The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-06-16


 buking hypocrisy and deceit, fiercely attacks all religions-especially the Catholic church and more especially the Order of Jesuits. Law and order are abhorrent to him and he glorifies communism, free love and sensuality. There Is a trail of absinthe and Jus. over all the pages.
 high order, but, just as surely as does his character Rodin, he used the livery of heaven to serve the devil in." Of whatever religion one may be-or of no religion at all-no man can defend the immortality of "The Wandering Jew"
 Shorn of its immortality and its att Jacks on religion, the novel is power ful, well-told and dramatic story-a tour-de-force of the imagination.
 The character from which the book takes its name, the Wandering Jew, plays practically no part in the plot of the story. He is introduced in a vision at the beginning and the end, and aside from that Is only alluded to. Sue merely used him to typify the ar- <tisan and give motif" for the pecu- liar philosophy of communism which he introduced into his novel.
 On the confines of Poland the last rays of the setting sun shine on a deso- late hill. As the darkness deepens the sound of funeral bells and hymns vail up from the valley where funeral torches ~glow in the deepening gloom The dread scourge of the cholera is over the stricken land, advancing day by day at a pace such as man would make in days journey.
 Down the rocky declivity comes strange, weird figure. His counte- nance is noble gentle and sad; his jet black eyebrows, united in one, extend in a curve from one temple to the other over his high forehead and give to his face one ray of sinister aspect. Where ever he passes the cholera accompa~ nies his footsteps. There are seven large nails in his shoes and when he walks they imprint the figure of a cross in the soil.
 As he passes on he IS absorped In these thoughts: "The 18th of February approaches-they come, those days when the descendants of my sister. those last branches of our race. will assemble in Paris. One hundred and fifty years ago persecution scattered over the earth for the third time that family over which I have watched for eighteen centuries. When they are fin danger instinct tells me and would go to them; but too often an invisible power hurries he on and cannot save them"
 Then he hears avoice. Onward! On- wardw and caught in sudden black ness of storm the weird figure Is hur- ried down the slope.
 It is the Wandering Jew, that ar- tisan of Jerusalem, who smote Christ and bade Him "Go on~ Condemned to wander undying over the face of the earth, he Is journeying now with his face set toward Paris.
 From the furthest wilds of America Journeys another undying creature. woman, with her face likewise toward Paris. About 25 years of age in ap- pearance, with a face of great beauty and great sadness, she is impelled On- ward! Onward! by the same mysterious power that drives, as with a tempest, the steps of the Wandering Jew. It is Herodias, condemned for demand ing John the Baptists head on charg- CT to the same punishment as Ahasue- rus, the artican of Jerusalem.
 Strong in the heart of both these strangely accursed beings is the desire to protect the heirs of Marius Renne- pofit, the seven surviving representa- tives of the scattered race of the sis ter of the Wandering Jew; but also strong in them Is the agony which tells them that little will be permitted them to achieve.
 Shortly before, in far Siberia. the mystic being whom we have seen de- scending a hill on the confines of Poland had appeared to Francois Badouin, called Dagobert, faithful old soldier of the empire, and warned him that 1t was time for him to take to the French capital the daughters of Gen. eral Simon, Rose and Blanche, twins Of Is years, whose mother, Polish lady, had just died in exile there. and whose father was far off in Java, where he had fled upon the overthrow of an Indian king whose army he command ed-fled with the kings son, Prince Djalma, who had also been mysterious ly warned that he should be in Paris on 18th of February.
 once before," Dagobert was saying to his charges as they journeyed along, ''has this strange man with the black, arched brow crossed the path of your family. It was on the field of battle. A gunner was aiming a cannon point blank at your father, my beloved general Suddenly appeared this strange man and threw himself between my general and the gun. The gun was fired; but when the smoke had cleared away the strange man stood there un- harmed-and then, with a look of sor- row and resignation he went on"
 And this medal; this strange medal" asked Rose. What. my Dagobert, do you imagine this to mean?"
 w nat IL SdySS ohS"OiOo Do6OpSAI shortly.
 Rose raised the medal that she wore attached to a chain around her neck and read: Tn century and a half you will be in Paris, on February 13. 1892. at No Rue St. Francois. Pray for me-"
 Far, far away from the northern wilds. under the tropic sun beautiful Indian youth, the Prince Djalma, was reading the same inscription on simi- lar medal as he took ship for France from Batavia, grieving at the same time that his fathers faithful friend, General Simon, who had gone to nelgnoorlhB island, was not to accompany him on his mysterious journey. but comforted by the Generals assurance that ne would follow him soon.
 Another traveller to whom had de- scended like medal was also sailing across the waves to keeep the tryst made by his ancestor. Marius Renne- pont, the exiled Hugonat, at the old walled-up house in the Rue St. Fran cois. It was Gabriel Rennepont, young Jesuit missionary, returning from his labors in America.
 In Paris itself were living already three others to whom similar medals had descended. One was the beauti- ful Adrienne de Cardoville, orphaned daughter of the Count-Duke de Cardo- ville; the other two were M. Hardy. manufacturer of Plessis. and Jadues