The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1920-06-11


May "a. 1885. Hugo wrote rapidly
poems, plays and novels. No other
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-
cradles" was published In 1852, but
he had been working on II for is years.
Thirty years before had appeared his
Arst great prose romance, "Notre
Dame" and the third "Teilers OF the
Sea-" came out in 1855.
a BOUT the time Of the French
~ revolution. Jean Vatican of La
- n Brie, a day-laborer, earned a
scanty living for his sister and her
seven children. One time, when the
family was starving. he stole 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 lnl1s15 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 Myrlel, Bishop Of D, In the
foothills of the Alps. He was treated
like a 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 candlestlcks, the
bishop said to him: "Take them and
become an honest man. My brother,
you no longer belong to evil, but to
good. have bought your soul Of you.
/ give II to Cod"
AS he fed. he yielded to one last
Temptation 10 do wrong; he took from
a hurdy-gurdy boy a two-franc piece,
but almost Immediately, filled With
rcmorse, he tried In vain to find the
boy. Two years later stranger,
dressed like workingman arrived at
the little city OF M sur M.
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 a hospital. founded schools,
paid high wages and was made mayor.
Employed In his factory was Famine,
a girl who had been deserted In Paris
by an unworthy lover. She had left
her baby, Cosette, with crafty and
hIdeous pair named Thenadier. When
II 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 Thenadlers. who took
Ccsette's clothes for their own girls
and wrote Famine for more. The girl
sold her beautiful blonde hair; then
they informed her that Cosette was
III, 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
a dlssolute dandy. TO annoy her, put
snow down her back, she scratched his
face and was arrested by Javert.
Inspector OF police. a brutal and over
oficlous tyrant, who had been attached
TO the gaiieys when Jean Vatican was
there and suspected the mayor OF
NJ Of being the former convict.
The mayor freed Fantiue she SUP
posed ne was the cause Of her mis-
fortunes ana spat IN his face. He
took the affront meekly and invest
gated her complaint. She was III Of
consumption and he provided for her
and promised 10 look cut for her child.
About the sane time the police ar
rested another man who three former
cOhvlcts swore was the- missing Jean
valjean. Jean vaite@a's conscience
would not allo= - snnorent person r.
he punished Ia his place sarmcunt-