The age-herald., 1897-09-19
THE BOOK CORNER.

As I said last week. the creation of character is the supreme test by which we may judge whether an author is born, not mad%.
 Has he not only created the eharae- ter but given 1t the breath of life as we'll whereby we learn to know them by their deeds, not guess of than by what the author tells us Is taking place in the secret chambers of their hearts, or through some long disquisition upon motives? When we refer to certain great works of fiction, we always think of their defined and vivid characters. Who will ever hear "The Christian" mem tfoned that he will not at once think of "Glory" and "John Storm?" MT Hall Caine in his latsst work, '"rhe Christian" has given us big piece of work altogether; but there is a differ ence between 1t and '"Fhe Mauxman." MT. Caine deals by choice with the gle mental emotions. In ''The Mauxman" he gave us beautiful story, all laid out so easily with such humor, such appar- ent carelessness, such an instinct for the right stroke in the right place, and, dUOFc dll, LllS SuOIy oo Ai AC u the soil on which 1t was written. For MT. Caine, like the best art, is true to his country and his native material The first half of the story went off so smooth ly 1t was perfectly delightful reading After thab the author becomes more. diffuee and seems to stand above his characters like Destiny.
 He spares them no stroke and omits no detail that can possibly heighten their suffering. The only fault of the book is it's prolixity. It is so long drawn out that our emotions are Tagged, cur sympathy so out-tbred that when we come to the scene of Philips confession in the court house, naturally conceived to be the duly effective climax of the story, we cannot rise to the occasion and half it's effect is missed.
 Now, "The Christian" in the early pages, does not move off with the same human interest and enjoyment. I read many pages before I felt that I could possibly become interested, yet who | could long resist "Glory?" and every 1 thing is presented in that fina objective manner which is the triumph of story l telling, for even Mir. Gaines bitterest l detractors cannot deny that he is the possessor of that rarest of all gifts, gen. l ius
 If MT. Caine did not mind taking the reader through the deepest suffering in the former work to prove that purifica- tion can only come as 'by fire" what shall be said of the latter effort? At the opening of the story, John Storm, a young clergyman, Is leaving his home in the Maux Island for future labors in London. With him. and under his pro- lection is young woman just 20 years of age, Glory Quayle, who is leaving her old grandfather and two maiden aunts and is also going to London to enter a hospital to b.come trained nurse. The entire story is concerned with the for tunes of these two young people in that | great, glorious metropolis, London. It is bitter conflict between the flesh and ths' spirit in the souls of these two young people and the tension is abso- lutely painful at times: the earnestnss of the author is tremendous the pres sure is so great as he describes the sin and suffering of humanity that we feel his heart Is sick indeed with the shame of it all and the words actually quiver and palpitate as he writes in the inben- sity of white heat. Pardon an opinion, but has not the author become too well aware of his reputation? Has he not taken ito underscoring his points? In his nervous earnestness does he not stand above his two suffering souls like a Nemes.s until we feel that life, after all, is not so nerciless, is more ca-elsss, and fate does not measure out her re- venge with an inch rule. Do we rot feel the hand of the "Fatallst' abov= them? It is all so grey and gloomy. Seldom has there been depicted so deep, passionate, pure love as bstween Glory and John, and yet how memorable is their own destiny. They have no more control over their own actions than if they were the puppets of show. If they had sinned as had Philip and Kitty, this terrible purging and purifying would be justifiable MT. Caine starts out with the thought that the Christ-life cannot be lived in London in the latter part of the Nineteenth century. This is the central theme of the work Then he sets himself to work to prove it. In a recent interview he told in a London daily how he visited resorts and low neig hborhoods, how he studied social conditions and gained facts and figures; in short, how hs "crammed" for the ex- ecuiion of his task until indeed not even John storm can rid himself of the authors own d,sguest and horrors of it all. In addition to his collection of six barrels of notes he, also, in his pains