The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-06
POLLS GIRLS NOVEL
HAS THE EXODUS FOR 4 THEME
Remarkable Choice @ Subject J Young Writer'S First Venture
IN FrcnOn--An Admirable Production

II is not unusual in these days for young
women TO write and publish novels, but for
the most part the books they produce are
precisely such as young women might nat
uraly be expected 10 write-light and SUI
perhciaI in theme and treatment. 1t is quite
out Of the common for a girl in her early
twenties TO create such work of fiction as
The Yoke" just published by the Bobbs-
Merrill Company.
The author Miss Elizabeth Miller. ia
miiarly known TO her friends as "Ressie,
Is a resident of Indianapolis, having come
to this city as a child with her parents,
Mr.. and Mrs. Timothy Miller. from New
Ross. Ind. her birthplace. She was edu-
Gated in the public schools and while yet
pupil there developed a taste for literary
pursuits. Her published work up TO this
time, however, has consisted of verses and
letters contributed to a local paper, and
while these indicated the possession of a
pretty talent. nothing in them suggested
the promise of really superior and serious
work. The Yoke" comes, therefore,
surprise, even TO those who knew Miss Mil
ler's studious tendency and her literary am
billions. For THE Yoke" is a piece of fic-
ton notable in itself without regard to its
authorship. but the more remarkable, of
course. when considered as the production
of a very young writer
1t is a story of the Exodus, the opening
scenes being laid in Egypt a year or two
before the departure of the Israelites from
their land of bondage. Even then Moses,
or "Mesu" as he is called, was preparing
the way, and the feeling of unrest, the be-
lief that the day of emancipation was at
hand, stirred the Hebrews to restlessness.
The heroine of the story is young Israel
lite of great beauty; the hero, an Egyptian
of distinction, who is a faVorite in Pha-
raohs court. The fortunes of these two
form the chief part of the romance or the
tale, though several other love stories are
carried along through the narrative The
characters are numerous, and one or the
merits of the story is the fact that eacn
of these persOnages and his affairs are Kept
distinct. There is no confusion OF purpose
or handling; the author has her plot Well
in hand and there is no ENHANCEMENT of its
threads al any point. This achievement
shows constructive ability of a high order
a talent by no means common among novel
writer's. and one that suggests favorable
possibilities in future work.
NOTABLE CHARACTERS.
Among the characters are Meneptah, the
Pharaoh of the time; Rameses, his heir,
the chief of the army; men of title and
honor about the court; ladies of high de-
gree. cup-bearers, soldiers, messengers
each and all with a part to play in the
VOL king out of the story. Besides these
Egyptians are the Israelites-submissiv
slaves in the mass, but with individuals
among them whom oppression could not
crush. Moving among this host, towering
above it, are Moses and Aaron and Miriam.
Lower in Importance. but with more hu-
man quality, are Rachel, the heroine, and
Deborah, the seeress.
In the goings to and fro of Kenkenes. the
hsrC In bfc nrf9r ffrrneaC fD In is
elusive sweetheart Rebecca, sometimes to
find means TO protect her from those who
would harm her, he visited the tomb
of RameSeS the Great While there, hidden
in a crypt, another visitor came, later
proved TO be Moses, OF whom this picture
is drawn:
and the device kept the torch upright.
He crossed the room and stood at the altar
of Neferar ThermuthiS. BY the deeply
fringed and volumnous draperies and by
the venerable beard, ripping and streaked
with gray, the young sculptor took the
stranger TO be an Israel!te. AS KenkeneS
looked upon him he was minded OF his
father, the magnificent Mentu. There was
the bearing Of the courtier, With the same
wondrous stature, the same massive frame
But the delicate features or the Egyptian
the long, slim fingers, the narrow foot
were absent In this mans countenance
there majesty instead of grace; in his
figure, might, instead of elegance. The ex-
preston had need of only a little emphasis
in either direction to become benign or
terrible. Kenkenes caught a single glance
of the eyes under the gray shelter Of the
heavy broWs Once the young man had
seen hanging from Meneptahs neck the
rarest jewel in the royal treasure. The
wise men had called it opal. 1t shot
lights as beautiful and awful as the in
tensest flame. And something in the eyes
of this mighty man brought back to Ken
kenes the memory of the fires of that
wondrouS gem.
THE stranger stood in profound medita-
| ton, his splendid head gradually sinking
until ii rested on his breast. The arms
hung by the sides. The attitude suggested
sorrow healed by the long years until ii
| was more a pain, but memory so sub
| dued that ii depressed. At last the great
man sank to his knees, with a movement
! quite in keeping with his grandeur 'and his
mood, and bowed his head on his arms
| This portrait is drawn of Aaron, the
priest as he appeared when the Israelites
were leaving Egypt:
"a figure appeared on the road over the
| comb of a slight ridge and Seti regarded
the. wayfarer with interest He was a
minous, heavily fringed and of such silky
| texture OF linen that they flowed In
the light wind: His head was COW
SoSnd VIII" NTH coTd and hid the
| head. He was of good stature, but his drap-
| cries were so ample that the structure of
his frame was not discernible. His eyes
were black. bright and young in their alert
ness. but the beard that rippled over his
| breast TO his girdle was as white the
foam of the Middle Sea-
THE ARMY OF PURSUIT
To outline the plot of Miss Miller's story
would be fair neither TO author nor reader
| 1t is enough to say that the incidents lead
| up to the Exodus itself and the fortunes of
| the persons in whom readers become most
! interested are not known until after the
Red sea has been passed. While the Israel
ties were gathering at the seashore Menep-
tab, under the persuasions of his leading
general, followed them, but weakened al
last of his resolve and ordered a retreat
Angered at this order the general Har-hut
| rebelled against his master, called his
| chariot $50 the shOrt-poled chariots
multi-tinted and gorgeous, wheel to wheel
! axle deep in a cloud of dust, glittered out
| across the deSert-SiXty ranks, ten abreast
! Far TO the left moved the hOrsemen the
| dust of their rapid passage hiding their
| galloping mounts up TO the Stirrup. To the
| watchers by the King they seemed like ar
! undulant sea of quilted helmets and hyine
| tassels. while the sunlight smote through
a level and straight-set forest of spears
| They were seasoned veterans, many OF
They had followed Rameses the Great into
| Asia and had extended the empire and the
| prowess of arms to the farthest corners OF
| the known world. They had drunk the
| sweets of unalloyed victory from the Blue
| Nile TO the Euphrates and had filled Egypt
| with booty. scent with the airs of Ara bia
| gorgeous from the looms of India anC
heavy with the ivory and gold of Ethiopia
| Now they went in formidable array
| in of tVVO millions of 81 IL.