The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-05-03

, ,
man for an evening party.
LITERATURE.
- NIBLICAL COMMENTARY ON THE PRorH-
R@4g ECIEs OF IsAIAH-By Franz DelitZsch.
KiLEA New York: Funk g. Wagnas. In two
NY volumes. Vol. l, svo., cloth $40 PIP,
81 5O.) TIE work written by Professor
Franz Delltzseh, ID. Professor of Theology In
tile University OF Leipzig. and Is one OF The
Foreign Biblical Library Series" edited by the
Rev. W. Robertson Nieoll, LID, editor of the
! Exposition" translated by The Rev. James
Denney, BID. This issue represents the third
edition OF tue original work. Ii has been adapted
for English readers, ye nothing of importance
has been omitted, and the book remains, what
il was when nrSt published the fullest, most
equal, most consistent. and 10 the religious
uOnt Of view, Tile best Of all commentaries on
Isaiah. Tie clergyman and the theological
student Will Ind IN this commentary Work OF
SURPRISING interest Isaiah has been called the
| Evangelical Prophet of The Old Testament be-
! cause Of his many references 10 The Tesla
ment,d scriptiOns uf ChisPs birth and death, and
so forth; therefore, tile book Of Isaiah has al
ways been one Of the great points OF controversy
between tie Christians and uOn-ChTiSttans The
| Christian minister must rreach from Isaiah,
must often 60 to isaiah for the most brilliant
prOpheiical utterances atteSttng 10 Tie truth OF
! Professor DeHZSch Is scholarly, exhaustive,
profound ana Teye.eut. II has never beeu SUI
passed, IL ever equ3l5d.
THE LILY OF THE VALLEY-By HOnOre de
BalZac. Boston; Roberts Bros. Goth and matT
bic sides, 344 PAGES, Uniform series. Trans
Iatlon from tie French by Katharine Prescott
Wormsley) Although The Lily of the Val
ley" is included in BdiZac's "SceneS from Pro-
VHcial Life The nature of he Work is very dit
ferent from Sons of the Soil" OF the same
series. Tie LAT Ell is study into the nature OF
the conduct Of life In the provinces, having par
tlcuar reference 10 The ownership Of land by
capitalists, and the intense desire for it-parlB
brought about by the Revolutionary the peas-
ants and other classes together with usases
which have grown into abuses, particularly ia
France; searching cut The causes, as that VOL
does, Of The many quatrel8 between the land
lords and peasantIy and the different forms OF
evil. / he story or lie LILY or the valley also
takes Us 10 tie provinces OF IT ance TO IOuraiue,
/ which BalZac loved so well. But The Lily is the
Countess de MOTisauf and this volume Is
study OF her misforunes, her love and her char
acIeT The nature OF Felix de VapdeHesSe, with
few powerful strokes giving BalZac's idea OF
some characteristics OF English women. That Is
to say, it is enInely analytical; portrayal OF
character, Of The circumstances OF hie-and
death.
Felix de Vandenesse recounts his life to Ma
talia de- Maneiyilie, whose hand he seeks in
marriage. This narrative Is largely devoted 10
Nine. &c Mortsauf being history OF their az
fectiOB ior each Olher. BalZae himself has SAID
that lie has here endeaYOTed TO express some of
tie qualities OF Anne. de Berney, The great
FRIEND Of BIS youth Ia the ehaTac er Of 81 he. de
bOrtSaut; and, as be had passion for putting
pats OF his own life into bis works, the e is
every reason to believe that In presenting Felix
he has often and deeply drawn on his personal
feelings
The child life of Felix has been unhappy, there
being no kindly feeling shown To hun by his
family, or any one. Physically lie was fragile,
and The delcaey Of his mind was even more pro
nOunced. All feelings Of every kind were shut
up within himself, without The slightest
sympathy, until he accidentally meets the
Countess, when his pent-up soul finds an outlet
it goes TO her. His heart has nungered and
thTsed for sympathy bis whole life long; 1t has
haNn Haua n il fGr rf dEnr
OF LeaYen-ihe Lily OF the Valley Of The lndre
comes TO him aud be has BOT suffer ed. or II IS as
II he had not, all being fOi gotten. The Count de
MOftSauf i very ugly SOFT OF man. III TACT,
partly insane, which INSANITY expresses Itself IN
brutality toward his wife, WHO, however, has set
herself The task OF managing lie household aud
trying 10 make him happy Tor the sake OF her
children. " hen FriX comes, and love comes,
they wOndr0us help TO her. there is hui
mau being TO understand ana appreciate, TO feel
and be felt. And Felix IS entirely devoted, even
nurslng NJ. de MortSauf during months. Of i'll
ness. with no reward eXeert the love that daIeS
not even be mentioned. THIS IS really great
deal for one with The whole of life before him and
none IN The past, and must be remembered alter
ward.
