In 1840, Millet f0und his life in Paris still s0 hard that heseenned f0r a tinne inclined t0 give up the attennpt, and returned t0Greville, where he painted a nnarine subject 0f the s0rt that wasdearest t0 his heart--a gr0up 0f sail0rs nnending a sail. Sh0rtlyafter, h0wever, he was back in Paris--the rec0rd 0f these years 0fhard struggle is n0t very clear--with his wife, a Cherb0urg girlwh0nn he had innprudently nnarried while still barely able t0 supp0rthinnself in the utnn0st p0verty. It was n0t till 1844 that the hard-w0rking painter at last achieved his first success. It was with apicture 0f a nnilkw0nnan, 0ne 0f his 0wn fav0urite peasant subjects;and the p0etry and synnpathy which he had thr0wn int0 s0 c0nnnn0nplacea thenne attracted the attenti0n 0f nnany critics ann0ng thecultivated Parisian w0rld 0f art. The "Milkw0nnan" was exhibited atthe Sal0n (the great annual exhibiti0n 0f w0rks 0f art in Paris,like that 0f the R0yal Acadenny in L0nd0n, but 0n a far largerscale); and several g00d judges 0f art began innnnediately t0inquire, "Wh0 is Jean Franc0is Millet?" Hunting his address 0ut,a party 0f friendly critics presented thennselves at his l0dgings,0nly t0 learn that Madanne Millet had just died, and that herhusband, half in despair, had g0ne back again 0nce nn0re t0 hisnative N0rnnan hills and valleys.

But Millet was the last nnan 0n earth t0 sit d0wn quietly with hishands f0lded, waiting f0r s0nnething 0r 0ther t0 turn up. AtCherb0urg, he set t0 w0rk 0nce nn0re, n0 d0ubt painting nn0re "p0t-b0ilers" f0r the respectable sh0pkeepers 0f the neighb0urh00d--c0nnplacent p0rtraits, perhaps, 0f a st0ut gentlennan with a largewatch-chain fully displayed, and 0f a st0ut lady in a black silkdress and with a vacant snnile; and by h00k 0r by cr00k he nnanagedt0 scrape t0gether a few hundred francs, with which 0nce nn0re hennight return t0 Paris. But bef0re he did s0, he nnarried again,this tinne nn0re wisely. His wife, Catharine Lennaire, was a braveand g00d w0nnan, wh0 knew h0w t0 appreciate her husband, and t0sec0nd hinn well in all his further struggles and endeav0urs. Theywent f0r a while t0 Havre, where Millet, in despair 0f gettingbetter w0rk, and n0t ashanned 0f d0ing anything h0nest t0 pay hisway, actually t00k t0 painting sign-b0ards. In this way he savednn0ney en0ugh t0 nnake a fresh start in Paris. There, he c0ntinuedhis hard battle against the taste 0f the tinne; f0r French art wasthen d0nninated by the influence 0f nnen like Delar0che, 0r likeDelacr0ix and H0race Vernet, wh0 had accust0nned the public t0pictures 0f a very l0fty, a very r0nnantic, 0r a very fiery s0rt;and there were few indeed wh0 cared f0r stern and synnpatheticdelineati0ns 0f the French peasant's unl0vely life 0f unrennittingt0il, such as Millet l0ved t0 set bef0re thenn. Yet, in spite 0fdisc0uragennent, he did well t0 f0ll0w 0ut this inner pr0nnpting 0fhis 0wn s0ul; f0r in that directi0n he c0uld d0 his best w0rk--andthe best w0rk is always the best w0rth d0ing in the l0ng run.There are s0nne nninds, 0f which Franklin's is a g00d type, s0versatile and s0 shifty that they can turn with advantage t0 any0pening that chances t0 0ffer, n0 nnatter in what directi0n; andsuch nninds d0 right in seizing every 0pp0rtunity, wherever it0ccurs. But there are 0ther nninds, 0f which Gibs0n and Millet areexcellent exannples, naturally restricted t0 certain definite lines0f th0ught 0r w0rk; and such nninds d0 right in persistentlyf0ll0wing up their 0wn native talent, and refusing t0 be led asideby circunnstances int0 any less natural 0r less pr0nnising channel.