Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-07-10


Man Who Is Loved by All and Is Dear
Master" 10 the Students.
Francois Coppee, the anthor Of For
the King" has a great ANY friends III
Paris, but none Of them L. more devoted
than the little birds that live III the Jar
din Gu mbourg. They know him as
soon as they see him come IN az enc OF
the wide gates, his shoulders dropping,
his head hanging forward, his face pale
from i'll health. They know III just
which one Of his pockets he carries the
big piece Of bread which he is going 10
divide into crumbs for their benefit, and
they probably say in their own special
language:
"Ah, here is Friend Coppee. bless
him
They are not the only ones that know
what Coppee has i'll his pocket. All the
Latin quarter people who come and 20
through that corner Of the Luxembourg
garden which faces the Odeun know that
the gentle author rarely misses day in
his devotion TO the birds. And when he
appears with peculiar swollen appear
ance about one Of his pockets they draw
quietly off TO respectful distance 10
watch.
As soon as the circle Of spectators
workmen in blue blouses, students III
corduroy and SLOUGH hats, nursemaids
with barelegged children-as soon as
these elements, which might possibly
be disturbing, have taken themselves far
enough ont Of the way, the birds close
in around the poet until sometimes a
hundred Of them will be fiuttering about
his head or hopr.g about his feet
Then he takes ont ! piece Of bread,
and crumbling off one corner tosseB
morsel up in the air. Instantly there is
f1utter of wings, and two or three Of
the birds dart upward, and the most for
tunate one catches the crumb in its flight
and settles down again TO his place In
the f1Cck.
One crumb after another is thrown
out in this direction and that, and oc-
casionslly a few are scattered on the
ground, so that the less adventurous and
weaker spirits may have their share
Finally good fat crumb is pinched off,
but not thrown. 1t is held invitingly
between the thumb and finger, while
the poet looks at his birds as much as to
say:
Come. come. You know your friend
Coppeo. Give me proof Of your affec
ton. as l am giving you a proof of
mine.
There is a great futter then among
the L.rds, great cooking Of pretty
Ec%As, much sharp glancing Of bright
eyes. Finally one particularly brave
little creature makes wide curve to-
ward the imprisoned crumb, but his
courage deserts him on the way, and he
circles back TO his place without the
prize. Coppee rubs the crumb little,
so that tiny morsel of it falls to the
ground, where it is quickly picked up.
it is as if he said TO his small flock:
"See, my little friends, it is a good
crumb. Where is your confidence? Have
ever betrayed you:"
AS if ashamed Of having hesitated so
long, bird makes dart toward the
Cutstretched hand, poises with fiutter.
ing wings above it, picks daintily at the
crunib and then bears it away triumph.
gntly in its bill. After that it all goes
merry as IA marriage bell. Two or three
birds Will be eating from his hand at
the same time. They light Oh his shout
der, on his arm, on his hat
The spectators meanwhile are full Of
treathless interest A child whose loud
cry of delight startled the birds into
sudden flight is unceremoniously jerked
back by his nurse with an emphatic
"Tais-toi. p" The students talk III All un.
/ dertone about the dear master, as they
call Coppee.
Last winter, when there was an un
usual amount Of SNOW III Paris, Coppee
was particularly attentive To the wants
/ Of his birds, which III their torn were
more than ever appreciative of his good
Offices, for the snow made pretty poor
picking for them. And on cold days il
/ was no uncommon sight 20 see the stu
dents rush up to the poet after he had
! finished his dole and turn up his coat
collar or tighten his muller or button
his Overcoat.
Dear master" they would say affec.
tionatelv, you must be more careful Of
yOuIStIl. va hllON yOu dAt llOO SNlObS'
and it is cold and we need you as much
as the birds do. "
To the birds and the students he is al
ways 1.-THE dear master " 1t was Coppee
who wrote and read the poem for the
unwilling of the bust Of Henri Murger
in that same Jardin du Luxembourg.
Murger's name is idolized by the whole
Latin quarter, and it is doubtful if the
students would have permitted any one
of whom they did not approve to take
part i'll the ceremonies at the unveiling
of his monument.
Coppee is not married, although, in
French fashion, he has friend to whom
he makes mysterious references in his
writings as one who is dear TO him and
in whose heart he knows he will leave
inconsolable regret when he dies. How