1 8 3 7 – 1 9 1 7 ) ▁and ▁Anne ▁C ott az ▁( 1 8 4 1 – 1 9 2 7 ). ▁Joseph ▁Cart an ▁was ▁the ▁village ▁black sm ith ; ▁É lie ▁Cart an ▁re called ▁that ▁his ▁child hood ▁had ▁passed ▁under ▁" b low s ▁of ▁the ▁an vil , ▁which ▁started ▁every ▁morning ▁from ▁dawn ", ▁and ▁that ▁" his ▁mother , ▁during ▁those ▁rare ▁minutes ▁when ▁she ▁was ▁free ▁from ▁taking ▁care ▁of ▁the ▁children ▁and ▁the ▁house , ▁was ▁working ▁with ▁a ▁spin ning - w heel ". ▁É lie ▁had ▁an ▁elder ▁sister ▁Jean ne - Marie ▁( 1 8 6 7 – 1 9 3 1 ) ▁who ▁became ▁a ▁dress maker ; ▁a ▁younger ▁brother ▁Lé on ▁( 1 8 7 2 – 1 9 5 6 ) ▁who ▁became ▁a ▁black sm ith ▁working ▁in ▁his ▁father ' s ▁sm ith y ; ▁and ▁a ▁younger ▁sister ▁Anna ▁Cart an ▁( 1 8 7 8 – 1 9 2 3 ), ▁who , ▁partly ▁under ▁É lie ' s ▁influence , ▁entered ▁É cole ▁Norm ale ▁Sup érieure ▁( as ▁É lie ▁had ▁before ) ▁and ▁chose ▁the ▁career ▁as ▁a ▁mathematics ▁teacher ▁at ▁l yc ée ▁( second ary ▁school ). ▁ ▁É lie ▁Cart an ▁entered ▁an ▁elementary ▁school ▁in ▁Dol om ieu ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁best ▁student ▁in ▁the ▁school . ▁One ▁of ▁his ▁teachers , ▁M . ▁Dup uis , ▁re called ▁" É