Stories Pictures Tell. Book 3

by Flora L. Carpenter

Ne’er was seen since the world began.”

Or perhaps Sir Joshua was telling her about his friend, the sea captain named Admiral Keppel, with whom he took that wonderful trip across the sea.

But best of all she would like to hear the story of that strange little Italian boy he met in Rome. One day a little fellow had offered to be Sir Joshua Reynolds’s guide about the great city. He was so small, ragged, and dirty that Sir Joshua gave him some money and told him to run away. But the little fellow smiled happily, showing all his white teeth; his dark eyes fairly danced, he was so eager to show the artist what a good guide he could be. All that day he followed Sir Joshua, and as he had lived in Rome all his life, he knew all about the city and could tell the great painter many interesting things.

The next morning Sir Joshua found the boy sitting on his doorstep waiting for him. He let the little fellow carry his paints and brushes, and off they started. And so it happened every day, until finally one day Sir Joshua gave the boy an easel, and some paints and brushes, and taught him how to paint. And oh, how pleased the little boy was then! He had a very strange name. It was Giuseppe Marchi. After he had been with Sir Joshua Reynolds a week you would hardly have recognized the boy, dressed in a fine new suit of clothes the artist had bought for him, and painting pictures which were very good indeed.

Then the time came for Sir Joshua to start for home; but Giuseppe Marchi was not to be left behind. At that time Sir Joshua was not a very wealthy man, and when they were still three hundred miles from Paris he counted his money and found he had only enough to pay his own fare; so he had to say good-by to poor Giuseppe Marchi. In Paris, Sir Joshua had a good friend with whom he could stay. Imagine his surprise one morning to find Giuseppe Marchi sitting on the doorstep of this friend’s house! The boy had walked all those miles, and had at last found his dear master. So then of course Sir Joshua brought him on home with him.

Perhaps, just when Sir Joshua was telling Penelope this part of the story, Giuseppe Marchi himself came into the room, for he lived with the artist all the rest of his life, and helped him paint part of his pictures, too. Sir Joshua Reynolds spoke of him as “an angel sent from God to help me do my work.”

When the artist painted this picture little girls must have worn caps like this, for we see them in some of his other pictures, too. They were called “mob caps.”

Nearly a hundred years after this picture was painted a great party was given in London for the children. All were to wear fancy dresses to represent some person of whom the rest should guess the identity. One little girl dressed as “Penelope Boothby.” She had a cap just like this one, a handkerchief worn like this, and a pair of black silk mitts. Every one knew at once whom she represented, and she was so much admired that the next day she was taken to another great artist, Millais. He painted a beautiful picture of the little girl holding some cherries in her hands, and called his picture “Cherry Ripe.”

Questions to help the pupil understand the picture. What is this little girl’s name? What do you suppose she has been playing? Where is she sitting? why? What stories could Sir Joshua Reynolds tell her? Tell the story of his father and the high-topped boots; of the little Italian boy. Why did Sir Joshua send the boy away at first? What did the boy do for Sir Joshua? What happened the next morning? What did they do every day after that? What did Sir Joshua teach the boy to do? What made the boy look so different after a week? When Sir Joshua started home, what did the boy do? Why could he not go all the way? How did he manage to follow the artist? What did Sir Joshua do for the boy then? Where was the boy when Sir Joshua Reynolds was telling this story? How did the artist often speak of this Italian boy? Why do you think Penelope Boothby would like to hear this story? Does she look as if she were listening, or talking? Why do you think you would like to know her?

To the Teacher: Ask a little girl to pose as Penelope Boothby. She may be seated upon a table and drawn side view. Other pictures may be drawn illustrating the story of a little girl dressed in a long dress and walking proudly among the trees; or of the artist and his little Italian guide. Use manila paper and charcoal. Work for action.