The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-11

 when the French Revolution would have failed had not that battalion arrived as fl did. The men of the Marseillats bat talion had sworn to least down the ty- rant'-that poor, weak king who was no tyrant-only an expert locksmith who would have been content to continue "fl- ing his locks and his keys'' while the nation went to smash. To the Reds of the Midi the revolution was not what 1t was to the Reds of Paris. It was a ris- ing Of the starving peasants They thought when they left Marseilles that Partc was fast across the mountains. Bur once having arrived In the French cap ital they knew their power The story Of Feliz Gras is one of those historical novels which tell more of history than bistory itself, because 1t introduces us to the thought and feeling not only or Paris. but of France, at the time when the House of Bourbon fell and the head of king was flung, as a gage of dehance, into the face of the nations of Europe.
 TATELY and grand wns the Cha
 teau de la Garde, seat of the Mar o ouis d'Ambrun. and miserable were the huts and was the lot of his peasants. pascalet was 12 years old before he saw either a kneading trough. bread hutch, all Jar or wine keg, things possessed now adays by the poorest peasant in Provence that delightful southland of France. In the single room of his fathers hut were two boxes filled with straw, which served as beds, the cooking pot in the middle of the room, hanging from roof beam, and big chopping block. That was all the furniture of the place he called home Pascalet, his father and his mother lived in this hut, which stood close to the great chateau, because they belonged, along with the other farm animals, to the estate of La Garde
 Pascal gathered the acorns on the es- tate, and for his pay was allowed to keep half of them. Also he had the right to till two small pieces of land, from which he got enough beans, vetches and herbs to keep his family from actually starving to death-his wife, called La Pa tin, his boy and all their fieas. Once a year the family baked bread. making 1t out of a coarse sort of a flour composed of rye, beans and acorns grounds to- gether, husks and all the collections and savings of the year. Each morning the father with his ax would cut upon the chopping block the daily allowance of bread for the family, and by the end of the year the bread was so hard 1t dulled The edge of the ax.
 The family of the Marquis d'Ambrun consisted of his wife, the marquis, their son Robert Count Robert. who, though only a boy. was Cavalier du Rob, and a daughter. Adeline, fair and gentle creature, who was of the game age as Pascalet The first piece of white bread PascaIet ever saw was given him by Ad- cline as he passed one day before the great chateau.
 The marquis, who saw the act, called out to her daughter: "Adel,ne, Adeline, what do you mean by giving your bread to that little wretch? You must not teach him what white bread is or the day will come when he may snatch 1t out of your mouth., And then to Pasoaleti Get out of here, you little beast. Get out, hurry-or I will set the dogs on you The piece of white bread was the most delicious thing that Pascalet had ever eaten in all his life; yet the cruel words of the great lady made it bitter as gall. Nevertheless, from that hour. all his life long he thought of Adeline as an angel. Once the boy was coming home from a hunt for magpies' nests, ant as he had eaten nothing all day, hunger was twist ing his insides. As he passed behind the chateau, skirting the stables. he saw in the gutter fine cabbage stalk, which made his mouth water and he ran to pick 1t up.
 But the marqufss sow. with her litter, nlso saw it and ran to dispute the prize with him. The swineherd. brutal fel- low, gave Pascalet such blow with his stick as knocked him breathiess, while the marquis, who was looking out of a window, called: "Wel1 done! well done What is that little rascal doing there, trying to steal the food out of the mouths of my pigs? Vermin-these peasants, if they could but get at us alive.'
 When Monsieur le Marquis, Madame la Marouise and Monsieur Robert one day cnanced to pass by the hut of old Pas cal the man and his wife went down on their knees and so remained until the great people had gone on. At the sight Pascal was devoursed by shome. He did not kneel at all and 1t hurt him to keep back his rage. You wretchad boy" said the father, 'the next time I'll take good care that you kneel to our kind master and to see how simple and good his father was made Pascalet rage inwardl, still mofe against the marquis and the system. Of all those living in the chateau Adellne was the only one whom Pascaler could meet without feeling of anger. To meet her was pleasure, and he al- ways saluted her with respect and de- light. She had gentle eyes. and she smiled upon him when she saw him. But as she grew older he fancied that, little by little her smiles grew fainter, and, though he knew her eyes wore just as gentle, he did not dare look upon her any more.
 Such was the condition of things on the estate of La Garde in Provense while a revolution had broken out in Paris ana the throne of the Bourbons was tottering to it's fall. Rumors came that in Avig- non people were killing each other, and 1t was said that the Marquis and M. Rob- ert were going to Paris to fight for the king, who was in great danger. One cold winter day Pascalet and his father were gathering acorns among the pebbles in the bed of a dry stream. when hare came running by followed by dogs. and after the dogs came M. Robert,