She must slip about on that seat every time the oar moves, for her feet do not touch the bottom of the boat. She will be tired when she reaches home, and warm too, no doubt.
They will not lose their hats even if the wind does blow, for the little girl's bonnet is tied under her chin, and her father has pulled his rubber hat tight over his head. Often, when he is out fishing on the deep sea, the spray dashes over the fisherman's boat, and he is glad to have a rubber hat and coat to wear.
The little girl wears a large handkerchief around her neck, fastened under her arms. What do you think is in the pockets of her apron to make them puff out so? It must be in the summer time, or she would surely wear a coat and rubber boots. What a big, heavy boat it is! No wonder it takes such a large oar to row it.
Questions to help the pupil understand the picture. Tell something about a fisherman's day. When does he start? How does he go? Where? How does he keep his boat from drifting while he fishes? What is meant by "fisherman's luck"? What is his net for? What makes you think the fisherman is going home now? Why does he not use his sail? Why does he have a flat-bottomed boat? How does a good sailor care for his boat and sails? What is a "sailor's knot"? Of what use is it? Why does the fisherman wear a rubber hat and coat? How many think the little girl is helping? Why do you think her father is so pleased to have her try? What has she on her head? around her neck? What time of the year do you think it is?
To the Teacher: The children might be allowed to draw or cut out a sailboat and a fisherman's hat.
The story of the artist. Very little is known about the boyhood of the man who painted this picture. His paintings were usually of fisherfolk, and of boats on the water. We know that in 1886 he came to America and spent one year in New York City. It was during this time that he painted his picture of Brooklyn Bridge, now in the museum in Le Havre, the town in France where he died. "A Helping Hand" is the most popular of his pictures, and may be seen in the Corcoran Gallery at Washington, D.C.
Questions about the artist. Who painted this picture? What class of people did he like to paint? What did he paint during his visit to America? Where may this picture be seen?