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。