Connecticut western news., 1879-03-12
Jean Valjean.
VICTOR HUGo's HERO.

 Jean Vatican was vine dresser and gardener in Auvergne. During a hard winter, when he was without labor and withost bread, with widowed sister and her helpless children dependent upon him he wandered from place to place in pursuit of employment, that he might earn food for the hungry ones that looked to him for sustenance. He could find no work 1; he had never begged. He had always welcomed work, and worked with cheerful joy; but to ask for aims was more than he could do. It was night. He had failed. He had not farthing. The children were crying for bread. By chance he saw pile of 1t in window he was passing, and, in the desperation of despair for the foodless children he loved, he, on the wild impulse of his desperation, broke the window pane and stole loaf of bread, and ran in reckless joy to give it to the furnishing. It was the first and only crime of his enslaved life. He stole to keep children from starving. This WAS his crime. He was pursued, arrested. He admitted his crime. He admitted the other crime of being hungry and poor. He was tried for burglary at night in an inhabited house. He was convicted and sentenced five years to the galleys. He was manacled and taken to Toulon. There he was dressed in the felon's garb, and numbered "A, ,601. At the end of four years he escaped. He was retaken, and for this crime of wishing to escape, once again repeated, he was kept a criminal slave for nineteen years. He was fiber. ated and sent out in the world bearing the badge of the felon, to be kicked scorned, turned from every door, an6 treated worse than brute.
 In a weary day of utter despair ht finally found shelter from insults, from Jibes, from the dogs sent to bait ant bite him, in the house of a great-soulei priest, who cheered him with food ant charity, and kind words and a clear bed; but the victim of the gaIleys dreaming of the insults and iesrs of tn day and his future, rose in the night, de termined to find his way back to the gal leys. He robbed the Samaritan wh took care of him, stole his silver, but when detected, the priest would not ac cuse him, pitied him, spoke words ( human sympathy to him, begged him t become man. Jean Vatican from tha moment was new being. The light ( Christian love stole into his heart, i luminated his brain, nerved him, an s created for him the high purpose to rt heye want and succor misfortune. E started in new world. Invention an -St industry aided him. Honesty gaine him friends. Humanity inspired hil to benevolence, and he fed the hune1 and clothed the naked. I said inventio aided him. It opened to him a broa, straight, road to fortune. He travele it with the direction of faith. He b came rich. His integrity, his benev lence, his keen, quick intelligenc which his misfortunes had intensife and hls fortunes sharpened, gained hi honors. He was the first among SUI cessful manufacturers. Politics adopte him, and he was honored in publ trusts.
 At last, when he had won forum public confidence, and public honors,
 became essential to save the honor ar liberty of poor man that he should pr claim himself the old criminal and gall, slave. He did not hesitate for nome
 to save another from the fate he h. been forced to endure-he proclaim
 his name Jean Valjean, the ninetee
 year galley slave. Then detectiv
 aogged bis steps. Responsibility turn