Our Little French Cousin

s due. The two children were fairly prancing with glee, while Raton leaped about no less excited. They were very fond of Marie, as was every one who knew her, for she was a

and a young girl appeared at the window of one of the third-cla

eek, and amid much laughing and talking they walked toward Uncle Daboll'

ourse," laughed Marie, "and won't we have a good time." "No," spoke up Jean, quickly, "we are going a brand-new way. What do you say to going on a barge on the river?" "A barge," cried Marie, "but I thought no one was allowed to travel on the barges, except the people who ran them and lived on them." "That is true," said Germaine, "but uncle has fixed all that; y

beams and white plaster, and a pretty red-tiled roof, the ground floor be

river. The arbour was ingeniously formed by training the branches of two trees and

her reason for having the kind St. Antoine as a protector of school-children. At six the girls are up, and study an hour before the "little breakfast" of a roll and butter and chocolate or coffee. Lessons take up the time until noon, when they have their dinner of soup, meat, vegetable, and cider, with a gateau, as they call a cake, on Sundays. After dinner they are taught plain sewing, and when the sewing hour is over they can play about the gardens until the study hour comes ar

rman Fêtes," said Jean, when the table had been cl

me that big roll which you will find

cient armour, seated on a prancing horse, carrying on his arm a shield, emblazoned with two red lions, and holding aloft a spear.

old, far-away North. Tall people they were, with golden hair, and great sailors, who sailed in tiny ships, like those you see in the picture, o

ed the present-day Normans. It has been many centuries since all this happened, so the good people of Rouen thought this a s

oor Jeanne d'Arc was burned," said Marie. "We ha

story again

aid M. Lafond; "but we must be getting home now. It is quite

the next day when the gay little party fo

hore until it moved toward the middle of the river. Then the tugboat slowed down until the long line of barges was just creeping along; one could hardly see that they moved at all. Just as the last one passed that which carri

s. "Did you ever see anything nicer?" said Germaine, as she dragged Marie into

the ladder into the tiny living room. Everything was as neat as could

pboard, and the beds which were built like shelves, one above the other, to allow all the floor space possible. On deck, one side of the house was given up to a shelf full of gay flowers in pots, and vines were trained up against the side of the house. There was also on deck a chest to hold the meat and vegetable

decorated. "You will see," said he, "that ours has a big white triangle with a smaller red triangle inside of that painted on the bow. The one next to us has a broad red band

ch green meadows. Along the water's edge were clumps of willow-trees, whose long, pliable twigs are used by the country people to weave baskets. They trim off the branches, but leave the tree

, at least by sight, and the dogs would bark "How do you do's" as well. Great coal barges from Belgium passed, having come laden

s are usually called potage, though the real country soup is often known by the name we call it ourselves-soupe.) Then there was a crisp green salad, big jugs of Normandy cider, which is a beautiful golden colour, blanquette de veau, which is veal with a nice white egg sauce over it. Lapin

and they had barely finished dinner when the pictures

ers; it looks like half

ess," said his father. "It is probably the only church in

e beginning to visit it more from year to year,

e l'Arche, and left behind the church, standing high

ds when they visited Rouen, for every part of this old city is full of memories of this wonderful little peasan

r country from the hands of the English, she made her way to the court of Charles VII., then King of France. It was at Chinon in the valley of the Loire-that other great river of France-that she finally reached her king

anniversary of the day on which the siege was raised, a great celebration takes place in front of the cathedral, and a procession of priests and people carrying banners marches around the town chanting hymns in her praise. Jeanne d'Arc did break the power of the English in France, true to her promise, and finally brought King Charles to the magnificent cathedral at Reims, wh

nt girl of Domremy is loved and venerated throughout the land. There is scarcely a city in France that has

realized how time was flying. They were drawing near Rouen, for over the flat fields of the

ce. On the quays there may be seen the bales of cotton that is grown on the plantat

h," as it is known, is cut out of the chalk cliff, hanging high above the river. It looks

Look way down the river, child

n, "I see three

said Germaine. "

re those of three of the most beautiful churches in France. Tha

GAN TO UNFOL

s as if it has a crown o

it has been called the 'Crown of Normandy.' It is

of quays lined with shops, hotels, and cafés on the one

and came to anchor next to a big Belgian coal-carrier, whose occupants, like themselves,