Smyrna times., 1858-08-12

~
hesitate, says the New York Express, to class
the said epic among the finest satrical poems
in the language The poetic spirit of To-day
is objective rather than subjective; and gathers
its materials from the coarse, striving practical
world To send the trenchant weapon with so
true an aim, that it
"SAail pierce yielding joint
In the suat harness OF some veteran wrong,
Or full armed lOlly,
is an achievement that works good for none of
the old-tasAioncd battcring rams can demolish
strongly built error or evil nowadays. We
commend the authors relation Of the grand
and leading Vice of our age for the object of
his caustc and pungent wit. In the character
AMI life of Firkin the millionaire, large class
of successful worshippers of money are por
trayed. The proud possessor of two millions
Frkin was one Of those merchant princes who
are foes to all liberal ard large-hearted dealings
{. You read il ia his eve, duh, dark and Stern
Which cIu!ched the Iigh' but grudged kind return
| genial giances t.Fomga the open day,
And with Shrewd Suspicion turned away
Ills hard, squire feature like IRON sale,
Locked in his thoughts; NJ chance, unnOted waif
OF iugilIve feeling. UndWHrcs betrayed
The inner man, or ntal stock i'll trade.
Tlc porlly figure. with its sOlvent air,
Proclaimed TO all the world The Millionaire
ills purse and person both AT ia lcal leuIth,
And even the higher law watch he Obeyrd.
With all III, haart and soul and mind a,ld strength,
To love his Iraher, Tor he was sEI.F-MADA!'
Faith in himself and the Almighty Dollar,
was the great princi pie Of his life, aud his re-
ligous creed matched it. He believed in
things tangible which he could measure by the
test how much" The greatest happiness
OF the greatest number appeared reasonable;
bat then h greatest Number was Number One!
and his golden role was to turn every hour to
go,d advantage. Yet he was not lacking in the
scmbIarce of devotion; for on any Sunday
might be seen
Ills visible COACH outside the visible church.
With green and sOid IT'S sacred front adnrnlng,
A gorgeous cOachmun. some hat flushed with sherry
a ioulinlII, pOriy with perpetual dInneIs,
Waited wtiio Flrkfn IA the sanctuary,
With m lnY other " IN sarabc Sinners
Cushioned the carnal man III drOWsy pews.
D,z.d over gilt edged rubric. PRAYER ami psater,
Rose with the music. looked with liberal views
On prIm i-dOnnas nCvcI known 10 fIlIcr
la chant or solo, hymn. or anthem splendid,
And still. enchanting when The thlu was cndedi
Tn II sat or krelt, grave as the altar bronzes,
AMI went through all the usual responses.
Those Solemn prayers, and THAMES sublime,
The ancient Church first taught ;he lips OF Time,
1henccijrth 10 Ound iOrevcr-as when first,
CODED with hight, the lips of Mcmnon burst
From their cold stiffness, and reJOicIn gave
Back To the Il IOl of Day lis tide upjurne
OF rarest harmony, wave answering wave,
Deep calling un'o deep MIslc TO Morn
These lofty chants first echoed under GOmes
OF sturiy midnight, or i'll caacombs
Where, by rude alars and sePuichral tombs,
Deep in the rocky earth, the veslral chors.
Rehearsed their n.sc for The martyr fires,
iipdf frnm Inns q e nr
10 fall on FIr6n's without the least
Responsive ulterance or the lantest notion
That they had any reference to devotion
lie liked the service but gricve 10 state
II it had bee. instead a &c OF plate,
lie could have given better estimate
OF lis real value, for in truth our hero
AS To rel igOus feeling stOJd at zero
And had II cianced the universal Church,
la solid phalanX without break or schIsm,
Had on "a sudden, taken Il bacHw ward lurch,
Two thousand years or more to judaism.
Or from ihe Christian plunged Iulo The Pagan,
And Oh its aitlrs set up JOVc or DagOn,
Firkin would still have wo:.inpped with the crowd
And at IiI. newest shrine dcVOutiy biWed,
St n offered up his weekly StiHi OF praise,
In heather darkness or the Gospels baze,
With incense or burnt offerings, or IIblIlUns,
Alike UNCONSCIOUS of the Innovations,
Save that he might, perhaps, in Wall street phrase
Have noIceI slight change IN the quotations.
His wife had dropped and died under tn
glare of his rising fortune; but lovely girl
an adopted child-Rachel by name-grew
in his househoId-with a heart and will of he
own; and, instead of wedding some bank-d
rector, chose to give her hand to poor genlus
for which offence she was banished from Flrkln
house and presence. Her husband lost all in
rash speculation, and died, leaving her in th
world alone and stricken wth'Poverty.
The following description of tae millionaire
house. embodes some well directed satire.-
The lofty pile was
i. Ruilt on the Avenue in the latest style
OF Merchant Princes, grand grolesque and nord'
Out of the flint st ireeslOne ever quarrIed.
In iis erection as he Oft declared
'Fo wondering visitors, no expense was spared'
And had he said, 40 order Oi architecture,
.'rwouid have been truer still, as conjecture,
'rbe buiiders with their taste so tne and tunny,
aid themse yes out, we'll as FIFkn : money
Ard in a waV that beggars all description,
Blended Corinihian, Gothic and Egyptian:
And other famous styles with classic rari'Ies, ,
In one grand tumble Of brown slOne Vulgartes'
IL was tasteless enough without; but with
with its heterogeneous mixtures Of decoratiO
A.It seemed as if a bomb-shelL charged and loaded
NVith Oaint, and gilt, and plaster, had exploded,
Without regard ~ anybOdy's feelings,
I'm walls and columns, cOrnIces, and ceilings,
Tine ambitious plasIerers had ecpsed the builder
And ia their turn were Outdone by the gilders;
Tine ualnterS then--Deslue WbSse ficH
The prightestfanbOw would have seem deep MOI
ing
From lowest basement up 10 to2m0st attic,
The whole was gorgeous. glaring and prsmaiio;
Panneled and kalspnnd, and striped, aud starred,
Paint by the bucket. irescoes by the yard,
Laid on in thickest layers by batalions
of exled Red Republican italians!
With pots aud brushes, blues and greens and veil
STbey scaedthe walls. the bold. designing feIlowi
And took the house by sorm with their my ylholog,
Eruits hIwers lamingoes, landscapes and zool0g
Mermalds and Faqns, ArcadIan shepherdesses,
/ onq in tho rrngers seapy in The dresses,