The Lehi sun. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1913-1949, 1921-08-04
70 INTERPRET Justly the works
of Eugene Sue. ono v,rs. -.


place In world literature.
When Sue was born the move, wa.
still comparatively new product
There had, It is true, been books he.
IOre It's advent, for the invention Of
printing had put reading matter with.
IN the reach OF the people; but until
nction made its appearance most OF
me material published had been Of a
religious trend, consisting Of lives of
the saints. and treatises on theology
ana science. Even then such volumes
were costly, to say nothing Of their be-
ing OF FAR too pOnderous a nature TO
answer the cravings of public scant.
lily educated and DESTROYS for enter.
tainment at q time when anusements
were few.
Therefore, when out of this arid III.
erary waste the novel sprung into be-
ing we can easily picture the eager
ness with which the hungering masses
Tell upon It. Here, at last, was some.
thlng human and within the scope of
the everyday mans understanding.
here, In fascinating form, were pre-
sented not only with characters from
the life with (which he was familiar,
out also adventures in those mystic
realms OF romance that he had imag-
ined. 1t was IKE water 70 the
thirstyi
Hence, IL when reading the very
early novels, or even those OF the later
Uecades to which Sue belonged, we are
gnscious of stilted dialogue, and mel
buramatic and improbable situations,
llet us remember that the writer's of
this era were to no small extent nj
oneers In a sparsely trodden wilder
ness Of art; and that when "the world
was so new and ALL In literary de-
velopment 1t Is a marcel that their
handiwork has endured for so many
years. Sues "Mysteries of Paris"
penned In 1872 seems touched with
the fires Of everlasting youth. Indeed,
1t must possess me charm of universal
appeal or It would never have held its
place for almost century. When we
consider how few of our present-day
novels survive second season, we are
forced to doff our caps to this artist
or the past, who, like Stevenson, so
we'll merits the sobriquet OF 'Tusltala.
Teller of Tales" and the secret OF
whose spell lies In the eternal child
In us answering to the sorcerles OF a
master story-teller.
The book In question is a labyrinth
of exciting and dramatic happenings,
which, cleverly woven together, EN-
body the authors unique philosophy
that the quest for good may be made
quite as seductive a crusade as the
quest for evil; the only difference ~
turns his steps. Certainly the story
bears out this theory, for we are swept
along by the magician's cunning page
inter page, chapter after chapter. I'M
Ill his creative resources seem limit
less. Never for an instant does our
Interest lag. When the book is fin
tshed we feel that had Sue so or
aained he could have evolved just as
inany more plots with an equal de-
gree of ease.
lie opens his narrative with scene
IN the slums of Paris, where Fleur-de-
Marie, beautiful girl of the streets,
Is being viciously attacked by the
Slasher, a brute of the underworld.
a trivial quarrel between the two has
arisen and the man is about to strike
this helpless creature when suddenly
3 stranger intervenes, and by superior
Strength and wit lays low the assail-
ant. The newcomer is NJ. Rudolph.
who styles himself a painter of fans.
Although poorly CARRIED and speaking
the jargOA of the pavements, we speed
tly realize that he is something other
N,an he pretends; and in this suppo-
eitiOn we are soon justified for pres
emily we learn that in truth M. Ru-
dOlph is no other parsonage than his
royal highness, the grand duke OF Ger
olstein In disguise. The Slasher, how
ever. does not know this, and neither
does his pretty companion, and we
soon find the three eronies seated ami
ably at a cafe table relating for one
nnother's amusement the stories Of
their past lives.
Rudolph has little TO say He is an
artisan, ne declares The Slasher
Frankly admits himself to be an es-
capped convict who has served In the
galleys for murder; but with the in
consistency of human nature he an
nounees that while lie has no scruples
against murder, he will not steal.
fleur-de-Marie. or GClA'suse. as her
comrades term her, is slxteen-year-
old waif who has never known any
parent save Screech Owl, a cruel wOm-
pm from whom she fled when a child I;
Dor hes she had any home save prison
Nails and the haunts OF vica. Never
heless, despite her vile surround
Rgs, she has kept her sou. untainted
Nnd is essentially pure Of heart Nelng
the victim Of environment an L
ttances rather than its votary.
Observing this, Rudolph, VIII
ever to give another chance to
N whom good is apparent, transp L
her to a home in the country. WI :,
gIIldQr tha earo of Mrc Da.-0a HE n ,