Connecticut western news., 1896-02-13

This moment if you do believe,
 4 full scouittsl youn receive-
 That's the newsi That's the news,
 And now. if any one should say,
 Whats the newsS Whats the newsf"
 On. tell him you begun to pray
 That's the newsi That's the newsi
 That you have joined the conQuering band,
 And now with joy at Gods command
 You're marching to the better land
 That's the newsi That's the newsi
  HE LOVES THE BIRDS. FRANCOIS COFFEE AND HIS FRIENDS N THE HARDIN Du LUXEMBOURG n Isa Ts1chi.x Sight Co Watch the Poet Feed His Pess In . Public Garder-A Man Who |. Loved by All and Is "p~ar Master" to the stndentA-
 Francois Coppee, the author of ''For the King" has great many friends in Paris, but none of them is more devoted than the little birds that live in the Jar din du Luxem sourg. They know him as soon as they see him some in at one of the wide gates, his shoulders dropping. his head hanging forward, his face pale from i'll health- They know in just which one of his pockets he carries the big piece of bread which he is going to divide into crumbs for their benefit, and they probably say in their own special language:
 "Ah, here is Friend Coppee. bless him i''
 They are not the only ones that know what Coppee has in his pocket All the Latin quarter people who come and go through that corner of the Luxembourg garden which faces the Odeon 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 of to a respectful distance to watch
 As soon as the circle of spectators workmen in blue blouses. students in corduroy and s,onch hats, nursemaids with barelegged children-as soon as these clements, which might possibly be disturbing. have taken themselves far enough out of the way, the birds close in around the poet until sometimes q hundred of them will be f1uttering about his head or hopping about his feet Then he takes out his piece of bread. and crumSling of one corner tnsses a morsel up in the air. Instantly there is 8 f1utter cf wings, and two or three of the biris dart upward. and the most for tunate one catches the crumb in its flight and settles down again to his place in the flock
 out in this rection and that, and oc- casionally few are scattered on the ground, so that the less adventurous and weaker spirits may have their share. Finally good fat crumb is pinched of |, but not thrown. It is held invitingly between the thumb and finger, while the poet looks at his birds as much as to say:
 Come, come Ton know your friend Coppee. Given proof of your affec- ton, as I am giving you a proof of mine
 There is great fiutter then among the birds. a great cooking of pretty heads, 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 be circles back to his place without the priae. Coppee rnbs the crumb little, SO that a tiny morsel of it falls to the ground. where it is quickly picked up. It is as if he saie to bis small flock:
 ''See, my little friends, it is a good crumh. Where is your confidence? Have lever betrayed you:''
 AS if ashamed of having hesitated So long, bird makes a dart toward the outstretched hand, poises with fiutter- ing wings above it, picks daintily at the crumb and then bears it away triumph anrly in its bill After that it all goes merry as 8. marriage bell Two or three birds willtbe eating from his hand 8, the same time. They light on his shoul- der, on his arm, on his hat.
 The spectators meanwhile are full of breathless 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- The students talk in an nm dertone about the dear master, as they call Coppee-
 Last winter, when tneY was an un- usual amount of snow in Paris, Coppee was particularly attentive to the wants of his birds, which in their turn were moro than ever appreciative of his good offices, for the snow made pretty poor picking for them And on cold days ii was no uncommon sight to see the stu dents rush up to the poet after he had finished his dole and turn up his coat collar or tighten his muffler or button his overcoat-
 Dear master, !" they would say affec- tionately, ''you must be more careful oi yourself. You know you are not strong, and it is cold, and we reed you as much as the birds do"
 To the birds and the students he is al. ways "the dear master" It was Coppee who wrote and read the poem for the unyeiling of the bust of Henri Nursel 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 in the ceremonies at the unveiline of his monument
 Coppee is not married, although, ir 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 be will leave inoonsolsble regret when he dies How ever that may be, he will be sure oi plenty of sincere mourners-the students of the Latin quarter and the birds of the Jardin du Luxembourg. New Yorh