Whenthemindsoftheyoungpairwerefinallymadeup，theirfurthercourtshipdidnotlastverylong。Theywerewillingtobeunited。”Happy’sthewooingthat’snotlonga-doing。”
　　Thewedding-dayatlengtharrived！Jasmindoesnotdescribehisbride’sdress。Buthedescribeshisown。”Imightgiveyou，”
　　hesaysinhisSouvenirs，”apictureofourhappynuptialday。
　　Imighttellyouatlengthofmynewlydyedhat，mydresscoatwithbluefacings，andmyhome-spunlinenshirtwithcalicofront。ButIforbearalldetails。Mygodfatherandgodmotherwereatthewedding。Youwillseethatthepursedidnotalwaysrespondtothewishesoftheheart。”
　　ItistruethatJasmin’swedding-garmentwasnotverysumptuous，norwashisbride’s；buttheydidthebestthattheycould，andlookedforwardwithhope。JasmintookhiswifehometothepleasanthouseontheGravier；andjoyandhappinesssatdownwiththemattheirownfireside。TherewasnoCharivari，becausetheirmarriagewassuitable。Bothhadbeenpoor，andthewifewasreadyandwillingtosharethelotofheryounghusband，whetherinjoyorsorrow。Theirhomewassmallandcosy——
　　verydifferentfromtherat-hauntedhouseofhislamemotherandhumpbackedfather。
　　Customerscame，butnotveryquickly。Thebarber’sshopwassomewhatremovedfromthemorepopulouspartsofthetown。
　　Butwhenthecustomersdidcome，Jasmintreatedthemplayfullyandhumorously。HewasaslivelyasanyFigaro；andhebecamesuchafavourite，thatwhenhiscustomerswereshavedorhadtheirhairdressed，theyinvariablyreturned，aswellasrecommendedotherstopatronizethenewcoiffeur。
　　Hislittleshop，whichwasatfirstnearlyempty，soonbecamefullerandfullerofcustomers。Peopletookpleasureincomingtothehair-dresser’sshop，andhearinghimrecitehisverses。
　　Hesang，hedeclaimed，whileplyinghisrazororhisscissors。
　　Butthechinsandtressesofhissitterswereinnodangerfromhisskippingabout，forhedeftlyusedhishandsaswellashishead。Hisrazorglistenedlightlyoverthestubblybeards，andhisscissorsclippedneatlyoverthelocksofhiscustomers。
　　Exceptwhensoengaged，hewentonrhyming。Inalittletown，gossipfliesaboutquickly，andevengetsintothelocalpapers。
　　OnedayJasminreadinoneoftheAgenjournals，”Pegasusisabeastthatoftencarriespoetstothehospital。”Werethewordsintendedforhim?Heroaredwithlaughter。Somegossiphadbewitchedtheeditor。Perhapshewasnopoet。Hisrhymeswouldcertainlynevercarryhimtothehospital。Jasmin’sbusinesswasbecomingalittlemorelucrative……Itistruehishousewasnotyetfullyfurnished，butdaybydayhewasaddingtotheplenishing。Atalleventshishumblehomeprotectedhimandhiswifefromwindandweather。
　　OnoneoccasionM。Gontaud，anamiableyoungpoet，inachaffingway，addressedJasminas”Apollo！”informertimesregardedasthegodofpoetryandmusic。Theepistleappearedinalocaljournal。Jasminreaditaloudtohisfamily。GontaudallegedinhispoemthatApollohadmetJasmin’smotheronthebanksoftheGaronne，andfellinlovewithher；andthatJasmin，becauseofthemeritsofhispoetry，wastheirson。
　　Upflamedtheoldpair！”What，Catherine?”criedtheoldman，”
　　isittruethatyouhavebeenacoquette?How！haveIbeenonlythefoster-fatherofthylittlepoet?””No！No！”repliedtheenragedmother；”heisallthineown！Consolethyself，poorJohn；thoualonehastbeenmymate。Andwhoisthis’Pollo，thehumbugwhohasdeceivedtheeso?Yes，Iamlame，butwhenIwaswashingmylinen，ifanycoxcombhadapproachedme，Iwouldhavehithimonthemouthwithastrokeofmymallet！””Mother，”
　　exclaimedthedaughter，”’Polloisonlyafool，notworthtalkingabout；wheredoeshelive，Jacques?”Jasminrelishedthechaff，andexplainedthatheonlylivedintheoldmythology，andhadnopartinhumanaffairs。AndthuswasApollo，theancientgodofpoetryandmusic，sentabouthisbusiness。
　　Yearspassedon，themarriedpairsettleddownquietly，andtheirlifeofhappinesswentonpleasantly。Thehoneymoonhadlongsincepassed。Jasminhadmarriedattwenty，andMariettewasayearyounger。
　　Whenacouplelivetogetherforatime，theybegintodetectsomelittledifferencesofopinion。Itiswelliftheydonotallowthoselittledifferencestoendinaquarrel。Thisisalwaysasadbeginningofamarriedlife。
　　TherewasonethingaboutherhusbandthatMariettedidnotlike。
　　Thatwashisverse-making。Itwasallverywellincourtship，butwasitworthwhileinbusiness?Shesawhimscribblinguponcurl-papersinsteadofattendingtohisperiwigs。Shesometimesinterruptedhimwhilehewaswriting；
　　andononeoccasion，whileJasminwasabsentonbusiness，shewentsofarastoburnhispensandthrowhisinkintothefire！
　　Jasminwasagood-naturedman，buthedidnotlikethistreatment。Itwasnotlikelytoendinaquietdomesticlife。
　　Heexpostulated，butitwasoflittleuse。Hewouldnotgiveuphishobby。Hewentonrhyming，andinordertowritedownhisversesheboughtnewpensandanewbottleofink。Perhapshefeltthegermsofpoeticthoughtmovingwithinhim。Hiswiferesentedhisconduct。Whycouldhenotattendtotheshavingandhair-dressing，whichbroughtinmoney，insteadofwastinghistimeinscribblingversesonhiscurl-papers?
