The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-02-08

| herself 10 Tito. whose political trenchery was a
studied ait, shows that Inevitable attraction OF
| GODS law which tends toward reformation.
| I.to's offer Of marriage, aud his acceptance In
front of the bookcase is OF the finest specimens
fiction. There they are" said ROpola every
book il Just whers Ii was when my father ceased
| to see them" Such pathos coming from a mind
brilliant RomOlas together with the visible d.
viuiIy If her beauty, was Titos cue for proposal
OF marriage, and, standing upon the cabinet, he
reaches for volume of ThueydIdes, which really
should have been the pathetic life of Ophelia, and
! lac is accepted.
Al the Death Of her father, which was the first
outbreak of her sorrow. and with some indignation
| against herself she thought her life with Tito
would be more happy. Ia this se was wrong.
1itO's action in selling her fathers Library came to
! her like tllusiderbolt. The sorrow and humiIia-
ton tat Roniola endured in this action make Tito
a human character uupardsnable In every
speet. Where that Roman virtue. that sacient
Roman honor, which surely existed in the glorious
| epoch Of The "a dic and Savcnsroia? As a re-
former Sayonarota might have bad his faults, but
lac apparently did many things with the best in
tentioDs 10 MS God, his Church, and for good Gov
erument.
Apart from our pleasure from George Eliot's
matcnless creations, touched with compass
sion in her foBduess of alternating suffering. and
she - never n teacher of evil. In this novel OF
ROnola there Is "a great attempt to locate the
eternal story OF human Affection and suffering in
Florenine society of $50 years ago.
The many griefs she allows RonIola suffer in
her early life, and i'll such pathetic variety. show
that George Eliot considered pain the order Of the
world, and the test OF devotion. She also
considered marriage a relation either of sympathy
or oil conquest Thus the sympathy ia Reniola
aud the conquest iu Tito. it'll his disposition 10
escape everything. strengthened the ioriitude in
her, sad, with her affection for him, she all but
assumed his faults.
Though ending with CLEAN Of returning
shine, kDnloia is OF the saddles; novels ever
written, but that is true 10 life that il is
always sure of fi:ding responsive chord in the
heart Of every girl.
at Is but that know worst
scrrows," snc Ronlola had known them while life
new. 10 that deith of sadness That is
deeper than tears. Then
lay her i the earth. and from her fair and
polluted mind may (pansiesl" grow-(" that's for
thoughts.')
Guy Pelion.
ANALYSIS OF RoMOLA.
Romola is of the earlier works of George
Eiios rhetorical picture IL Fiorentte life the
tideenth century; the scsue ia Florence Italy
The prssiBeui charsctsrs Tito. Ile hero. a
Greek adopted by NohI,oiitau, Baldassarrc ship
wrecked OK the way Ia Deios; Remola, beautiful
daughter Of Bar'io de Bardi blind, de>ccudant of
the fAaaily Of Bardia; SAvonarola, Prior of the
Dominican Convent.
Tie story opens with Tito. "the shpwrocGed
stranger" suddenly awakened 10 the conscious
need 81 breakfast. which he Starts TO hnd aad
snccesds in gaining. for love-; also finds
friend who proves 10 be a talkative barber Nelo
by name. NeIio shaves the mysterious stranger
and fiEds lie Is alope aud possesses only the gems
which were concealed on his person. the property
OF his adopted father. These TITO desires to SELL
and Neiio proposes to introduce him to persons
who may hep bm to this end. Conducting him
10 the home Of Bardi lie leaves him to present his
pies.
The learned Bardi soon discovers kindred
spirit IN the youthful Tito, who had been trained
la Latin aud Greek, aud had Travelled la all ancient
foregu countries in search OF and signs
OF eArfy civilization.
When Tito told bis story, how the shipwreck
had caused the loss of the records kept of these
voyages end the knowledge OF his fathers exist
enoe, his listeners were deeply moved. Bardo
determined to help him sell his gems; and as I've
TO begin the work Of compiling book, which
he felt sure would be a valuable addition to the
" Isolario" he asked The assistance of Tito, which
was granted, aud here he met aud learned to love
Romoa.