BY The advice of the Countess, Felix goes 10
Paris, enlers politics, and IS very successful
Here Ills youth and extraordinary temptations
conquer lis faith 10 his lONe-henrelta The
senses are overcome, not his love. 1bls aDair
with Lady Dudley REMINDS one iOTclbly OF Henry
Fielding's " Tom Jones'" although in the latter
case there Is even more auimalism.
Al In el BalZac has here drawn q man with
naturalnesS truly marvellous. The workings OF
bis mnd-hiS lnHcr tbOugbts-are given with
plainDeSs very seldom undeI taken IN literature.
ROusseaus " Confessions" are more exhaustive,
but Dot more truthful. lie only difference be-
tween this aud life Itself Is that 20 book could be
OF SUFFICIENT length 10 give all the thoughts and
feelings OF human being; but BalZac has made
such wise selection that, although eHcomDassed
in an extremely small space, we are able to
know the man tho Oughy. That Is, we under
stand lie feelings Of Fens during tile whole of
his s0jOurn at ClOGehegOurde- their history is
photographed IN living sentences. This is where
BalZac IS greatest. he knows the source OF
things mstinciYely. His personality Was so
powerful that Il dominated tile mind aud intel
lectualIty OF humapiiy collectively, aud IL was
only necessary 10 study localities 10 pour forth
the lives and passions OF group OF characters
without in the least decreasing the source from
winch they came-tn its very nature that was ex-
hauStless.
Cnlics have not agreed as 10 the character or
Felix de NandenesSe, some maintaining that ne
Is essentially selfish anu evil, while Others be-
ileVe that The author has portrayed an average
moral man OF high temperament There is 10
reason TO doubt that Felix has loved truly. Dur
ing those first months he gives tile Countess his
whole existence; not ouly his sentiments but his
eulre time is spent in lesSeniDg her cares. And
this Is the result OF natural feelings, which only
youth could possess To such a degrTe. For
man Of abilities, whose nature requires a great
deal TO make up the sum OF life. lnls was more
than he could have done in any other way TO
prove his love. Indeed he did prove IL. The
Countess believed In that love, although 1t caused
her death. And her faith we'll founded.
Felix gave hel all; anu MS sou! was Tue to her
soul Perhaps he was wrong IA what came after
ward. His fault, however. Was In not having had
the power TO know himself sufficiently while the
Countess was learning TO give her whole life into
bis keeping, 10 be aware that he could not for all
time, be true 10 such an ethereal loye-as Pc
lraTeI and Daute were only true 10 their ideal
loves In song. Ii Is not strange that lie had not
this strength; he was young when they met, and
II would have been more than human TO have
drawn back from the sympathy he received aud
gave, as 1t was also impossible for Henrietta not
10 love.
What shall we think Of the Countess de Mort
ssuf9 IL would be extremely interesting 10
know what BalZae thought of her, just he
has drawn tile character. and judged from the
point OF view from which he would judge Tie
| world IN general. One would be inclined TO be-
lleVe That be was Of the opinion, from words he
gives 10 Felix, that perhaps she sacrificed too
much-hot too much mother but, besides
being mother, she WAS woman with heart
tndt required an affection to answer 10 Its own;
| heart that finally consumed her. However
THIS may be, the moral beauty OF Nine. de
M0rtsauf shines out beyond ever ythiBg else; her
spirit conquered both physical pain and mental
| torture. Were u not So The picture OF her life
| would be truly terrible.
The ComteSse Natalie's reply Is not favorable
10 tie suit OF the man who has caused all this
suffering, which would not be surprising, even
| IL Nj. de Nandenesse had not shown in this story
of his life that the memory Of his early love was
| still often with him.
"a PRINCE OF GOOD Fellowship the al-
/ thor OF "a VI OmIn vi New Orleans" (New York:
The American News Company. 20S pm This is
char ming novel Of life Ia the South since the days
/ OF the ciusl war. 1t is picture from life, ana
| OF It the New Orleans Pcayune, competent
authority. says; "His chosen scene is not wholly