　　M。CharlesNodier，memberoftheFrenchAcademy，paidavisittoAgenin1832。Jasminwasthenthirty-fouryearsold。Hehadbeenmarriedfourteenyears，buthisnamewasquiteunknown，savetothepeopleofAgen。Itwaswellknowninthetownthathehadatalentforversification，forhewasaccustomedtoreciteandchaunthisversestohiscustomers。
　　OnequietmorningM。NodierwastakingaleisurelywalkalongthepromenadeoftheGravier，whenhewasattractedbyaloudaltercationgoingonbetweenamanandawomaninthebarber’sshop。ThewomanwasdeclaimingwiththefuryofaXantippe，whilethemanwasansweringherwithHomericlaughter。Nodierenteredtheshop，andfoundhimselfinthepresenceofJasminandhiswife。Hepolitelybowedtothepair，andsaidthathehadtakenthelibertyofenteringtoseewhetherhecouldnotestablishsomedomesticconcordbetweenthem。”Isthatallyoucamefor?”askedthewife，atthesametimesomewhatcalmedbytheentranceofastranger。Jasmininterposed——”Yes，mydear——certainly；but——””Yourwifeisright，sir，”
　　saidNodier，thinkingthatthequarrelwasaboutsomedebtshehadincurred。”Truly，sir，”rejoinedJasmin；”ifyouwerealoverofpoetry，youwouldnotfinditsoeasytorenounceit。””Poetry?”saidNodier；”Iknowalittleaboutthatmyself。””What！”repliedJasmin，”somuchthebetter。Youwillbeabletohelpmeoutofmydifficulties。””Youmustnotexpectanyhelpfromme，forIpresumeyouareoppressedwithdebts。””Ha，ha！”criedJasmin，”itisn’tdebts，it’sverses，Sir。””Yes，indeed，”saidthewife，”it’sverses，alwaysverses！
　　Isn’tithorrible?””Willyouletmeseewhatyouhavewritten?”askedNodier，turningtoJasmin。”Byallmeans，sir。Hereisaspecimen。”Theversesbegan：”Femmeoudemon，angeousylphide，Oh！parpitie，fuis，laisse-moi！
　　Douxmield’amourn’estquepoisonperfide，Moncoeuratropsouffert，ildort，eloigne-toi。”Jetel’aidit，moncoeursommeille；
　　Laisse-le，desesmauxapeineilestgueri，Etj’aipeurquetavoixsidouceamonoreilleParunchantd’amournel’eveille，Lui，quel’amouratautmeurtri！”
　　ThiswasonlyaboutafourthpartoftheverseswhichJasminhadcomposed。[2]Nodierconfessedthathewasgreatlypleasedwiththem。Turningroundtothewifehesaid，”Madame，poetryknocksatyourdoor；openit。Thatwhichinspiresitisusuallyanobleheartandadistinguishedspirit，incapableofmeanactions。
　　Letyourhusbandmakehisverses；itmaybringyougoodluckandhappiness。”
　　Then，turningtothepoet，andholdingouthishand，heasked，”Whatisyourname，myfriend?””JacquesJasmin，”hetimidlyreplied。”Agoodname，”saidNodier。”Atthesametime，whileyougivefairplaytoyourgenius，don’tgiveupthemanufactureofperiwigs，forthisisanhonesttrade，whileverse-makingmightproveonlyafrivolousdistraction。”
　　Nodierthentookhisleave，butfromthattimeforwardJasminandhecontinuedthebestoffriends。Afewyearslater，whenthefirstvolumeofthePapillotosappeared，NodierpublishedhisaccountoftheaboveinterviewinLeTemps。HeafterwardsannouncedintheQuotidiennetheoutburstofanewpoetonthebanksoftheGaronne——apoetfullofpiquantcharm，ofinspiredharmony——aLamartine，aVictorHugo，aGasconBeranger！
　　AfterNodier’sdeparture，MadameJasmintookamorefavourableviewoftheversificationofherhusband。Shenolongerchidedhim。Theshopbecamemorecrowdedwithcustomers。Ladiescametohavetheirhairdressedbythepoet：itwassooriginal！
　　Hedelightedthemwithsingingorchantinghisverses。Hehadasympathetic，perhapsamesmericvoice，whichtouchedthesoulsofhishearers，andthrewthemintothesweetestofdreams。
　　Besidesattendingtohisshop，hewasaccustomedtogooutintheafternoonstodressthehairoffourorfiveladies。