About this time. when the sale OF his gems was
effected, came the consciousness that he ought to
seek aud rescue bis father: bat the love If riches
and the position they would bring caused him to
fsiter, sud he finally turned away from this known
duty. Herein vas his first mistake.
Soon after this. when he learned of his fathers
eKt-teuce, ana that he WAS Ia slavery. his
science suffered from this first yielding to wrarg
aud he put forth no effort to rescue him. This
same weakness a little later caused him to enter a
sham marriage With an ignorant peasant girl
though he hoped for a union with The Innocent
RonIols. Later this was accom- plsbed and for a
Tine their life together happy. But Tito now
became involved in politics. using money and
losing to such an extent that he obliged to sell
the library, which had beeu the cherished DOSES
sion OF BArd aud who had always hoped IL would
be preserved and bear his name This brought
Aoout an enlargement between man and wife,
which WAS heightened by Tito doing secret
work IN connection with the French invasion.
In this time Of terror for all inhabitants of Flor
ence, we see Tito more involved ia secret intrigue
against the ruling power of Italy, and RonIola
masking her flight from her native city. fleeing from
her husband.
Here, then. we first catch eIimpses of Saw
onarola as prophetic preacher viewing the
French invasion as direct work of God in an
s"er to vision proclaimed four years before. We
are led To admire his power call all Classes to-
geher al this time and inspire to the highest
and noblest efforts in behalf of humanity.
His tine arresting voice" that called
Rofsoia from her fight and urged her To return to
her husband AID people. through whom he be-
frnd TnErl IN tha
while this is true and lac IL said hive lived for
one object 10 stir up the powors of Europe Ia call
a counsel and depose the Pope, his great mistake
Hes la his strife for selfish euds; for said he in hs
last confession. everything / have done has been
with the design of besg forever famous in this and
future hges. Thus by his life for self lac lost the
respect he once held aud died the sosfYoId
During the distress caused by the French inva-
zion We see KOmolA passing like angel of mercy
among the suffering ones. caring nothing for
se4f Tito. her husband. finding lie must leave
FioreDce forever, decides To his back Oh his
home and lovely companion aud fee foreign
shores. Sthrting To escape he by a host OF
armed Compagnacci. intending murder him and
Se9u's ~ hou>s. Nc was recognized. aud would
have died In their power had he moi snatched off
his belt and scsTseIlA aud telling the mob there
IL Eoid and diamonds" be leaped into the ATno.
Aher battling with the waves until exhaustion
came be was cast, by strange coincidence at the
feet Of s deserted rejected father no recognized
him, who while deaih was -, near crashed
in with the hand OF revenge and they died in each
others grasp.
Il is with Romols gather up the loosened
that all she had loved had forssken her, she took
passage Ia a small boat and drif,ed 10 land among
pe"Fie where death and pestilence heid sway.
Again the snRei OF mercy, she gathered the people
'"gether and comforted aud hel ped them leaving,
with showers of blessings. for Florence.
Here learning Of the fall of Tito che determines
To ind aud care for the ciiid-wife Of whose sur
rouBdings she had kaown. and Of how she had
been wronged. She deyoics herself 10 & life of
sacrifice for Tessa and her children The story
ends with glimpse Of their happiness
L. Vickie Green Toledo, Ill.
THE AUTHORS STORY INTERVIEWER
The story of Romola bears a twofold interest
from the TACT that much Of the authors personal
struggles and sorrows Is blended with the lot Of
Llsis RIoTeatine woman.
Perhaps IL WAS echo of her tumuituoas
experience thai prompted George Eliot to write:
There Is no compensation for the woman who
feels that tic chief relation Of her life has been no
moro than n mistake. She has lost her crown. The
deepest secret Of human bles-edusss has half
whispered itself 20 her, aud then forever passed
her by"
The great mistake OF Romoia's life was that che
lsvsd man whom. In tbs nobieness Of her sspira-
uopsl she outgrew.
Ronola was . typical but not an ideal wonaa.