in its strength men and women go forth to labor.[1]


[Footnote 1: A fine passage on the morning occurs in Thoreau's second
chapter of _Walden_.]




IX

FEEDING HER BIRDS


As we have already seen in the picture of the Woman Feeding Hens, the
dooryard in French village homes is so shut in by walls, that it
has the privacy of a family living-room. This was the arrangement in
Millet's own home at Barbizon. The painter was among the fortunate
ones who had a garden beyond the dooryard. At the other end of this
was his studio, where he worked many hours of the day. It is said
that he used to leave the door open that he might hear the children's
voices at their play. Sometimes, indeed, he would call them in to
look at his pictures, and was always much pleased when they seemed to
understand and like them. We may be sure that he often looked across
the garden to the dooryard where the family life was going on, and
at such times he must have caught many a pretty picture. Perhaps our
picture of this mother feeding her children was suggested in this way.

Three healthy, happy children have been playing about in the yard,--a
girl of six, her younger sister, and a brother still younger. They are