een helped by the
grandfather, Boe, who begged from door to door, the old man who closed
his eyes in the hospital, "where all the Jasmins die!"

They had known him by his boyish tricks, his expulsion from the Academy,
his setting up as a barber, his happy marriage, and his laborious
progress, until the "shower of silver" came running into his shop.
"Pau de labouro, pau de salouro," No work, no bread. Though born in the
lowest condition of life, he had, by the help of his wife, and by his
own energy and perseverance, raised himself to the highest position as
a man of character. Before he reached the age of thirty {1} he began to
show evidences of his genius as a poet.

But still more important were his works of charity, which endeared him
to the people through the South of France. It was right and reasonable
that his fellow-citizens should desire to take part in the honours
conferred upon their beloved poet. He had already experienced their
profound sympathy during his self-sacrificing work, but they now wished
to testify their public admiration, and to proclaim the fact by some
offering of intrinsic value.

The Society of Saint-Vincent de Paul--whom he had so often helped in
their charitable labours--first started the idea. They knew what Jasmin
had done to found schools, orphanages, and creches. Indeed, this was
their own mission, and no one had laboured so willingly as he had done
to help them in their noble work. The idea, thus started by the society,
immediately attracted public attention, and was received with universal
approval.

A committee was formed, consisting of De Bouy, mayor; H. Noubel, deputy;
Aunac, banker; Canon Deyche, arch-priest of the cathedral; Dufort,
imperial councillor; Guizot, receiver-general; Labat, advocate-general;
Maysonnade, president of the conference of Saint-Vincent de Paul;
Couturier, the engineer, and other gentlemen. A subscription was at once
opened and more than four thousand persons answered the appeal.

When the subscriptions were collected, they were found so great in
amount, that the committee resolved to present Jasmin with a crown of
gold. Five hundred years before, Petrarch had been crowned at Rome in
the name of Italy, and now Jasmin was to be crowned at Agen, in the name
of Meridional France. To crown a man, who, during his lifetime had
been engaged in the trade of barber and hair-dresser, seemed something
extraordinary and unique. To the cold-blooded people of the No