The vidette. (Iuka, Tishomingo County, Miss.) 1912-1967, 1920-06-10

a BOUT the time of the French
revolution, Jean Vatican of La
~ - 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
10 the galleys for FIVE years. Twice
he attempted to escape and FAMED. He
was convict for 10 years. When he
was discharged ina1815 he was wicked,
silent, chaste, ignorant and ferocious;
his affeetlonate 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. I have bought your soul Of you.
I give it to God"
AS he fed, he yielded to one last
temptation to do wrong; he took from
a hurdy-gurdy boy two-franc piece,
but almost Immediately, filed with
remorse. he tried in vain to find the
boy. Two years later q stranger,
| dressed like a workingman arrived at
the little city of Nj sur M.
Just as he arrived a 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
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
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 a lie, and demanded 10C
francs. To obtain this she sold heI
front teeth to a travelling dentist
then she went on the town, and wher
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 wa:
there and suspected the mayor o.
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. IN
took the affront meekly and investi
gated her complaint She was III o
consumption and he provided for he
and promised to look out for her child
About the same time the police ar
rested another man who three forme
eonvlcts swore was the missing Jeal
Vatican. Jean ValJean's conscience
would rot allow an innocent person &
be punished in his place Surmounl