Hall Caine

( Originally Published Early 1900's )

As Black has given prominence to the Hebrides, Hall Caine has given his native Isle of Man a place in literature. He was born in 1853 and became an architect in Liverpool. He had, however, an inclination to literature, which was fostered by his friendship with Dante Gabriel Rossetti, with whom he went to live in London in 1880. His first book was "Recollections of Rossetti," and in 1885 he published his first novel, "The Shadow of a Crime," which was written with prodigious pains. "The Deemster" (1887) obtained more favor, "The Scapegoat" (1891) still more, and "The Manxman" (1894) completed his group of pictures of Manx life. Yet for each of these he has declared that he drew the primary idea from the Bible —from the story of Joseph and his brethren, from David and Uriah, and from David and Jonathan. Mr. Caine visited Russia in 1892 in behalf of the persecuted Jews, and in 1895 lectured in the United States. His novel, "The Christian" (1897), presents, according to his view, the religious question of to-day. John Storm, a religious fanatic, is yet in love with Glory Quayle, a friend of his childhood, who has become a famous actress, and tries to draw her from demoralizing associations. When she re-fuses, his frenzy makes him seek to kill her, but her words restore him to sounder mind. Storm, who has been a High Churchman, finally becomes a Salvation Army preacher, and after a meeting is assaulted by a mob in the streets. Glory hastens to him and they are married while he is lying on his death-bed. The scenes of the story are highly realistic, but the whole is wildly improbable.