St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-06-24
"CAN LOVE sIN?"
A st. Paul Production Creating
Widespread Comment and Criti-

Widespread Comment and Criti-
cism.
"Can Love Sin?' the new book by
Mark Douglas, which is attracting such
wide attention, was written by st.
Paul man, but the fact is not gen.
orally known. He has quilted the
city, and will never be known
in his real name as the author.
The title of this book will doubtless
attract many readers, from its sugges-
ton of piquancy. None who read it
will be disappointed unless it be the
morbid minded. who will look in vain
for salaciOus or suggestive passages:
The book has been severely criticised
by some as being bad in its moral. This
cannot be said with truth, for the moral
of the book. which stares at the reader
from every page, is, ''ThOu shalt not
commit adulteryw When the author
read the condemnation of the penny-a-
liners, written from the high moral
pedestal on which, all unaccustomed.
they had climbed, he was astounded.
AS he said in letter to a friend:
'lf / have written an immoral
book. did not know it. If thought
its tendency was immoral l would buy
in and burn the whole edition." The
young author may rest easy. No mar
ried woman reading of the loves OF Paul
and Miriam will close the book with I'M
the battIements of her conjugal love.
No maiden will comprehend the depth
of passion described, for none can love
as deeply as this pair without all educa-
ton, as it were, in the very art of love.
This is the love of mature man and
woman, and not of a young and mex
perienced couple. None but those who
have loved and suffered through and
for that love, can appreciate the full
intent of the book, and for
them it is written. Besides
the moral based upon the seventh COM
mandment, another moral is brought
out in vivid form. This is, that God is
loving God. Whatever the trials and
affections that may come upon His
children, affections that at times may
tempt them to turn and curse Him, He
is ever with them, and seeking their
ultimate happiness. In his powerful
novel, Mark Douglas weaves simple
but exciting plot around these two
morals. The story has for its hero,
Paul Denton, United States senator
from Oregon, a man many times amill-
L
erwise called Mrs. Ralph Lee. A woman
of high intellectually, noble thought
and great beauty, combined with a
great brilliance, which make her most
charming. She is woman of deep feeling
VINO cannot kiss the rod that chastenS
her, and who at times actually expresses
her hatred for God. Senator Denton
experiences strong platOnic affection
for her and, as is usual under such cir
cumstances, this develops into an ardent
passion almost before they know it
themselves. 1t is the story of the
growth of this love that the author por-
trays with such cunning hand The
character of Ralph Lee, Miriam's
wronged husband, is one of singular
nobility-he is an American Sir Leices-
ter Deadlock-and is undoubtedly
type of the perfect gentleman. one of
those men that GGd made. The de-
scription of his earnest efforts to win
back the love of his wife is
pathetic in its sad nobility. The
descriptive portions of the book are
magnificent. Ouida herself never eX-
celled the description of the ride down
the Rocky Mountains on the wild car.
to beat in sympathy with the intense
excitement of those hours. The paint
ing of the sunrises and sunsets on
Mounts Shasta and Tacoma are worthy
of Ruskin, and are evidently drawn
from the actual experience of the au-
thor. The dog-fight scene, where
Miriam chofes the bulldog, is great.
and for a description of perfect bliss
the Mayday picnic of Paul and Miriam
is perfect. But the author excels in his
portrayal of the passions OF the human
heart. This is where the book gets its
hold upon the reader. The passion of
love, gradually awakened by natural
affinity. Its hidden smOuldering until
famed into wild outburst of
flame. The endeavors of the hero and
heroine to quench its fury. The moth
er's love for time conquering it, but
when her child, the object of her love
is removed, its resurrection and final
contamination are grandly described in
language of the best selected type. 1t
is true that the author makes his hero
and heroine tread dangerously near to
the edge of the abySS,bu with deft hand
he keeps them out of it, and while he
may he stepping in where angels fear
to tread, he comes out all right and
leaves the reader with sense of the
greatness Of love. its danger when I'M
checked; It's ability to bring perfect
happiness. and last but not least,
sense of the all-powerful Deity. who
rules the whole world, and who loves to
the end his every creature.