The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-07-26

works Is crime. Young persons in America and England appear to be in- translate a masterpiece as soon as they have finished their boarding school course In elementary. French. Vigor- Dumas and Hugo can survive the mas sacre; but delicate, poetic art like that of Daudet is ruined by any touch except the most skillful.
 When Elysee Meraut thought of his childh ood--ahd he thought of It often --he saw a place of crowded houses standing in the parched and sunburt land of Southern France At almost every window of these houses was fas- tened q Jacquard silk loom, at which men in shirt sleeves toiled necessarily. Beyond the mass of roofs stood the most prominent feature of the neigh borhood. a rocky knoll, crowned with ancient, abandoned windmills.
 There day after day the little Elysee and the other children played a game of which they never tired--that of bat tie between the Huguenots@ and the Catholics. Homeric warfare 1t was. waged with stones from the erumbling mills, and many a 1lferlong scar did the young contestants carry away. Ely see had two-one on his temple and one on his lip.
 Their elders did not essay to prevent or moderate the fierceness of these en- counters. Ewenin the days of the res public. most of the people of that dis trict were intensely royalistic. Ely sees father. welcoming him proudly when he came home tattered and bleeding. would inquire eagerly after the fortunes of the battle. and exult In thunder tones if the Huguenots had been defeated
 'Tholazani Thoalzanw he roared one day on hearing that one of that name had made a stubborn defense. "The beggar' had his father under my gun in 1915. It were well had killed nim."
 On the wall over his loom Elysee's father had the picture of the Bourbon whom the people worshipped In secret as their legitimate monarch. Under 1t was a. smaller one. on which there was large seal of red wax and the words Faith, Hope" around cross of St. Andrew. Meraut looked up continual ly and habitually from his shuttle at these pictures. His strong, statuesque face, with its aquiline nose, seemed not unlike that of these Bourbons whom he loved so much.
 He was a terrible man, violent and despotic. Under strong emotion his face grew purple. His voice was like claps of thunder. He lived in a roy alist legend and his one song. rolled forth at the top of his fine voice. was the ancient royalist chant. Long live Henry the Fourth Long live the val lant King!"
 'sWhen the King returns shall buy ' new arm chair. When the King re- turns we will change the paper on this room" It was Meraut.s constant re- Frain. until 1t was replied by When had the honor of seeing the King"
 That was after he had accomplished The pilgrimage to the royal exile at Frohsdorf, at an expenditure of time and money all but ruinous to a poor village weaver. He had returned dag lied. Yet the interview had been very yhort. "Ah, is it you" the claimant aad said to each of the worshippers in isurn. Meraut was so choked with emo lion and his eyes were so blurred by tears that he could not even see the features of his idol.
 But His Majesty's military secretary, the Duke of Athis, had asked him much about the state of mind of the French people He had even condescended to make a note of the names of Meraut's children. Thereafter when anything was said about the future he would answer, Make yourself easy. The Duke of Athis made a note of them"
 Having become ambitious for his children very suddenly. the old weaver who saw his oldest sons rooted to his own narrow path, built hopes of gran deur on little Elysee. So he sent him to the school of Senor Papel. one of those Spanish refugees who filled the Southern town after the equalization of Marotto.
 Papel was a little man. resembling dwarf in a picture by Velasqusz. He wore a dirty white cap drawn ever his forehead to hide a great swollen h1arA Uatys hal fc kat Co f.fo eyebrows. He was brutal and Cvuel--- fanatic belonging to, the Middle Ages; but he had a prodigious stock of ideas under his broad skull all dominated by obstinate royalisin.
 The people whispered that the name "Papel" concealed that of a general under Don Carlos, celebrated for his ferocious manner of making war and giving variety to death. During the many years that Elysee oasssd under the terrible dwarf, whose favorite pupil he was, he never heard him speak a word to justify this suspicion But when at last his father proposed to send him to Paris. Senor Papel gave him many heavy letters of introd lc- tion. sealed with mysterious arms and addressed to the chiefs of the I.egiti- mate party.
 The cider Beraut ordered this jour- ney because he began to think that the Kings return was delayed too long. To defray the expenses of Elysee's residence in Paris he sold his gold watch and his wife's silver chain and hts vineyard. He did 1t with simple and unconscious heroism for his King. Why do they waltz" said he to his son. ''TeIl them that the people here are weary from waiting"
 Elysee Meraut went to Paris in his twentieth year. overflowing with exalted convictions. The leaders of the mingled with fright. This madman with the dazzling black eyes shining in long leonine face. was ready for everything. They invited him reluctantly to politi- cal reunions held in fear in luxurious ivy-covered mansions whose occupants lived in indolence and plenty. There Elysee found the great names of La Vendee and the fuslllades of Quiberon borne by old gentlemen who were bald and enveloped in fine cloth. Bending over whist table that reflected the lights of tall, shaded candles, they whispered the latest news from Frohs- dorf and expressed solemn admiration for the unwearied patience of the exiles.
 Then affrightened at their audacity. they crept mysteriously home to avoid the police, who were greatly amused at these platonic conspiracies.
 Elysee soon saw that he was too young for these ghosts of ancient France. He learned, too, that the opinions of his district were not held by everybody. and that the return of the legitimate king would be delayed longer than his people at home sup posed. Ills loyalty was ouiv increased