The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-05-30

!
 Kingsley's .Hereward" is taken legend histories Every one who reads this novel must be struck with the amazing amount of research that nec- essarily preceded it's writing. Kings ley dealt in intimate detail with an epoch that is painted or rather indtcat- ed, only by a few broad touches In history. His intense partisanship. his fiery opinions about everything from the theory of Eravitation to religion . color all those details. yet so vivid, so hotly human is the whole stery that even the reader with close knowledge Of the history of that strange. wide age Is carried away and comes to be- heve the novel to be more true than the accepted philosophy of history. Some chapters are Homeric. No bet ter nicture of the half savage, half noble Vikings has been painted than this picture of Hereward. sea-robber, land-pillager. slayer, burner and pat riot The novel Is called "Hereward. the Last of the English" in some eda- tions. This title Is more significant of it's theme than the better known ti-
 The Lady Godiva. patroness of Cow entry. beloved throughout all the land for her brave deed in riding naked through the town te save 1t from ex- action, was heavy at heart. Again and again had her wild son Hereward done evil to hind and squire with his wild following, beating and siaying men in drunken brawls. and again -ani again had she forgiven him. But now he had done deed that seemed to her pious soul to curse him here and hereafter.
 He had thrown Heriuin. the reverend sub-prior of Peterborough. from his fat mule and dragged from him six teeh silver pennies You and your fellow priests.p shouted Hereward. have swindled my lady mother of the hoard You have swindled me. through her. of many q fair manor ere now, and 1t Is but fair that should tithe the rents. as shall never get the lands out of your claws!"
 The mortified priest hurried to the Lady Godiva. While he was telling her the terrible tale there sounded roaring laugh outside and Hereward hurst into the room.
 He was such lad as might have pleased the eye of any mother--a young man of IS short, but immense In breadth of chest and straight of limb full of a noble. reckless courage that showed in every line of his handsome face as he shook back his long bright yellow hair and roared out; sHerluin! Sir Monk. if my good old Uncle Brand were not prior of Peterborough would have burned the minister over your head long ago. When there IS another prior there you will find Here. ward the Berseker. smoking you out some dark night"
 The monk shrank behind Lady God iva---and small wonder for the bears rage. the Berserker-wuth. was flaming in the young man's face. and 1t was made the more Frightening by the sin Sster expression Of his eyes. whioh came from the fact that one was gray ana one was blue. The bright blue tnttoiing around his wrists and throat swelled and writhed as his veins and muscles grew big with fury.
 Lady Godiva. majestic and beautiful sill, despite the lines of care that snarlxed her features, cried out upon Mim and promised that before night- fall a messenger should be on his way 10 Edward the Confessor's court to ap- prise her husband. the great Earl of kfercia and Chester, of this crown bng sin of their son.
 sHai" shouted Hereward. My fa- kher will tell the King, and the old . hiiraele-worlker will outlaw me. Very well Outlaw I will be, and try what 3 man can do for himself with no an weI or saint to help him. and nothing but his wits and sword"
 He flung out of the room, and 1t pass sd as he had forseen. The Earl, wis. pst of all men in England of his time, EwNre that he was Earl to see justice his own flesh and blood. arnor on his back, good weapon byncoesdiw,. .befiN his own flesh and blood. So one morn Ing Hereward, with good armor on his back. good weapon by his side, good horae beneath him and good money ln his purse, rode away, 6 Wake" a bwolGs heaJ"-an outlaw whose life was in every mans hand.
 First he rode to the land beyond Northumberland. where ruled a schem- ing. cunning. bold Fleming. Gilbert of Ghent, who made the young Wake welcome, for he had abundant use for strong gentlemen who were willing to take hard blows from his enemies.
 He hecame the darling of the ladies in few weeks. Indeed. the yellow haired outlaw had that luck through all his life. Logically, the knights did not love him the more for that. es- pecially after he had proved with many mighty blow that heads were not safe within reach of his ready arm. -
 After a while he became bored. be- / cause none seemed able to stand up to him long enough to make 1t a really interesting fight and he longed for . chance at the only creature at court who seemed worth while. This crea- ture was not a man. It was more than man. It was mighty white bear whom everybody feared so much that the common people would dare not even name him, but called him Gods cog. Gilbert and all the rest feared him equally and approached his den with respect They said that he was the son of the Fairy Bear. and an uncle or cousin of great Siward Digre him self. He had iron claws. and no doubt was raised as to this natural fact. Ho could be conquered by no man. He was the whales bane. the seals dread the rider of the iceberg.
 Hereward begged Gilbert for permission to try a bout with the monster of the foe but Gilbert. who would never tell how he had obtain- ed the dreaded beast or explain the mystery of why he kept him caged at his court. shook his head. drunk or sober.
 One day, however. the bear escaped Hereward came riding Into the court yard just as everybody had fled into the house and barred the doors. the knights thinking 1t no shame to run as fast as the ladies from a thing likO that white creature. that stood with his white mane bristling and his long snake neck and snarling visage turn ing in all directions for an enemy. while one paw rested on horse whose back he had broken with a sinKlN Iove-tap.
 Just as Herewaed entered he saw a little white figure trying Yainly to