Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-09-15
LIFE OF CONSCIENCE.
A Man who Ever Labored TO Elevate
HIs COuntrymen.

York Herald of Henri Cconsc .ence, the
Flemish novelist, who died on Monday
will prove of inter, 8. to many:
Conscience was the representative OF
Flemish literature. His father was \
Frenchman who, after serving in the
French navy, being taken prisoner
thrice by the English and confined in
pontOOns' had settled in Antwerp, where
he obtained the place OF Sub-1nspector
of the Imperial DOckyards. The sub
ject of this sketch was born at Antwerp
in ISL, and before he was twenty be-
came All under master in school there.
When the revolution broke out Con-
science Joined the Belgian army as
volunteer, and the part he took Ia the
war is related in his Communicating
van 1880" or Revolution Of $780," 1t
was on the march, in camp and in gar
risOn that he first began 10 utilize his
wOndrOuS powers Of observation and ac-
cumulated q store Of incident aud in
formation which were afterward of great
value. On his return home he produc-
ed his first work, The Year OF Won
ders," tale of the GueuN, and in the
following year the "LiOn Of Flanders"
Those became at once popular, and all
admired them with the exception OF
the authors father, who, angry that his
son had written in Flemish, behaved 50
unpleasantly that Henri was forced to
quit home and take place rs garde-
ner, with a salary of SlOO year.
hls novels created almost "a great a
sensation in Belgium as the Waverley
novels did when they were first publish
Ell IN England. He wrote III the
Flemish language, and his favOrite sub
JeCls were Scenes OF rural life. For some
time he disputed the supremacy in this
field OF fiction with George Sand. The
celebrity which his novels achieved
IA BelE uim soon led to their translation
INTO French and other European Ian
guages. His works are said to have been
translated into more languages than
those of any living author. They are
the only books allowed to be read by
the ladies of the Sultan's harem. In
1888 there arose in Belgium an anti
French leagae which strOye to make a
Flemish league of the Kingdom, and
the leaguers resolved to circulate Con-
sciences books broadcast. HIS first
book, "The Year of Miracles" was a
collection of stories about Flemish
heroes, and his Lion of Flanders"
published in 1888, related IN glowing
style the exploits of Robert de Bethune
against the French King, Philip the
Fair. After this Conscience began to
choose his subjects from contemporary
life, and q succession Of short tales,
suited 10 the popular understanding,
flowed from his pen. Evening Hours"
The Execution Child, -" RIkketike-
TAX" and 1.-The COuscript" are all sto-
ries full of incident, pOrtraying the
trials of poor people. The Language Of
OF them Is - simple that 1t seems Guild
ISL in translation. He afterward got a
civil appointment aud did less wOk un-
iii he lost it, when he produced "Mar.
tyrdOm of a Mother" The Childsteal-
eT" and tie "Blue House." Of late years
he has wntten only occasionally. He
was for long time tutor Of King Leo
pold III. He has tor some time been
suffering from terrible aud incurable
disease-cancer of the stOmach-and
was only able to take an inhnitesimal
quantity Of nOurishment.
Conscience wrote for the people. All
his aspirations were to raise the intel
lectual level of his cOuntrymen. In
this he succeeded, and he was rewarded
by great popularity. Always main
tanning a high standard of morality,
his books were neither dull nor ia-
proper. A warm hearted and genial
writer, he made all Flemings proud of
their country. He made familiar many
episodes of their history, and produced
such pleasant and lifelike scenes of
Flemish manners and peasant life that
every Belgian felt honOred when their
King presented him with the Grand
[ ross of the Order of Leopold in 1880.
4 statue of Henri Conscience was uu-
yelled a few weeks Ego in the new Con-
science square at Antwerp previous to
Tie opening of the new library.