The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-01-17
LITERATURE.

NAL MoULEE. A Novel. BY Ella Wheeler
Wilcox, author of Poems of Passion. y
"Maurine," etc. New York: G. W Garlic
ton & Co.; Salt Lake: James Dryer.
When the announcement was made
some months ago that Ella Wheeler
Wilcox was writing a novel. sense of
sorrow and regret was felt by her ad-
mirers. She had given us Poems of
Passion, "Maurine" and scores ofshort
poems, which had proven her the in
tensest and strongest poetic writer of
the day in America. Women were
pleased and men were charmed
by her. and her books found their Way
into every circle where poetry is APP
preciated. 1t is only now and then an
author can write good poetry and good
prose. and it was the fear that she
would fail IN the latter that caused her
admirers to wish that she had not
departed from the field wherein she
excelled; indeed, in which there were
none who might be said to approach
her so nearly as to be competitors
There was danger that she would
shatter an idol which her poetry had
created; and, besides, there was in the
novel-writing proposition a suggestion
that she was trading on her popularity
to produce and sell a book. Her
novel NAL Moulee"-baGly mixed, or
of ugly mould--has made its appear
ance, and it proves that the apprehen-
sions of the authors friends were not
unwisely held. The higher the admira.
ton for the writer of Solitude" OF
1.-The Land of Nod" of "Delilah," of
the Love Ship and scores of others
of m r. hn
will be the regret that she has at
tached her name to NAL Moulee." One
must not read the book critically and
unimpassionedly if he would not de-
nounce it as fearful in its mistakes of
Judgment, almost vulgar in its
inception and plots and I'M
natural in its action and treat
ment of characters. We must read
If casually and kindly in order to en-
dure it, all the time bearing in mind
the great genius of the author and
Knowing her pure intentions, and her
purpose; we may then appre-
ciate her delicate touches of woman's
heart, and wonder at her perfect knowl-
edge of human nature. Read in this
the book is interesting, though
decidedly queer. NAL Moulee" is the
story of two girls who became acquainted
in a boarding school where they were
room mates and fast friends,
though as unlike in their natures,
ideas, sentiments and training as
two girls we'll could be found.
Dolores Kings parentage was of the
kind which We sometimes
encounter, and she grew up to hate
and all social restraints; as
might have been expected she became
the willing mistress of a rich, genteel
debauchee; and as also might have
been foretold in the case of such man,
the unholy passion was short.lived,
ending in suicide by the woman and
happy marriage by the man with the
other girl, Helena Maxon. The latter
was the offspring of pure and happy
marriage was reared in a Christian
nome. and should have done better
Than marry with the lecherous paramour
IF her friend, whom she seems to have
married for the sole purpose of saving
lim.. That is evidently the impression
sought to be conveyed by the author,
and yet one looks with horror upon a
who will do as Helen Maxon
lid when she knew that her old school
mate loved the man to madness, was
aithful in her unhloy relations to him,
and was at that moment begging and
for recognition of her love
hat would be lawful. Of the two
women the misguided, mistaken. weak
and ruined D, lores King ninently
The more noble, the better and more
i'll everything, which fact of
itself makes nonsense of the book, in
that it reverses the purposes of the
author who sought to create heroine
of Helen MaXOn, Heroes and heroineS
cannot be made out of the foul material
which the author has employed. The
about spiritualism, journal
ism, religion and other matters are not
necessary to the story, and have been
dragged in as padding" Some of
them are good enough, but they would
have been better said elsewhere. Alto
gether we are sorry that Ella Wheeler
Wilcox has given US NAL Moulee," and
hope that She will attempt no more
prose novels, but give US many
'Maurines," and bright little poems
o, which she has been so fruitful.