he common paint that is used in painting boats. Joshua was only
eleven years old, and had finished his first oil painting. His father
had wanted him to be a doctor, but after seeing this picture he
decided to let Joshua have his own way and be a painter. He sent him
to a good teacher, and lived to see his son a great artist.

=Questions about the artist.= Who painted this picture? Where did he
go to school? Who taught him? What did he like to do best? On what did
he draw? Why was his father disappointed when he saw his number paper?
Where were the children allowed to draw? With what did they draw? What
did he draw that pleased his father very much? Tell about the picture
of the minister.

TWO MOTHERS AND THEIR FAMILIES

=Artist:= Elizabeth Gardner Bouguereau (b[=oo]'g[~e]r[=o]'').
=Birthplace:= Exeter, New Hampshire.
=Dates:= Born, 1842. Still living, 1918.

=Questions to arouse interest.= What do you see in this picture? In
what room do you think they are? Why do you suppose the picture is
called "Two Mothers and Their Families"? How many little chickens are
there? What time of the year do you think it is? time of day? What is
the little boy doing? How many of you like this picture? why?

=The story of the picture.= This little boy is having a good time
feeding the fluffy little chickens. He has scattered some grain on the
floor and the old hen and eight of her chicks are eating as fast as
they can.

Two of the old hen's chicks must have wandered away, so that at first
they did not hear the mother hen's cluck. Now see how they flutter
their wings as they hurry back toward the others!

[Illustration: _Two Mothers and Their Families_]

The old mother hen takes such good care of her little chickens! When it
is very cold she will spread out her wings until all the little ones are
covered. She keeps them warm and snug. If it rains, and she cannot get
them under shelter, she will protect them with her wings in the pouring
rain, much as she dislikes it. Every day she must scratch for bugs and
worms for them and teach them how to scratch for their own living.

She watches carefully to see that nothing harms them. Sometimes big
birds, called chicken hawks, fly over the yard ready to swoop down and
carry little chickens away in their claws. Then there are other things
to be feared, such as weasels and rats; even cats and dogs might harm
her little ones. Is it any wonder the mother hen is anxious, and