The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-14
ROSA BONHEUR, ARTIST

By Sarah K. Bolton, Girls Who Become
 Famous"
 IN simple home in Paris could have
 been seen. in 1S2s Raymond Bonheur A and his little family-Rosa, years old, August, Isadore and Juliette. He was a man of fine talent in painting, but obliged to spend his time in giving draw ing lessons to support his children. His wife, Sophie, gave lessons on the piano, going from house to house all day long, and sometimes sewing half the night to earn a little more for the necessities of life.
 Hard work and poverty soon bore its usual fruit, and the tired young mother died in 1883. The three oldest children were sent to board with a plain woman, La mere Catherine' In the Champs Elysees and the youngest was placed with relatives. For two years this good woman cared for the children, sending them to school though she was greatly troubled because Rosa persisted in play ing in the woods of the Bois de Boulogne gathering her arms full of daisies and
  schoolroom. q never spent an hour of fine weather in doors during the whole of the two years" she has often said since those days.
 Finally the father married again and brought the children home. The two boys were placed in school and M. Bon heur paid their way by giving drawing In fi- tuition. If Rosa did not love school, she must be- taught something useful, and she was accordingly placed in a sewing establishment to become a seamstress.
 The child hated sewing, ran the needle into her fingers at every stitch, cried for the fresh air and sunshine, and finally, becoming pale and sickly, was taken back to the Bonheur home. The anxious painter would try his child once more in school so he arranged that she should attend with compensation met in the same way as for his boys. Rosa soon became a favorite with the girls in the Fauborg s. Antonine school especially because she could draw such witty carl catures of the teachers. which she past ed against the wall, with bread chewed into the consistency of putty. The teach they with the vigor and originality of the drawings, that they carefully pre- served the sketches in an album.
 The girl was far from happy. Natural ly sensitive-as what poet or painter was ever born otherwise ?-she could not bear to wear calico dress and coarse shoes, and eat with an iron spoon from a tin cup, when the other girls wore hand- some dresses, and had silver mugs and spoons. She grew melancholy, neglected her books, and finally became so i'll that she was obliged to be taken home.
 And now Raymond Bonheur very wise- ly decided not to make plans for his child for time, but see what was her natural tendency. It was well that he made this decision in time, before she had been spoiled by his well meant but poor intentions.
 Left to herself, she constantly hung about her fathers studio, now drawing, now modelling, copying whatever she saw him do. She seemed never to be tired, but sang at her work all the day long,
 Monsieur Bonheur suddenly awoke to the fact that his daughter had great talent. He began to teach her carefully. to make her accurate in drawings and correct in perspective. Then he sent her to the Louvre to copy the works of the old masters. Here she worked with the greatest industry and enthusiasm. not ob- serving anything that was going on around her. Said the director of the Louvre: "I have never seen an example of such application and such ardor for work"
 One day an elderly Enslish gentleman stopped beside her easel and said, Your copy my child. is superb-fautless. Per severe as you have begun and l prophe- sy that you will be a great artist How glad those few words made her! She went home thinking over to herself tho determination she had made in the school when she ate with her iron spoon, that some time she would be as famous as her school mates. and have some of the