his fame. but the love which in
spired it is more lasting than fame.
The room is not large, but just large
enough to be coy and comfortable.
The walls are all painted, and are di-
vided into panels, in each of which are
painted characters or scenes from the
tales the fortunate little maiden liked
best. | wonder if you would have
chosen the same ones? The Fox and
the Grapes occupy an important place,
Hop O. my Thumb has a fine panel;
and Red Riding Hood just as you knew
her is there and the wolf is there, too,
and ever so fierce.
At one end of the room was the
dainty bed. with its French h%angings,
and where the curtains part is painted
an apple tree, right where the little
girl could see it the first thing every
morning. 1t may have brought to her
mind the memory of nan happy
hours passed in the shade of such a
tree. There were birds flying hither
and thither, and a nest is tucked away
safely in the forks of the branches. In
the nest are little specified eggs. so
beautifully painted that Mademoiselle
Daubigny mighNalmost have expected
each morning to see them Matched out
and to find scrawny, yellow billed bird.
lets in their stead.
Between the panels are painted toys
strung together in the most tempting
way, and above them all is a frieze of
wild lowers-those who grow all
around the town of Auvers-poppies,
bluets and others.
Can you imagine anything more
charming to look at upon awaking in
the morning?
Even the smallest works of this ar.
fist are worth many hundreds of dol.
lars, so you see this young lady was
very much favored. But when her
kind papa had done SO much and
worked so long for her, his little
daughters delight in her room no
doubt more than repaid him for all his
trouble.-St. Nicholas.