Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-12-26
"h'EvANGELlsrE DE PARIS.
The Work that is 10 he the Sensation
OF the Year in Paris.

PARIS, December I2.-Alphonse Daudet Is
at thn moiiient writing the final chapters OF
a new story, which will probably be the
| literary event of the season. 1t is entirely
different from any other work by the same
| popular author. Indeed, in many ways it
ia unlike any French book of recent years
| with which ! am acquainted, and especially
unlike any book of the so-called naiuralistic
school of Emile Z)la, between whom and
| Daudet people are 80 fond q know not wby)
Of institutiDg parallels. The story, which is
attractively entitled LEUangeiisie de Paris,
will in the first instance appear as a feuiHeton
in the PARIS Figaro. Il will immediately
aiIer appear in book form; and very
possibly. ransIations will be published
-1-oss.-tie sauIe tIu1e IN Laa.le-5-St. feter5-
burg or Moscow and Vienna.
Daudet has kindly allowed me 10 look
through the manuscript of L'Erangeiiste de
Paris. IT il a ga and stfiking tale of our
own time, told with rare force and feeling,
as Dickens might have told il, and founded
almost entirely on fact. Every character in
the book has been drawn with commendable
skill, from tue life. In his previous works
Daudet has generally conteuted himself with
giving Us half-porlraiis, or what might be
described as composite portraits. In the
present case his ch aracters, from the heroine
downward, are living, breathing men and
women, With many OF whom we Parisians
are all acquainted.
The central figure ia the plot, "Jeanne
Au + man, ia sort OF Partisan "Dinah
Morris" gone astray. She is the lady presi-
dent Of the pious society OF Danes Evangel-
istes and Protestant. Not a Protestant of
the mild Anglican or Lutheran pattern,
however, but a sort of Calvinist revivalist-
a bigot cold and fierce in a breath, convinced
that she has mission % save souls, and de-
termined TO fulfill her mission. though 10 do
so che trample tpon all human weakness,
passion and affection. In strange contrast
10 his fanatical heroine, the authof will
show us commonplace, good mother, called
mime Ebsen." This "Mme Ebsen" hsp, in
the language of the revivalists, not 'come
to Jesus" She herself will tell us that she
has not had time "for things of that sort"
Full Of the cares and affections of this work
aday world, she has given little thought
poor creature-to religious matters
believing at bottom, perhaps, that they
are of minor importance compared
10 the duties of her household and the ed
ucation of her children. But "Mme. EDS snn
has daughter, "Eline," who is more spir-
itually- minded; and in an evil hour "Eline"
is thrown in Jeanne Autheman's" path |
The interest OF the book from this point lies |
in the struggle in Zines heart between
natural sffet tion and what the Evangelist"
gradually pereuades her 10 be religious duty |
will not spoil the pleasure of future read |
ers of this fascinating book by telling them |
in what way the struggle ends. They will be |
able TO learn that shortly for themselves, |
when LEvangehae de Paris appears in its |
Engli.h garb; and it will be strange indeed |
if some of them do not weep when they |
reach the close of the last chapter.