The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-11-08

"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 loaf
of bread, was caught and condemned
to the galleys for five years. Twice
he attempted to escape and failed. He
was convict for 10 years. When he
was discharged ins1S15 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 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 candlesticks, 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.
I give it to Cod"
AS he fled, he yielded to one last
temptation to do wrong; he took from
a hurdy-gurdy boy two-franc piece,
but almost Immediately, filled with
remorse, he tried in vain to find the
boy. Two years later a stranger,
dressed like workingman arrived at
the little city of M 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 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 a crafty and
hideous pair named Thenadier. When
It was learned that she had an illegiti-
mate child, she was discharged with
out the knowledge of M. Madeleine,
the benevolent manufacturer, and was
reduced to such poverty that she could
not nay the Thenadiers, who took
Cosette'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
i'll, which was lie, and demanded 1OO
francs, To obtain this she sold her
front teeth to a travelling dentist;
then she went on the town, and when
a 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
NJ 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 neekly and investi.
gated her complaint. She was III OF
consumption and he provided for her
and promised to look ont for her child.
About the same time the police ar.
rested another man who three former
convicts swOre was the missing Jean
Vatican. Jean Valjean's conscience
would not allow an innocent person tc
be punished in his place. Surmount