The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1921-02-08

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May %. 1855. Hugo wrote rapidly
poems plays and. novels. Nc other
man of his time had such an inter-
national reputation. Swinburne hailed
him as the greatest man born since
he death OF Shakespeare"
His most famous novel. Les Mis-
CRADLES" was published in 1862, but
ae had been working on it for IS years.
Thirty years before had appeared his
Grst 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, a 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 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 MyrieI 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
smile assured the geGdarmes 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.
1 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, 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 Nj.
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
hfdeous pair named Thenadier. When
1t was learned that she had an illegit-
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 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 dissolute 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
ofTfcious 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 meekly and inveSti-
gated her complaint. She was i'll Of
consumption and he provided for her
and pro- Used to look out for he" child.
Abe II; .e same time the police ar
rested another man who thr,0 lormer
cOnvicts: swOre was the missing Jean
Vatican: Jean Valjoan's conscience
would not allow an innocent person to
be punished in his place. SurmCunt-
ing extraordinary difficulties, he went
to Arras,: where the trial took place,
and just as the judge was condemning
the wrong man, he confessed he was
the missing convict that had robbed
the bishop and the hurdy-gurdy boy.
The judge let him go; but Jayert
was implacable and apprehended him
at Fantine's death-bed. He was lodged
in Jail, but having enormous strength,
he broke out and returned to his house
TO secure his great fortune. He had
time to hide his money in the haunted
forest of Montfermeil, but was cap
tured and sent to the galleys for life.
Nine months later at ToulOn he
broke his chain and saved the life of
a sailor who was hanging head down
from the tOTmast of & ship, but he
himself either fell or jumped off from
the spar and was reported drowned.
The battle Of Waterloo had taken
place and the Thenadiers, who had
been guilty of robbing the dead on the
fatal field, kept a wretched inn at
MOntfermeil. They treated Cozette.
now eight years old, with great cruelty
Christmas 1923, was the climax of her
wretchedness she was sent after dark
to fetch water from Il spring IN the
dreadful forest. A poorly dressed
stranger. passing carried her heavy