第5章

Whensuchaseedhasbeenplanted，itsdivineoriginisshownbyitspowerofgrowthandexpansion；andinanoblesoul，apparentlyinsurmountabledifficultiesandobstaclescannotarrestitsdevelopment。ThelifeandcareerofJasminamplyillustratesthistruth。Herewasayoungmanborninthedepthsofpoverty。Inhisearlylifehesufferedthemostcruelneedsofexistence。Whenhebecameabarber’sapprentice，hetouchedthelowestrungoftheladderofreputation；buthehadatleastlearnedthebeginningsofknowledge。

Heknewhowtoread，andwhenweknowthetwenty-fourlettersofthealphabet，wemaylearnalmosteverythingthatwewishtoknow。Fromthatslightbeginningmostmenmayraisethemselvestotheheightsofmoralandintellectualworthbyaperseveringwillandthefaithfulperformanceofduty。

Atthesametimeitmustbeconfessedthatitisaltogetherdifferentwithpoeticalgenius。Itisnotpossibletotellwhatunforeseenandforgottencircumstancesmayhavegiventheinitialimpulsetoapoeticnature。Itisnottheresultofanyfortuitousimpression，andstilllessofanyactofthewill。

ItispossiblethatJasminmayhaveobtainedhisfirstinsightintopoeticartduringhissolitaryeveningwalksalongthebanksoftheGaronne，orfromthenightingalessingingoverhead，orfromhischantinginthechoirwhenachild。Perhapsthe’FablesofFlorian’kindledthepoeticfirewithinhim；atalleventstheymayhaveactedasthefirststimulustohisartofrhyming。Theyopenedhismindtotheloveofnature，tothepleasuresofcountrylife，andthejoysofsocialintercourse。

Thereisnothingintheoccupationofabarberincompatiblewiththecultivationofpoetry。Folez，theoldGermanpoet，wasabarber，aswellasthestillmorecelebratedBurchiello，ofFlorence，whosesonnetsarestilladmiredbecauseofthepurityoftheirstyle。OurownAllanRamsay，authorof’TheGentleShepherd，’spentsomeofhisearlyyearsinthesameoccupation。

InsouthernandOrientallifethebarberplaysanimportantpart。IntheArabiantalesheisgenerallyashrewd，meddling，inquisitivefellow。InSpainandItalythebarberisoftentheonebrilliantmaninhistown；hisshopistheplacewheregossipcirculates，andwheremanyaprettyintrigueiscontrived。

Menofcultureareoftenthefriendsofbarbers。BuffontrustedtohisbarberforallthenewsofMontbard。MolierespentmanylongandpleasanthourswiththebarberofPezenas。Figaro，thefamousbarberofSeville，wasoneofthemostperfectprototypesofhistrade。JasminwasofthesamecallingasGilBias，inspiredwiththesamespirit，andfullofthesametalent。

HewasaFrenchmanoftheSouth，ofthesameraceasVillonandMarot。

Evenintheprimandformalsocietyoftheeighteenthcentury，thebarberoccupiednounimportantpart。Heandthesculptor，ofallworkingmen，wereallowedtowearthesword——thatdistinctivebadgeofgentility。Inshort，thebarberwasregardedasanartist。Besides，barberswereinancienttimessurgeons；theyweretheonlypersonswhocouldscientifically”letblood。”TheBarber-SurgeonsofLondonstillrepresenttheclass。TheypossessacuppresentedtotheGuildbyCharlesII。，incommemorationofhisescapewhiletakingrefugeintheoak-treeatBoscobel。[3]

ButtoreturntotheadventuresofJasmin’searlylife。

Hedescribeswithgreatzesthisfirstvisittoatheatre。

Itwassituatednearathand，bytheancientpalaceoftheBishop。Afterhisday’sworkwasover——hisshaving，curling，andhairdressing——hewentacrossthesquare，andpressedinwiththerestofthecrowd。Hetookhisseat。”’Heavens！’saidhe，’whereamI?’Thecurtainrises！’Oh，thisislovely！Itisanewworld；howbeautifullytheysing；andhowsweetlyandtenderlytheyspeak！’Ihadeyesfornothingelse：

