Wilmington daily commercial., 1874-09-14

The second act transfers us to the West
where David moves to place appointed
for the gathering of his followers, where
their temple is TO be built. The PEG
pie have implicit faith in him as prophet.
There is Council of Twelve for business, and
Nimrod Kroft has become the high priest. Then
comes to them dark, beautiful, dangerous
woman, Lyia Romney, who heard the prophet
preach on his way with the emgrants. She
claimsSto have been called by him to a new life,
and she justifcs the perfectness Of her faith by
glib use of unknown languages. Quickly she
comes to have a large share in all the business
Of the colony and is the confidential adviser Of
prophet, priest, and council of twelve, over
all of whom her influence becomes great
The requirements of the new life as
new revelations multiply bear hard on the
converts, and some, especially the women grow
weak. Subtly, Liyia suggests that women are
to be won to the true faith through love-that
religion must satisfy heart and sense, If it would
seal and save the soul. And gradually the wish
is father to the thought and polygsmy grows
into the creed of the prophet and followers.
Liyia thus argues;
There is no woman lives but IN ner soul
Demands bridegroom; falling one of nesh,
Then one OF spirit. Learn TO promise this
In secret ylsltaiions, mystic signs,
Make truth seem love, and knowledge ecs acy,
And you will lead our SEX
And though Rhoda answers:
What mother nursed you on such milk as this?
have but scanty words but in my heart
The woman, from her simple whteness torn,
An dipped In scarlet cries, "Not thus are wel
Not thus the loneliness OF maiden life,
The lingering sorrow of frustrated love,
And pure regret, and tender hope outliyed,
Seek compensation" Less than moyeth man
Gives woman peace. The age I, innocent lives
OF chlllloss widows and unwedded maids
Softly enclose US, young, and keep from harm.
Denied their own, they guard anothers brood,
So gathering bliss But of what kind are those
Who find no truth. save men, forbid to wed,
Or wiyed already, offer it as love?
still Livia carries her point, until in spite Of
Rhoda and one or two of the twelve and Sarah,
the wife of one of them, polygamy is the pro-
claimed and generally accepted condition Of their
existence, the Prophet receiving revelation
sanctioning it after he has fallen victim to the
wiles of Liyia. Later the outside world getting
knowledge Of their practices, assault is made
upon the settlement to break it up. Nimrod
Krofts INSCRIPTIONS diplomacy, aided by as
sasainaton of treackerous malcontents, fails to
protect them. There is battle, in which the
Prophet is wounded, and is brought in to die
his heart at last turning to the wronged but sill
faithful Rhoda, who, when Liyia attempts to as
sst in supporting him, exclaims -
Leave us you have no more part IN him
He is all mine al Ast
Nimrod rejoices that death cuts short the
weakness that had nearly ruined them, procaimi
that Zion shall be strong and hive in him, snatch
es the ark from the temples altar, and escapes
The resemblance of the chief features of tn
drama to the Mormon delusion is obvious, an,
the motive, if it have any except its artistic one
is to show how easily selfshness and shrewdnese
conspiring together. can misead one 30 in
tensely egotistic as David Starr and how, in thi
nervous, high-strung atmosphere OF the West
individuality runs to eccentricity and eccentrici
ty to craze.
As to the literary rank of the new work, tn
critics generally speak highly. The character
are depicted with distinctness, and they carr
out their several parts with consi stent fidelity
their natures Louise Chandler Moulton think
it of much more Importance and interest tina
LARS and ex ceiling 'The Masque of til
, God" in dramatic power. She inssts tina
those who have regarded Mr.. Taylor as par "a
cellenct traveller, must become accustomed t
{ the praises of Taylor the poet.