The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-27

| lover, which the latter is striving to sap
| ture, intending to marry him, is described
The struggle comes to violent rupture,
| position with her mother hates her for
the beauty which was denied to hersef.
and determines to carry her point. This
parsonage, Gerard, the scion of a noble
family, is willing to marry the daughter
for the sake of her millions. 1t is a pic
ture of baSeneSs which is cleverly handled
to show the old nobility have lost their
hold and the degradation that has also
overtaken their class. Everything that was
once supposed to have within, II the power
and potency for the regeneration of France
has fallen before the greed of the bour-
geOiSe.
IDEAL HOME LIFE.
With his brothers recovery Pierre passes
into new stage of development. He re-
moves to his brothers house and becomes
member of that circle of happiness and la
Dor. There are three sons, one studying
for a professorship another for an art ca
reer and the oldest engaged in mechanical
employments as an inventor and mechan-
ician. The director of the household is the
old grandmother, who has brought up the
children, and young woman, Marie, the
daughter of friend whom Guillaume has
practically adopted There is some talk
that he Wlil marry her in time, although
he is twenty years her elder. Pierre
through habit and because he is loath to let
go the last shred which has bound him to
dropped all pretense of performing any OF
the functions of the priesthood. He takes
part in the Industries of his brothers house,
mold, devoting himself to mechanical en-
Payments because he desires a rest from
mental activity. Gradually there springs up
between him and the young woman Marie
a sincere esteem,~which IL is evident will
r1pen into love. His prieStly garb hampers
him when about his labor in the family
workshop and a careless suggestion from
Marie to remove it leads him to discard the
garment and to definitely renounce his
sacerdotal connection. This is not accom-
pushed without struggle. He retains all
the purity and gentlenesS and refinement
Of his character and begins to find mental
peace in the employment which engages his
household, the orderly industry, the perfect
love and accord which prevails among the
members of the family is one of Zola'S best
delineations. The old grandmother is a fine
bit of character drawing. Pierre takes to
bicycle riding and accompanies Marie and
his nephews their excursions. Then
comes the trial of Salvat, his condem-
nation and his execution. These TRACE
dies are witnessed by the brothers
and they have q profound effect upon
Guillaume who regards Salvat in the light
Of martyr, who has sacrificed himself to
what he believes the general good He
broods over the subject, and finally comes to
the dread resolve that only by some ire
mendous sacrifice of innocent persons can
the frightful~ evil be remedied All human
progress, he maintains, has been made over
the bodies of innocent sufferers 1t has been
his idea that his discovery of a new and
lT6Ll6nuOuS explosive ana OF a gun IN WHICH
It could be used should be presented to
France to use against her enemies. He now
determines to employ the powder in produc.
ing tremendous explosion and sacrifice or
life which shall compel attention and re-
dress of the wrongs from which the masses
suffer. He is not an Anarchist of the ordi-
nary type, but represents what Socialists
call the educated proletariat. The old
grandmother of the household knows all his
plans; she does not approve of them, but
believes he should follow the dictates of his
conscience. 1t is his design to include him
basilica church has recently been erected
in Paris under the agency of Mgr. Martha
it is not quite completed, but it is so far
along that it is used, and a grand fete or
pilgrimage of the faithful in Paris is
planned for a certain day to celebrate the
erection OF the edifice. There will be thou
sands in the building, which is supported
on huge concrete pillars that go down deep
among the foundations. 1t is Guillaume's
plan to place quantities of his powder about
these subterranean supports, and, by the
touch of a match, bring down the structure
upon the heads of the thousands of wor-
shippers. The resulting slaughter would be
appalling.
THE GREAT STRUGGLE.
He disposes of the explosive and on the
afternoon of the day appointed bids a light
farewell to the household, who do. not know
his GRAND, and goes out Pierre suspects
something and follows him. The old grand
mother alone knows the explosion is timed
for O'Clock. Pierre follows his brother
into the crypt of the church and finds him
with O fragment Of candle standing over
the cavity which contains the larger por-
ton Of the explosive. 1t has been arranged
with great skill; every pillar will be shat
tered. Over their heads are the thronging
thousands; the organ is pealing; the great
bell of the basilica is ringing. 1t is a SOL
emn ceremonial brilliant and grandiose of
the faith which the young ex-priest has
abandoned because he could not satisfy the
world. A touch of the candle flame and one
of the most terrible disasters in history
would be precipitated. The interview be-
tween the brothers is graphically described;
Pierre pleads with Guillaume to abandon
his awful folly, and for a time is repulsed.
The elder has made up his mind nothing
will change him. he believes this sacrifice
necessary; in no other way can the sOrdid
and selfish and cruel bourgeoise be brought
to a realization of their crimes. He is daft
with much brooding upon the subject. 1t
is anarchism carried to its ultimate con-
clusion. He first waivers when Pierre re-
fuses to depart and declares he will die
with him. Pierre clutches his brothers
arm, and in passion of anger the latter at
blow misses. but Guillaume thinks he has
wounded the brother whom he loves so
devotedly. A revuIsion of feeling follows;
he is led from the terrible purpose and the
holocaust is aveTted This ends the anar-
chiSt episode in which it is sought to show
that the salvation of society cannot be &C
ccmplshed by blood. Meanwhile the love
making between Pierre and Marie has
ripened; the old grandmother has insisted
that the proposed union WITH GulllduIle
shall be abandoned; that their ages are un-
suitable, and that she must marry Pierre
The suggestion at first is strange to him;
he had not contemplated marriage, but the
love hidden in the hearts of both blossoms,
the wedding soon follows, civil ceremony
simply. The book closes with a picture of
the happy household year and half
afterWard
lola draws picture of perfected social
state, as does Bellamy. His assumption
that Paris is the world will be resented. but
setting aside the matter of his point of
view, it must be granted that in the last
volume of the trilogy he has written a book
that shows great power. 1t is the best of
the three. 1t is more vivid, more dramatic,
more truthful than Rome, more attract
i've and stronger than "Lourdes." There is
neither time nor space in this connection to
discuss the authors ideas regarding Chris
tianity, nor could any profit be derived from
such a discussion if entered upon. The the
cries advanced do not appeal to us; we can
regard them curiouSly as somewhat StrlK-
ing manifestation of mental development
under peculiar conditions. What does in
terest u.s. however, is the literary character
of the book, and in this regard it must be
conceded that lola has never done finer
work The massiveness and breadth of his
pictures of Partisan life in it's varied man
ifestationS he has nowhere equaled in any
of his other books. They are superb word
paintings. The trilogy must be regarded as
the strongest work that lola has thus far
accomplished. 1t is better entitled to him