St. Elmo

Hi, everyone!

I decided to read this book as Augusta Evans Wilson was a successful Southern writer during the late 19th century. Originally born in Georgia, she came to live at Ashland and later Georgia Cottage in Mobile, Alabama. She became famous in the literary circles of the South after her predecessor Octavia Walton Le Vert fell from society when she sympathized with the North after the Civil War.

St. Elmo was Miss Augusta Evans’ fourth novel written in 1866. It sold a million copies in several months and was adapted for the stage. So great was its popularity it was made into a parody called St. Twel’mo, or the Cuneiform Cyclopedist of Chattanooga by Charles Henry Webb in 1867.

In all, I found the novel both a pleasure and trial to read. It is quite possible that the author quoted every classic author whose manuscripts she could lay her hands on, which I found highly amusing when Edna Earl’s character tries not to fall into the 19th century definition of a bluestocking, but falls into the modern definition of word: a woman having intellectual or literary interests. The author was a bluestocking herself as her first novel Inez was published in 1850 when she was only 15 years of age.

I loved Mr. Hammond’s definition of a bluestocking when Edna asks him what it means:

“A bluestocking, my dear, is generally supposed to be a lady, neither young, pleasant, nor pretty (and in most instances unmarried); who is unamiable, ungraceful, and untidy; ignorant of all domestic accomplishments and truly feminine acquirements and ambitious of appearing very learned; a woman whose fingers are more frequently adorned with ink-spots than thimble; who holds housekeeping in detestation, and talks loudly about politics, science, and philosophy; who is ugly, and learned, and cross; whose hair is never smooth and whose ruffles are never fluted.” p.70

I thought the plot was good, but had been attempted before. In St. Elmo Murray, the brooding, cynical protagonist, I see Mr. Rochester of Bronte’s Jane Eyre. Both heroines flee the ones they love and try, unsuccessfully, to start a new life only to return in the end to marry their reformed lovers.

While searching for references to St. Elmo, I ran across several reviews from The New York Times archives. The first was a review of the novel on January 5, 1867, several months after it was published. The review in their literary section was far from kind and advised Miss Evans to “present herself again in a dress becoming the nineteenth century, and using the language of the present period, we shall have unfeigned satisfaction in extending to her a warmer welcome than it is now our privilege to offer.”

I think Miss Evans took their advice to heart as I finished reading A Speckled Bird written in 1902, which contains none of the faults mentioned in the review for St. Elmo.

Interestingly enough, there was an editorial in The New York Times that was published 30 years later in 1899 by a young man who could not understand why his wife was crying over such a “trashy and impossible and unnatural” book whose excessive quotes were “only a device to show how learned the author was.”

The editor replied that they couldn’t believe that the public took such a book so seriously thirty years ago, but that they liked the fact that the man’s wife was old-fashioned.

They even mentioned that St. Elmo was the “last of the ‘Rochesters’”, which I found hilarious. Who would have thought that I would have the same impression of St. Elmo as an editor in 1899?!

Do I recommend St. Elmo as a summer reading book? I recommend it definitely only for a university student or Victorian literature enthusiast.

Please feel free to read the summary below if you want. You will notice that the ‘sad past’ of St. Elmo Murray is not mentioned. If you really want to know about it, read the book!

Summary:

Our story begins with young Edna Earl who has grown up under the care of her grandfather Aaron Earl in village of Lookout after the death of her parents. She is devoutly religious and virtuous due to the teachings of her grandfather and displays a love for books and education.

Her peaceful childhood is destroyed by the sudden death of her grandfather and she goes on to live with neighbors until she recovers from the shock of losing the only family she has. Eventually she decides to go to Columbus, Georgia in order to get work in the cotton factories there and to continue her education on the side so she can become a teacher.

The train to Columbus is met with a terrible accident and scores of people are dead or dying. Edna suffers a broken leg from the wreckage of the train, but is taken in by Mrs. Murray, a wealthy widow, to live at her residence Le Bocage.

After several weeks of recuperation, in which Mrs. Murray has carefully assessed Edna’s character, Edna is invited to stay as a companion to Mrs. Murray with the understanding that she will be provided for and educated until she comes of age. Edna accepts the offer, but makes it a condition that all the expenses of her room and board will be repaid once she procures a position as a governess when she is finished with her education.

While staying at Le Bocage, she meets St. Elmo, Mrs. Murray’s son who has finally come home after his travels abroad. St. Elmo instantly dislikes and mistrusts Edna. He thinks that she is playing on his mother’s sympathy and loneliness. Despite his misgivings, St. Elmo does not interfere with his mother’s decision to make Edna into her companion and helpmate. Edna begins her education under the tutelage of the local preacher, Mr. Hammond in classics and many other subjects in order to pursue a career as a governess.

Five years have passed and Edna has grown into a beautiful woman who cares nothing for the life of society that Mrs. Murray is constantly trying to force on her. St. Elmo has come back from several years abroad and Le Bocage is filled with the laughter and gaiety of his friends. Edna does not care for St. Elmo’s friends and consequently, St. Elmo’s manner towards Edna is cold and mocking.

With her education finished, Edna secretly starts to write a novel that wrestles with the question of mythology and modern religion. Her manuscript is rejected, but the editor, Mr. Manning, agrees to publish any articles that she might have and so begins Edna career as a writer.

Edna decides to take a position as a governess with the Andrews family in New York. With her eminent departure, St. Elmo reveals the sad story of his past and confesses his hidden feelings for Edna. After hearing his story, she flees to New York to start a new life instead of confronting her own feelings for St. Elmo.

Teaching the Andrews’ children during the day and working feverishly at night on her writing, Edna becomes a success writer at the expense of her health. She returns once to Le Bocage at the urging of her teacher, Mr. Hammond who is ill. She stays with Mr. Hammond for several months nursing him back to health. Both Mr. Hammond and Mrs. Murray try to convince Edna that a marriage to St. Elmo would be great to all parties involved, but Edna refuses their advice and leaves for New York.

All this time, St. Elmo has slowly changed his cynical ways and has even taken in an orphan in the village as a student. Unfortunately, Edna cannot forget his past and consent to be his wife.

Returning to New York, Edna finds that Felix’s health has declined and she accompanies the family to several retreats in order to revive him. Despite several months of care from the family and Edna, Felix passes away. Edna decides to return to Le Bocage to see St. Elmo one more time so she can start to forget him.

Coming home, she is surprised to find that St. Elmo has decided to become an ordained preacher. After attending his service, she returns to the chapel to pray for his soul before leaving and is met by St. Elmo. Once again, he confesses his feelings for her and she finally accepts him as he has been forgiven by Mr. Hammond and God for his past.

They are married and she gives up her writing at the St. Elmo’s bidding for her health’s sake.