The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1890-10-24
LITERARY.

.uelenc. A Love Episode" translated
rr,m tbc French of Emile lola by Mary
Neal Sherwood) has the saving merry VI
bcinr readable. lola compared with the
more successful feailletoRists OF the Jay
hos neither the intensity of Octave Feuii-
let nor the sentiment ana Imaeinh'iv,A
of Daudct or Henri Grcvillc (who IS ~
most French), but he is good example
os the brilliant touch, quick fancy "hu
nice observation of his class. Ana ho"
noticcably these lattcr-day gentlemen are
Indebted to their three yolumed brcthreh
who nlied the imaginative shuttle so IN
dustriously in the past. They have con-
dcnscd the older novclists. retaining their
essence. This book before us does no.
present much that is new, either III pio'
or character. The pcrsonagcs Tor inc
most part-the Able, Mother Fetu ana
tbc rest-can easily he found i'll sue
Dumas or Sand but there Is one excep-
tion-Helenc, and perhaps also, Jeanne
who is happily rs rare in hction as III,
nature. Helene is painted visorously'ahd
is a substantial and real figure with SIM
nle and definite outline The phases OF
her experience, especially of her tcmpta-
ton. arc delcately, and nearly Always
clearly rendered; and she herself Is u,i-
hackncyed. We say nedrfya always clear!
rendered for there is one OF her moods
which We do not undcrstand-thati Is hcr
RELIGIOUS mood. The reader will find that
the author sees fit to bcstOw the orna-
mcnt of religion upon his heroine, ana
tn that end makes her visit her daugh-
tcr's grave and pray IN the s"o". he
seems to feel inclined to act fairly
toward her. so. with all proper dccency
and perfectly satisfied with himself, he
drops the curtain upon her in this merlto-
rious attitude.
But we are anticipating. The Love
Episodc" concerns chiefly Helene, beau-
tiiul Young widow of thirty, Doctor Du-
bcrle, who is rich married and next door
neichbor. Helene has daughter named
Jeanne. who is sort of embodied con-
science to hcrmothcr, and it Is when hcIe-
ne who is devoted to Jeanne, allows another
guilty love to become the interest OF her
heart, that her child dies. Her DEATH
thus assumes the aspect OF rctrlhutIon:
1t is Il bitter reproach to the mother ana
brushes and purifes her. Undoubtedly
Illicit love is legitimate subject OF ar
tistic literary treatment, but the theme
proposed in this book is not wrought OUT
satisfactorily. and for the most part II Is
Il failure as work of art. Its attempt at
incubation of moral will seem to En-
gliSh speaking people even more unSuc-
ccssful At any rate one would hardly
commend it to committees oi Sunday
school libraries.
Helene first sees this doctor of hers on
the occasion of her daughters illness. The
child is suddenly taken with commissions
in the night and Hclcnc.ycry much DISNEY
cllcd. brushes out and procurcs DR.. Dubcrlc,
who comes to the rescue also en- diShdb'fe.
In these moments OF anxiety the author
pauscs to describe his heroine with en-
thusiasm: ''Shc had barred her arms en-
tircv that she might better aid her child:
her superb bust was half unveiled; her
looscncd hair fell in one long coil below her
waist: her whole attitude and air was that
of ii Greek statue. But the physician alb
sorbed in his duties SAW nothing Of this
and thought nothing Of his own di>ordcrcd
costume And, ON the whole, it seems
very well HAT he was so unobScrv"nt.
This child. one may IL we'll observe here,
is of most extraordinarily peculiar,
sensitive, loving and jealous disposition,
and the ccccntrcitcs OF her temper and
turns of her illness, farther on i'll the
story, now assist and now rCtard the
interchange of tenderness between her
mother and the doctor and serve TO kcepup
the suspense of the reader. y great deal
must be forgiven to the child, however,
for she herself la. commissions, and we
#. Il. |,
in an insane asylum, her grandmother
died Of consumption, and The singular
alterations OF conduct on her mothers
part form the principal material of the
story. With such interesting antcccdent>
there is need of charity.
That is Il natural touch where the
author, speaking Of Jeanne, who, against
her will, had been left at home hy her
mother, SAYS: Still AT the open window
Jeanne coughed violently, bat she felt IL
sweet sense of revenge in The knowledge
that she was taking cold and would prob
ably he i'll.
The lady and the doctor meet ut another
bedside, that OF a poor hcggar called
Mother Fctu. This time Helene, is more
scli-cOnsciouS. She has made Il garncmt
for the bcSgar woman, in fact (oll, shock
ing rcvclation.) Il chcmiSe. and has gone
to present it, DR.. Dubcrlc being in the
room when She arrives:
"'Mothcr Fctu, she murmurcd somewhat
embarrassed. i have brought YOU little
fresh linen. This bcggar j. an evil
angel to Helene, and serves TO bring her
and her lover constantly together. Helene,
since her widowhood, has been leading il
secluded life, one OF rcvcrc and inaction
Her heart Is sOoE surrendered. But she
is unconscious Of this, until an unforeseen
cvent-anothcr call upon her modcsty
makes her know the truth. She becomes
very intimate with Madame Dubcrlc. and
spends sometime every day in the Dubcre
garden. One day, while Watching hers
and her neighbours children swing, Nom
seur Rambaud. worthy lover of hers.
offers to swing her:
"Hcr feelings were all youthful in spite
of the severe style OF her grcn, and state
~ beauty, and she was AZ gay aud full of
life as the children about her Moreover
she had not particle of prudcry. With
II merry laugh she said that she preferred
not to show her legs and asked for Il rib
bon; with this she tied her skirts close
above her ankles She stands up, and
the swing is pushed by Monsieur Rambaud.
The description that follows is full of
color and animation:
Then Monsieur Rambaud pushed the
board with greater violence Each time
that Helene went up she went higher into
the air, but the motion was still perfectly
regular. Her beautiful face was exquisite
in its serenity, her eyes were slightly up-