But to-day even little French girls live in a progressive world, and what with tourists and automobilists, to say nothing of a reasonably large colony of English-speaking folk who had actually settled near her home, it was but natural that her outlook was somewhat different from what it might have been had she lived a hundred years ago. So far as France in general goes, the great world of Paris, and much that lay beyond, were also brought to her notice in, it is believed, a perfectly rational and plausible fashion; and thus within the restricted limits of this little book will be found many references to the life and history of Old France which, in one way or another, has linked itself with the early days in the history of America, in a manner of which little American cousins are in no way ignorant. Joliet, Champlain, La Salle, Père Marquette, and many others first pointed the way and mapped out the civilization of America, when it was but the home of the red man, now so nearly disappeared. Later came Lafayette and Rochambeau, who were indeed good friends to the then new nation, and lastly, if it is permissible to think of it in that light, the great Statue of Liberty, in New York Harbour, is another witness of the friendliness of the French nation for the people of the United States. A reciprocal echo of this is found in the recent erection, in Paris, of a statue of Washington. To her cousins across the sea little Germaine, "Our Little French Cousin," holds out a cordial hand of greeting. _Les Andelys, Eure, January, 1905._ Contents PAGE I. AT THE FARM OF LA CHAUMIÈRE 1 II. TO ROUEN ON A BARGE 23 III. THE FÊTES AT ROUEN 41 IV. GOING HOME BY TRAIN 62 V. THE MARKET AT GRAND ANDELYS 71 VI. GERMAINE AND THE ARTIST 83 VII. THE FÊTE OF ST. SAUVEUR 92 VIII. AN AUTOMOBILE JOURNEY 108 List of Illustrations PAGE GERMAINE _Frontispiece_ THE FARM OF _LA CHAUMIÈRE_ 8 "THE CITY BEGAN TO UNFOLD BEFORE THEM" 40 THE MARKET-SQUARE 75 THE CIRCUS 100 CHÂTEAU GAILLARD 106 [Illustration] Our Little French Cousin CHAPTER I. AT THE FARM OF LA CHAUMIÈRE "OH, mamma!" cried little Germaine, as she jumped out of bed and ran to the window, "how glad I am it is such a beautiful day." Germaine was up bright and early on this sunshiny day, for many pleasant things were going to happen. However, this was not her only reason for early rising. French people always do so, and little French children are not allowed to lie in bed and to be lazy.