Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1897-01-22
HE LOVES THE BIRDS.
FRANCOIS COPPEE AND HIS FRIENDS
IN THE JARDlN Ou LUXEMBOURG.
it Is n Touching Sight 20 Watch the Poet
Feed His Pets In Public Garden--A
Man Who Il Loved b. All and Is "DenI
Master" to the Student,.

no IL lig, las great ~ my friCr'i 9:
Paris, Int nuuo of thcm H. more doyc
nam the lit e birds II live il tie Jui
i'm du LuXCn horIg They know him IA,
soon rs they see Linn come IN mt ore a
the de gdcS, his shoulders Grot ri.g
his head hanging forward, J 3, f..ce pa,
from Ill heath. itcy tHoy in ju,
which enc & Lis pc, .e;s lc carrie. til
big piece Of breed y hith he Is :, ing +,
liylGo into crumDs for their benefit, A.,
they probably say IN t4-rr own spec;
language:
"Ah, here is !'.tc%a zee. bic.
/ NJ"
They aIe not ito cr'y ones due know
what Ccppee las in rs rQc.r3t. All III,
Latin quarter people Who conc AMI 2,
Through that corner IF to LuXembourt
garden which faces the Gy3rou know Il az
the gentle author rarely 'DisSes day in
his devotion TO the bisJN And when he
appears with Il peculSa'r swollen appear
anCe about one OF bis pockets they draw
quietly T.. 10 respectful distance &c
! watch.
As soon as tho o'rvie Of spectators
worEmcl a blue blOuscs, students il
colduTcT and e'-a&h hats, nursemaic
with brelcgGsd children-as soon
these elements. which might possihl,
be disturbing, have taken themselves fal
enough our OF the way, the birds clos
in around the poet until sometimes
hundred u them will be fluttering about
his head CT hopp.g about his feet
Then he takes out s 5 piece of bread
ard crumbling Off one corner losses Il
mcrsel up in the air. Instantly there is
fiutter 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 ficck.
One crumb after another is thrown
out in this direction 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 off,
but not thrown. 1t is held invitingly
between the thumb and finger, while
the poet looks at his birds as much as tc
say:
Come, come. You know your friend
Coppee. Give me proof of your affeo
ton, as | am giving you a proof OF
mine, "
There IS q great futter then among
the birds, great cooking of pretty
heads, much sharp glancing Of bright
eyes. Finally one particularly brave
little creature makes "a wide curve 70,
ward the imprisoned crumb, but his
courage deserts him on the way, and he
circles back to his place without the
prize. Coppee rpbs the crumb little,
so that a tiny morsel Of it falls to the
ground, where it is quickly picked up.
1t 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 Il dart toward the |
outstretched hand, pOises with fiutter
ing wings above it, picks daintily at the
crumb and then bears it away triumph
antly i'll its bill. After that it all goes
merry as marriage bell. Two or three
birds will be eating from his hand al
the same time. They light on his shout.
der, on his arm, on his hat.
The spectators meanwhile are full Of
oreathIess interest. A child whose loud
'ry of delight startled the birds into
sudden flight is unceremoniously jerkod
back by his nurse with an emphatic
'Tais-toi. " The students talk in an I'M
iertone about the dear master, as they
all Coppee.
Last winter, when there was an IN
usual amount Of snow in Paris. Coppee
VAS particularly attentive to the wants
II his birds, which in their turn were
more than ever appreciative of his good
'tfices, for the snow made pretty poor
licking for them. And on cold DAYS il
vas no uncommon sight 70 see the stu
ents rush up to the poet after he had
niShed his dole and turn up his coat
ollar or tighten his muller or button
rs overcoat
Dear master" they would say affec. 3
you must be more careful Of >
ourself. You know you are not strong, ,
nj 1t Is cold, and we need you as much E
) the birds do" i
|
avs the dear master " 1t was Coppee !.
no wrote and read the poem for the IL
nvelllng of the bust Of Henri MurSe, b
that same Jardin du LuxembOurs d
urger's name is idolized by the whole q
atm quarter, and it is doubtful if the a.
udents would have permitted any one tc
whom they did not approve to take st
Irt IN the ceremonies at the unwilling &,
his monument. al
Coppee is not married, although, in L
'ench fashion, he has friend TO whom
makes mysterious references in his
rltings as one who is dear TO him and
whose heart he knows he will leave ns
regret when he dies. How VI ~
er that may be, he will be sure of ~ ~
'nty OF sincere mourners-the students =
the Latin quarter and the birds of the III
rdin du Luxembourg New York 20
IA. OF
de
He Was Taken In. tb,