The San Francisco call., 1896-10-04
GS2lN POWERFUL NEW
@eSa@ NOVEL BY A MAN
WHO IS BETTER KNOWN
AS A HUMORIST

THE STATEMENT OF STELLA MABERLY.
BY F. Anstey. New York: ID. Appleton d Co.
For sale In this City by William Doxey, Palace
Hotel. Price 81 20.
1t is one of the misfortunes attendant upon
the writer of humorous book that he is for
ever after expected to remain humorist Ii
he should venture into other fields OF litera-
ture the public feels itself hurt and aggrieyed
and is seldom willing to give credit where
credit is due. The reception accorded to Mark
Twain's "Joan of Arc" last year will be remem-
bered as case in point. Up to the time that
Mr.. Clemens confessed to the authorship It's
sales were remarkably good. Then came the
announcement that the creator OF Tom Sawyer
had appeared as writer of historical fiction.
The public thereupon assumed an injured air,
made unkind remarks about 'golng out OF his
line" and sales fell off. They wanted the gen.
ial Mark to remain a humorist, not 10 enter
into competition with Macaulay.
These preliminary remarks are timely In
view of the publication by Messrs. Appleton
of new book by F. Anstey. This authors
name is one with which to conjure to the
younger generation of readers both in Eng
land and in the United States. What healthy
minded youngster is there who could help
laughing heartily at the adventures or mis-
adventur of Paul Bult1tude ESQ.,, merchant
"of Mincing Lane, City," as narrated in "Vlce-
versa''2 How screamingly funny is that scene
in the railway carriage, when the magnate,
reduced to the proportions of an ordinary
scnoolboy, gravely offers the head master
cigar, with some valuable suggestions touch
ing the japanese camphor crop. And then
there is that other of Mr. Anstey's humorous
books, "Tinted Venus" Can one recall with
out laugh the perplexities OF the poor COCK
ney barber who sets in motion the mystic
machinery that brings a Grecian damsel to
life?
The latest of Mr.. Anstey's books is entitled,
sThe Statement of Stella Maberly." 1t is
powerfully written work slightly reminiscent
of cdr. Jekyl and Mr.. HYDE" but differing
from anything heretofore penned by our
author A short summary of the tale will in
dicate this:
Stella Maberly, who makes the statement"
of which the book is composed, is introduced
to the reader as a schoolgirl whose parents are
well-to-do. She possesses peculiar tempera-
ment. and at school becomes the chum of
Evelyn Heseltine. Upon leaving school Stella
finds home unbearable, owing to the fact that
her father has remarked and her stepmother
is uncongenial. Unfortunate speculation has
somewhat reduced her fathers circumstances,
and Stella decides to go TO Surrey as the COM
panion of her old schoolmate, who, since leav-
ing school, has been finished" on the Conti-
nent.
During her stay abroad Evelyn has met and
received attentions from neighbor, Hugh
Dallas. who subsequently calls upon her.
Stella promptly falls in love with him, thus
complcating matters somewhat. Her pecu-
liar temperament exhibits itself in the form of
a jealousy of her schoolmate who had
prior claim to Dallas affections. One night,
after a severe tiff with her companion,
Evelyn is not feeling very well. and, being
troubled with insomnia, her aunt. on the ad-
vice of Stella, administers chloraL The drug
takes effect, but not before Evelyn has writ
ten hurried note to Stella saying that Dallas
is in love with the latter, and that his visits to
Evelyn have really been for The purpose of see
ing her companion.
Stella Is stricken with remorse. She has
passed sleepless night, and before daybreak
goes to Evelyn's room. The girllsh figure before
her is corpse. By intent If not in fact a
murderess, she calls upon her friend, and after
adopting remedial measures is rewarded by
seeing the eyes open and the cheeks flush.
Wild with delight, she confesses all, praying
for forgiveness. To her horror she discovers
that while the being before her has the form
of Evelyn Heseltine some mysterious agency
has implanted into the body characteristics
entirely foreign to her. From the simple
minded. innocent girl, just out OF her teens
she has become q fend incarnate.
tits at this stage that the resemblance to DR..
Jekyl and Mr.. Hyde is the most noticeable.
The newly created Evelyn Heseltine possesses
two natures-her own, sweet, angelic almost in
its purity; the other devilish, cruel, intrigu-
ing The fact of Anstey's work resembling
Stevensons Notwithstanding the descriptive
writing at this point is really striking. 1t is
dramatic, intense. If it be copy. the copy is
worthy of the original, and surely this is
praise.
The conclusion of the story tells of the
union of Hugh Dallas with Evelyn Heseltine.
that estimable lady tly supposing mar
riage with her companions ideal to be the re-
finement of torture. Dallas soon finds that
Evelyn is not the simple schoolgirl he imag-
ined her to be. She worries him In to illness,
and the book comes to an end with the strang-
ling of the fiend by Stella Maberly and the
death of Dallas by means OF pistol wound
self-inficted.
Returning to our original proposition, we
must confess to slight feeling Of disappoint-
ment at the turn taken by Mr.. Anstey's genius.
With due Difference to his own good judgment,
he is somewhat out OF his element. Most as
suredly he is at his best as humorist, and it
is probable that hoveLreaders will use the
same means OF convincing him of the fact that
they employed in the case of his ccntempo-
rary, Mr.. Clemens. Nevertheless our first
statement still holds that the book under re-
view is q remarkable one, well and powerfully
written. Z. ELIAS.