Iwasquitebesidemyselfwithjoy。’ItisCinderella，’Icriedaloudinmyexcitement。’Bequiet，’saidmyneighbour。’Oh，sir！whyquiet?Wherearewe?Whatisthis?’’Yougapingidiot，’hereplied，’thisistheComedy！’”Jasminnowremainedquiet；buthesawandheardwithallhiseyesandears。’Whatlove！whatpoetry！’hethought：’itismorethanadream！It’smagic。OCinderella，Cinderella！thouartmyguardianangel！’

Andfromthistime，fromdaytoday，Ithoughtofbeinganactor！”

Jasminenteredhisgarretlateatnight；andhesleptsosoundly，thatnextmorninghismasterwentuptorousehim。”Wherewereyoulastnight?Answer，knave；youwerenotbacktillmidnight?””IwasattheComedy，”answeredJasminsleepily；”itwassobeautiful！””Youhavebeentherethen，andlostyourhead。Duringthedayyoumakesuchanuproar，singinganddeclaiming。You，whohavewornthecassock，shouldblush。

ButIgiveyouup；youwillcometonogood。Change，indeed！

Youwillgiveupthecombandrazor，andbecomeanactor！

Unfortunateboy，youmustbeblind。Doyouwanttodieinthehospital?””Thisterribleword，”saysJasmin，”felllikeleaduponmyheart，andthrewmeintoconsternation。Cinderellawasforthwithdethronedinmyfoolishmind；andmymaster’sthreatcompletelycalmedme。Iwentonfaithfullywithmywork。Icurled，andplaitedhairinmylittleroom。Asthesayinggoes，S’ilnepleut，ilbruine(Ifitdoesnotrain，itdrizzles)。WhenI

sufferedleast，timepassedallthequicker。Itwasthenthat，dreamingandhappy，Ifoundtwoliveswithinme——oneinmydailywork，anotherinmygarret。Iwaslikeabird；Iwarbledandsang。WhathappinessIenjoyedinmylittlebedunderthetiles！Ilistenedtothewarblingofbirds。Lo！theangelcame，andinhersweetestvoicesangtome。ThenItriedtomakeversesinthelanguageoftheshepherdswain。Brightthoughtscametome；greatsecretswerediscovered。Whathours！

Whatlessons！WhatpleasuresIfoundunderthetiles！”

Duringthewinterevenings，whennightcomesonquickly，Jasmin’ssmallsavingswenttotheoilmerchant。Hetrimmedhislittlelamp，andwentontilllate，readingandrhyming。

Hispoeticalefforts，firstwritteninFrench，weretoacertainextentsuccessful。Whileshavinghiscustomers，heoftenrecitedtothemhisverses。Theywereamazedattheboy’scleverness，andexpressedtheirdelight。Hehadalreadyaremarkabletalentforrecitation；andincourseoftimehebecameeloquent。Itwassometime，however，beforehispowersbecamegenerallyknown。

Theladieswhosehairhedressed，sometimescomplainedthattheircurlpaperswerescrawledoverwithwriting，and，whenopenedout，theywerefoundcoveredwithverses。

Themenwhomheshavedspreadhispraisesabroad。Insosmallatownareputationforverse-makingsoonbecomesknown。”Youcanseeme，”hesaidtoacustomer，”withacombinmyhand，andaverseinmyhead。Igiveyoualwaysagentlehandwithmyrazorofvelvet。Mymouthreciteswhilemyhandworks。”

WhenJasmindesiredtodisplayhisoratoricalpowers，hewentintheeveningstothequarteroftheAugustins，wherethespinning-womenassembled，surroundedbytheirboysandgirls。

Thereherelatedtothemhispleasantnarratives，andrecitedhisnumerousverses。

Indeed，heevenbegantobepatronized。Hismasteraddressedhimas”Moussu，”——themasterwhohadthreatenedhimwithendinghisdaysinthehospital！

Thusfar，everythinghadgonewellwithhim。Whatwithshaving，hairdressing，andrhyming，twoyearssoonpassedaway。Jasminwasnoweighteen，andproposedtostartbusinessonhisownaccount。Thisrequiredverylittlecapital；andhehadalreadysecuredmanyacquaintanceswhoofferedtopatronizehim。

