The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-11-18

$500 piio'SphiO PO' SA ''o"'
The other purpose was evidently Intended
as an attack on certain landowners among
the country gentry in Southern England,
who, heartlessly Indifferent to the poverty
stricken condition Of their tenantry, allow
them TO drag out miserable lives in the most
abject squalor and Indebtedness, occupying
pigstys Of novels built on swamp with
"bulging walls and rotten roofs close by
an open drain, stagnant and noisome"--as
the writer describes the hamlet Of Mile End
until that fearful result Of bad drainage,
diphtheria, In its most malignant form,
makes Its appearance and sweeps those poor
perishing already from starvation
and penury--from the face OF the earth.
II Is no apology that the management Of the
estate is left to an oGcnt, who makes what
ever report he chooses TO his master. Mrs.
Ward depicts frightiul state of things at
Murewell, paralloled only by the narrowing
scenes from Taines London In his
lordly hall, Wendovcr, the 'Squie, buries
himself when not roaming the world over,
among his vast collection Of books and
marvellous art treasures, shutting out all
humankind, caring only to crafty his IA etc
as sayant, scholar and skeptic, in studying,
writing and thinking, until people finally
began TO regard him as only one more of
his insaniy.tainted family.
Possessing a perfect storohouse OF Ian
guage, Mrs. Ward Is never at loss for the
precise word 10 express tho most delicate
shade of meaning. In style her novel is
ItaitnUufaI.I H.. al hill
which, with the great Intellectual force and
artistic grouping displayed, shows her to be
a woman OF extraordinary msntal grasp and
culture. Belonging 10 family Of scholars,
by blood and marriage, 1t appears but
natural that the rarc,t intellectual gifts
should be hers. II It takes three genera
tions to make gcn;l man, then perhaps
the same rule may be applied to literature,
and Mrs. Ward In her own family illustri-
Gus, as they already ave be regarded as a
grand elimination OF the aristocracy Of
brains.
Robert Elsmore Is the story OF human
soul struggling In tn M shes OF doubt, who
passes through his Gchs,manc Of agony and
sorrow into the perfect light OF day, freed at
last from the fottcrs and tmmmcls Of old be-
licis and supcntitions. knowing his duty and
realizing the solemn rasp1nsibility resting
upon him. and armed with The courage OF
his convictions when the right moment
CONES he frankly makes an avowal OF his
alt rcd faith and resigns the position OF Rec.
tor OF Murcwell. Mr.. Ward never any
where s,altlcs her readers. everything Is
logical, every move OF her characters Is that
Of real men and women acting from certain
impulses or controlled by certain circum-
stances She analyzcs their reasons and mo-
tiycs, their acts follow as a natural conse-
qucnco sequence OF related life. Robert
El.merc could not have helped becoming n
scolpiic any moro than he coul Il have helped
loving Catherine. lis was an earnest in
tense thinking nature though sunny and
buoyant wiihal. Tho mixture 81 the Celtic
aud Anglo-Saxon blood In his veins might
or might not account for the first disturb
ance 20 is smooth and steady flow. Though
hs mother prsdlrtci no good to her son
from the prospective intercourse with Wcnd-
over But his early association at oxford
with Thus Linshan his tutor restless,
morbid. cynical thinker aud dreamer wa.
undoubtedly an important factor IN bring.
ing about eventually that philosophlc re.
acctlyouess aud -plrit OF inquiry that finally
lei 20 bis revolt against and ropudia
ton OF religious dogma. What Lang
ham began Wondovcr, tho cold, crit
lcal skoptic and scholar finished. Tn,
result vas what one might have expected
10 would have been astonishing had ID beer
Uihcrw'se. The grief he suffered at ;h'
change In his convictions was only on account
oi his wife his always believing Catherine
who, remembering only her fathers faith
Was unable To see any Other grace equally
good anal saving Catherine u one Of thi
strongest and most consistent characters II
the book. Every Gbar of her mental an,
moral being was cast In the Puritan mold
"Ausicrity. strength and individuality
Robert was more and more driven 10 appl,
n her" rhornburgh. the vicar, says speak
ing ~ GATHERINGS father "iic was n curiom
MANA refined looking creature, with n face
that rvmindcdyou Of Wordsworth. and cold
downish Ways except 10 the children an,
the poor. Catherine was always with hc
father and never forgot or straycI ava,
from his example or teachings. Her iathe
died when she was about Aftccn, lcavin,
Catherine 10 watch over her mother an,
bring up her sister. She has bccom
sort 81 Deborah IN these yalloya.
She knew her Wentworth by heart, bu
shelley was n scaled volume 60 her Tn,
opposite tn Robert In temperament, train
La l. 4. -.
that lac fell In love with this 'swcctfaecd
serious woman" and made up his mind tina
''shc aud she only. II she will aud God will
shall he my wife,"
What could be more wcirlly dnmati
than tho scene that Wild aud stormy night
between Robert aud Catherine on the top q
shanmos., whore be bclrs To accompany her
determined TO plead with all the carncstno.
oi his soul TN she promised 10 become hi
wife. Their welded life began with Low,
together they worked among their fellow
creatures hand In hand, imbucd with IA
same belief the same old faith each Ia
been brought up 70 believe. Vile
Roberts change of faith camo IN
shock 10 Catherine was tompostuou
ono How could sic understand IN
forces at work within Roberts sou
Aficra long, weary time Of wrestling wit
this terrible doubt. and hcsiiating and pu
ting IL Oh, he finally tore out his heart an
laid u ai her feet and aid.
FOR six or sqycn months Catherine
really, Tor much lonrcr though I new,
anew It'll have bccn lighting with doubt
doubt Of orthodox Christianity doubt ,
what the Church teachcs " what love
-ay and preach every Sunday. first tcrcI
on me, 1 knew not how, then the weigh
grew heavier and 4 began 10 struggle wit