The Savannah morning news., 1903-02-01

So far as is now known Zola'S last
work was "Truth''-a remarkable piece
of fiction just published in an author
lied translation in this country. 1t
was the authors plan to complete a
series of four books, which he called
1.-The four evangels,' Labor and
"Fruitfulness" were the first two,
Truth" the third, was completed on
ly few weeks before Zola's death, so
it is safe to say, the fourth was not
written.
The volume just issued is Zola's
story of the Dreyfus case. For the pur-
poses of airing his views on church
and secular schools and the persecu-
ton of the Jews, the author devised
the following plot;
A Jesuit priest, master of a Catholic
school in a small French town, COM
mits a horrible crime, the consequence
of which, the whole Jesuit community
of the neighborhood in order to clear
itself cunningly and stealthily con-
trives to fix upon the secular school
master of the district, a Jew. The
victim suffers transportation, and it
becomes the mission of the hero of
the book, Marc Froment, a brother
secular schoolmaster Though a Cen
tile) to Vindicate the innocence of the
Jew and lay the crime at the door of
the real culprit. Thus the experiences
of the hero are to a considerable eX-
tent the reflection of Zola's own part
in the Dreyfus drama.
Rudyard Kipling is shortly to have
his first novel staged in England. If
it is a success there, we may hope
to see the play in this country early
next season.
The Light That Failed" has had
a curious history. AS it was first
conceived by the author, the story
closed with the hero stricken blind,
hopelessly making his way across the
Egyptian desert. Maisie, the heroine,
has been lost to the reader some time
before the final tragedy. 1t must
have taken a great lot of persuasion
to induce Kipling to change the story,
but. at any rate, change it he did, so
that in its recasted form, there is a
happy ending. AS one critic has said.
tale with two tails is a strange
thing, but a play with two last acts
would be much more freakish.
Without doubt, Kipling's consent to
the dramatization of the story was Sc
cured with more difficulty than was
his aid in changing the plot. AS a
novel, the story was changed first to
make happy ending, and then back
to make a happy author-for Kipling
was never satisfied with the story ex-
cept as he first wrote it, Now, to make
a play the plot must be changed
again-the play demands something
else than the tragic ending of the
book. The blind hero must regain his
sight and find the heroine. We cannot
imagine an audience satisfied to see
the curtain drop on a blind man rid
ing off the stage on a camel.
The stage requirements, that a play
have happy ending, have spoiled
many a good story when they have
come into the dramatizers' hands.
Monsieur Beaucaire" is a case in
point. AS a story, this little gem of
Iooth Tarkington's is great. AS a play
it is almost commonplace. The dram
Artist felt the necessity of making
happy ending.
To get back to Mr.. Kipling and THE
Light That Failed" it does not follow
that this play will be an ordinary one.
AS a story &ith a happy ending, it is
not ordinary There are many who
like it better that way. Perhaps the
rlay will be as successful as was the
book
Mr.. Kipling is making his usual
mid-winter absence from England.
The place. that claims him is a home
in South Africa which Cecil Rhodes
gave him. The great empire builder
and the author were most intimate
friends, and each admired the other
tremendously. Kipling used to love to
play tricks on Rhodes One night they
had to make a trip together and Kip
ling volunteered to get the sleeping
car tickets. When they got on the
train, Rhodes found that his ticket
called for an upper berth. while Kip
Ing WAS preparing to occupy the low
er just beneath The heavy Colossus
demonstrated but Kipling refused to
give up his lower berth. The men
went to bed and about midnight
Rhodes was awakened by a loud voice
of a huge Boer, who had just boarded
he train and wanted place to sleep.
With a chuckle Rhodes discovered
that the noise had not disturbed Kip
ling, and then, putting his head out,
he said softly:
That's all right. My little boy is
sleeping in the lower berth here and
you can just push him over and get in
there"
In about a minute Kipling had
aroused the whole carful of people by
his shouts and kicks at the man who
had tried to push him over.
Sir Gilbert Parker has had to post
poae the dramatization of The Right
Of Way" on account of Parliament
meetings but he expects to have the
play ready for next season. William
Faversham will enact the part of
charley Steele in the American produce
ton
Hearts Coura geous" is another pop