M。Boyerd’Agen，whohasrecentlypublishedtheworksofJasmin，withashortprefaceandabibliography，[4]saysthathefirstbeganbusinessasahairdresserintheCourSaint-Antoine，nowtheCourVoltaire。WhentheauthorofthismemoirwasatAgenintheautumnof1888，theproprietoroftheHotelduPetitSt。JeaninformedhimthatalittleapartmenthadbeenplacedatJasmin’sdisposal，separatedfromtheHotelbytheentrancetothecourtyard，andthatJasminhadforatimecarriedonhisbusinessthere。

Butdesiringtohaveatenementofhisown，heshortlyaftertookasmallhousealongsidethePromenadeduGravier；andheremovedandcarriedonhistradethereforaboutfortyyears。Thelittleshopisstillinexistence，withJasmin’ssignboardovertheentrancedoor：”Jasmin，coiffeurdesJeunesGens，”

withthebarber’ssud-dishhangingfromapendantinfront。

Theshopisverysmall，withalittlesitting-roombehind，andseveralbedroomsabove。WhenIenteredtheshopduringmyvisittoAgen，Ifoundacustomersittingbeforealooking-glass，wrappedinasheet，thelowerpartofhisfacecoveredwithlather，andayoungfellowshavinghisbeard。

Jasmin’slittlesaloonwasnotmerelyashavingandacurlingshop。EventuallyitbecameknownasthesanctuaryoftheMuses。

ItwasvisitedbysomeofthemostdistinguishedpeopleinFrance，andbecamecelebratedthroughoutEurope。Butthispartoftheworkisreservedforfuturechapters。

FootnotestoChapterIII。

[1]MagasindesEnfants。

[2]MesNouveauxSouvenirs。

[3]InEngland，somebarbers，andbarber’ssons，haveeventuallyoccupiedthehighestpositions。Arkwright，thefounderofthecottonmanufacture，wasoriginallyabarber。

Tenterden，LordChiefJustice，wasabarber’sson，intendedforachoristerinCanterburyCathedral。Sugden，afterwardsLordChancellor，wasopposedbyanoblelordwhileengagedinaparliamentarycontest。Replyingtotheallegationthathewasonlythesonofacountrybarber，Sugdensaid：”HisLordshiphastoldyouthatIamnothingbutthesonofacountrybarber；

buthehasnottoldyouall，forIhavebeenabarbermyself，andworkedinmyfather’sshop，——andallIwishtosayaboutthatis，thathadhisLordshipbeenbornthesonofacountrybarber，hewouldhavebeenabarberstill！”

[4]OEUVRESCOMPLETESDEJACQUESJASMIN：Prefacedel’Edition，，Essaid’orthographegasconned’apresleslanguesRomaneetd’Oc，etcollationdelatraductionlitterale。ParBoyerd’Agen。

1889。Quatrevolumes。

CHAPTERIV。

JASMINANDMARIETTE。

Jasminwasnowabright，vivid，andhandsomefellow，afavouritewithmen，women，andchildren。Ofcourse，anattractiveyoungman，withapleasant，comfortablehome，couldnotlongremainsingle。Atlengthlovecametobeautifyhisexistence。”Itwasforhersake，”hesays，”thatIfirsttriedtomakeversesinthesweetpatoiswhichshespokesowell；versesinwhichI

askedher，inratherloftyphrases，tobemyguardianangelforlife。”

Mariette[1]wasaprettydark-eyedgirl。ShewasanoldcompanionofJasmin’s，andastheybegantoknoweachotherbetter，theacquaintancegraduallygrewintoaffection，andfinallyintomutuallove。Shewasofhisownclassoflife，poorandhardworking。Aftertheday’sworkwasover，theyhadmanyapleasantwalktogetheronthesummerevenings，alongthebanksoftheGaronne，oruptheascendingroadtowardtheHermitageandtherockyheightsabovethetown。Theretheypledgedtheirvows；likeapoet，hepromisedtoloveherforever。Shebelievedhim，andlovedhiminreturn。Therestmaybelefttotheimagination。

Jasminstillwentondreamingandrhyming！Mariettewasalovelysubjectforhisrhymes。Hereadhisversestoher；andshecouldnotbutbepleasedwithhisdevotion，eventhoughrecitedinverse。Hescribbledhisrhymesuponhiscurl-papers；andwhenhehadreadthemtohissweetheart，heusedthemtocurlthehairofhisfaircustomers。Whentoomuchsoiledbybeingwrittenonbothsides，hetorethemup；forasyet，hehadnottheslightestideaofpublishinghisverses。