Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1920-06-12

ln father held high
IasN rank under Ma
INal u 1zz2133 poleon's brother.
He was a preco-
cious lad. writing long plays in verse
and prose while hardly more than a
child. Before his 21st year he had won
several high prizes for his verse. But,
thrown on his own resources by the
death of his mother. he found 1t diff
cult to live by his pen. He moved into
an attic. where he had his only expe-
rtence Of actual poverty. His writ
tngs, however, soon became popular
and he was able to marry, at the age
of 81. Adele Foucher, his playmate of
childhood days. It was a happy mar
riage for 10 years. Then Hugo be-
came infatuated with an actress to
whom he was devoted so years.
From his youth until his death. on
May %, 1885. Hugo wrote rapidly
man of his time had such an inter-
national reputation. Swinburne hailed
him as "the greatest man born since
the death of Shakespeare"
His most famous novel, les Mis-
erables." was published In 1862, but
he had been working on 1t for Is years.
Thirty years before had appeared his
first great prose romance. "Notre
Dame" and the third. "Toilers of the
Sea-" came out In 1865.
a BOUT the time of the French
|. ~ revolution. Jean Vatican Of La
- Brie, day-laborer, earned a
scanty living for his sister and her
seven children. One time, when the
family was starving, he stole a loaf
Of bread, was caught and condemned
to the galleys for five years. Twice
he attempted to escape and failed. He
was a convict for 10 years. When he
was discharged ine1S15 he was wicked,
silent, chaste. ignorant and ferocious ;
his affectionate nature had been
poisoned against society. But he had
taught himself how to read, and he
had thought.
Refused shelter or food at tavern
or private house, he came to Monsign-
eur Myriel, Bishop of D, in the
foothills of the Alps. He was treated
like prince, but in the night he stole
some of the bishops silver plate, was
caught as he made off and was brought
back to the good bishop, who. with a
smile, assured the gendarmes that the
articles were not stolen but given.
Adding two silver candlesticks, the
bishop said to him: "Take them and
become an honest man. My brother,
you no longer belong to evil, but to
good. 1 have bought your soul Of you
I give it to God"
AS he fled, he yielded to one last
temptation to do wrong; he took from
a hurdy-gurdy boy a two-franc piece,
but almost Immediately, filled with
remorse, he tried in vain to find the
boy. Two years later stranger,
dressed like a workingman arrived at
the little city of Nj sur Nj.
Just as he arrived fire broke out In
the Town Hall and he rescued two
children belonging to the captain of
the police. This saved him from hav-
ing to show his passport. He made
an invention and soon became prosper
Gus. He built great workshops, en-
dowed hospital, founded schools,
paid high wages and was made mayor.
Employed in his factory was Famine,
girl who had been deserted in Paris
by an unworthy lover. She had left
her baby, Cosette, with a crafty and
hideous pair named Thenadier. When
1t was learned that she had an illegiti-
mate child, she was discharged with
out the knowledge of NJ Madeleine,
the benevolent manufacturer, and was
reduced to such poverty that she could
not pay the Thenadiers, who took
Cosettes clothes for their own girls
and wrote Famine for more. The girl
sold her beautiful blonde hair; then
they informed her that Cosette was
Ill, which was lie, and demanded 100
francs. To obtain this she sold her
front teeth to a travelling dentist;
then she went on the town, and when
dissolute dandy, to annoy her, put
snow down her back, she scratched his
face and was arrested by Javert,
inspector of police, brutal and over
officious tyrant, who had been attached
to the galleys when Jean Vatican was
there and suspected the mayor of
M OF being the former convict.
The mayor freed Famine. She sup
posed he was the cause Of her mis-
fortunes and spat in his face. He
took the affront meekly and investi-
gated her COMPLAINT. She was i'll of