The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-05-06

would turn to over and over again, so great
Is the impression made and mpathyevoked. |
viola Sedley Is asensitive, highly-strung tenn
permanent whom one finds in the opening
chapter perplexed and questioning as to the
mystery Of her own existence. With the
soul OF metaphysician, she grows up, and,
owing To financial family troubles, she is
forced into marriage with rich man, Philip
Dendranth, to whom marriage is q relation
which makes a master OF the husband. ODE
dience In the wife must be the handspring
OF her life He is polished, courtly gentle
man, but cold, cruel and brutal in heart and
soul. This novel is the story of their life
together. II begins as drama, but ends a
tragedy. Viola's fate appears to have been
marked out, as possibly that Of every human
being is, from the first. The conservative
reader will find fault with her. and say she
made no effort to please her husband; or, at
least, to mark her obedience and submission
with the spirit Of hypocrisy or clever
ness. Viola is nothing, II not true to her
own soul, and how could she reconcile the
religious teaching Of her childhood with the
lie she had to practice in marrying man
whom she did not love and shrunk from
with n shudder of horror? At no time does
Viola affect to love him or try to make him
think so. Philip, however, in his over-ween-
ing amour propre and vanity believes with
the cynical distrust Of Pope, that all women
have their price, and 1t is not till after the
marriage ceremony is pronounced that he
finds the spirit Of his wife decided contra
diction Of the calumny. The scene between
them in the carriage returning from the
church illustrates this, when she refuses TO
surrender little antique knife of the Rem
aissance period, given TO Viola as a bridal
gift by her friend Harry Lancaster, which he
assured her was meant now only for a paper
knife or ornament To Philips resolute per-
sistency she positively refused TO give up
the knife, urging that she accepted this
gift not as your wife, but myself. l was not
your wife then, In fact. viii you not leave
me even a little remnant of individuality
Am TO be always your wife, never myself?
have not questioned your authority. but
you ask for more than authority. The great
est despot only commands, he does not alto
gcther extinguish his subjects. You go too
far even for husband" The description
Of the death Of Bill Dawlins, Viola's pet
poodle, afterhe had grown old, is as pathetic
passage as was ever written. Like Viola,
the reader, too, II he has a heart, will sob
IL out Sbclla Lincoln represents the
unconventional element Of the novel and is
target for the venomous shafts Of the Mrs.
Grundys Of the country village where she
hau come TO live when we are first intro
duced TO her She is made the exponent OF
much OF the suffering that women go
through from the false principles in which
they are trained and by which they arc
made TO marry. Her utterances are whole.
some, but another generation will have to
be born before the remedy for this evil will
be found. even II then. The very mothers
who realize all this and who are able u
think, lack the moral courage 10 be the first
10 change the old order Of things. Each one
looks forward 10 a brilliant match for her
daughter, even " there are no old mort
gagged estates TO redeem or family honor
TO save. These pitilcss facts and force.
ful utternnces Mrs. Card embOdies In
form Of romance and passion, which
whether she intends TO or not must
disturb the existing condition OF things just
rs pebble thrown into pool, widens the
|
OF water Is IN state Of commotion. Moth.
ing could be more dramatically or weirdly
tragic than the final scene between Viola
and Philip at the end Of the story, when her
intention 20 escape from her husband and
flee with Harry Lancaster Is frustrated by
Philips sudden and unexpected appear.
ance, with a smile on his face, prepared to
enjoy himself" and In the strength Of hci
madness and desperation she stabs him "a
death with the knife Harry had given her n.
a bridal present Philips dying curse con
iains all the fury and hatred Of demon,
"May the gallows spare you for more hide
Gus fate may you suffer all that your soul
most abhorsi may you be the tool and chat
tel aud plaything Of men; may they draa
you 10 the lowest depths Of humiliation
may you be outcast, homeless, praying foi
DEATH may the pride Of your soul be with
cred and utterly rooted out; may you die In
, shame and misery; may your soul be damned
for cvcrlasting-mur Published by
Frank T. Lowell & Co, New York; price, y
cents. MansfOrd will orlcr it.
"a Storm Ashore" Is sweet, old-fash
, toned story by james II. Connolly, Of thai
! quaint, sleepy old village, Sag Harbor, mol
/ far from the extreme end OF Long Island
Tho plot involves characters and scenes Incl
dental to that romantic locality. Sailors
smugglcrs, the village beauty, love idyi, 4
murder and final capture aud trial OF the
/ criminal In time To ave the wrong man, th'
hero Of the novel, from an unjust penalty
and death. all are the materials ont Of which
our author Wcayos an effective and piciur'
csqucly interesting story. Published by
Bclford. Clarke & Co New York and Chicago
Price % cents. From the same house We have
I also received "Thc Queen Of the Block" 2
cents. by Alexander Pinkcad. The Iion''
SHARE by Mrs. Clark WnHnR, % cents
'ilcr Strange Fate" by Celia Logan, u
cents. J. 5. osilyic, publisher sends US
"lzma,' by Azclla NJ. shicldA aud Ivan
the Scrf by sylanus Cobb, Jr., and y. r.
Lowell. 'Miss Kate" 30 cents by Rita. "0n
Clrcumdanilal Evidence, by Florence Mar
ryait published by Frank Il. Lowell, New
York, price, % cents. For sale by Mansforl.
J.E.K.
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