The Concordia sentinel. (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-current, 1921-08-06

OF Eugene Sue, one must not
forget to take into cOnsidera-
ton the epoch at which they won their
place in world literature.
When Sue was born the novel was |
still a comparatively new product. |
There had, it is true, been books be- |
fore its advent, for the invention of |
printing had put reading matter with
In the reach of the people; but until
fiction made its appearance most OF
the material published had been of
religious trend, consisting of lives or
the saints, and treatises on theology
and 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-
fly educated and DESTROYS for enter
tainment at a time when amusements
were few.
Therefore, when out Of this arid lit
erary waste the novel sprung into be-
ing, we can easily picture the eager
ness with which the hungering masses
fell upon It. Here, at last was some
thing human and within the scope OF
the everyday mans understanding;
here, In fascinating form, were pre-
scented not only with characters from
the life with (which he was familiar,
out also adventures in those mystic
realms Of romance that he had mag
dned. Il was like water to the
thirstyi
Hence, Il when reading the very
early novels, or even those Of the later
decades to which Sue belonged, we are
conscious Of stilted dialogue, and mel
cjramatic and improbable situations,
let us remember that the writers Of
this era were to no small extent pi-
oneers in a sparsely trodden wilder
ness of art; and that when "the world
was SO new and all" in literary de-
velopment it is a marvel that their
handiwork has endured for so many
years. Sues Mysteries of Paris"
penned in 1912, seems touched with
the fires of everlasting youth. Indeed,
It must possess the charm Of universal
appeal or it would never have held its
consider how few of our present-day
novels survive second season, we are
forced to doff our caps to this artist
of the past, who, like Stevenson, so
well merits the sobriquet Of "Tusitala,
q Teller of Tales" and the secret OF
whose spell lies in the eternal child
fn us answering to the sorceries Of a
master story-teller.
The book In question is 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 crusade as the
quest for evil; the only difference ~
Eng In the goal toward which onS
turns his steps. Certainly the story
bears out this theory, for we are sweep
along by the magician's cunning pag'
after page, chapter after chapter, I'm
I'll his creative resources seem limit
less. Never for an instant does oul
interest lag. When the book 10 I'm
ished we feel that had Sue so OF
dained he could have evolved just a
many more plots with an equal de
gree OF ease,
He opens his narrative with seen
IN the slums Of Paris, where Fleur-de
Marie, q beautiful girl Of the streets
Is being viciously attacked by tn
Slasher, a brute Of the underworld
A trivial quarrel between the two ha
arisen and the man is about to strik
this helpless creature when student
a stranger intervenes, and by superiO
strength and wit lays low the assai
ant. The newcomer is M. Rudolph
who STYLES himself a painter Of fan
Although poorly CARRIED and speakin
the jargon of the pavements, we speet
fly realize that he is something otht
than he pretends; and in this supp
sition we are soon justified, for pre-
entity we learn that In truth NJ. r
dolph is no other parsonage than b
royal highness, the grand duke Of &c
olstein In disguise. The Slasher, hoy
ever, does not know this, and neith'
does his pretty companion, and v
soon find the three cronies seated an
ably at q cafe table relating for OF
another's amusement the stories
their past lives.
Rudolph has little to say. BE is
artisan, he declares. The Slash
frankly admits himself to be an
caped convict who has served in q
xaIleys for murder; but with the
consistency Of human nature he
nounces that while he has no scrupl
against murder, he will not ste
Fleur-de-Marie, or Goualeuse, as b
comrades term her, is a sixteen-yes
old waif who has never known a
parent save Screech Owl, cruel wo
an from whom she fed when chill
nor has she had any home save pris
walls and the haunts Of vice. New
theless, despite her vile surrour
fngs, she has kept her soul untaint
and is essentially pure of heart, bel
the victim Of environment and circu
stances rather than its votary.
Observing this, Rudolph, whose q
IS ever to give another chance to tht
faMhom good Is apparent, transplal
to q home in the country whe
ID the care OF Mrs. George, his
TAKEN FROM EXCHANGES