Smyrna times., 1870-06-08
MiSceIIU n eOUS.
The Hero of a Fast Novel.

The pride of life is one of the leading notes
of the $ fast novel," Death may, with impair
tlal heel, kick at the turreted palaces of kings
and the hOvel OF the pauper; but the pride of
life which informs the pen Of our fast noveists
cOndescends to treat of princely state alone No
man is fit to be hero unless he can throw
money about like water. 1t is not necessary
that it should be his own money. indeed it is
better that 1t should not be-otherwise he
would, perhaps, be too respectable for hero,
When, immersed in an inextricabe state OF debt,
he goes down to shoot at one of his many places.
he does so, we are informed, in a half Bohe-
man. half -blvOuac fashion and his guests, all
of them enormous swells of the period, are
expected to be good enough to rough it. They
arrive at a dim picturesque old house, with oak
paneled rooms, stained G ASS windows, antiques
paintings, and china Of fabulous value all
around. They find a perfect cook, perfect
wines, and perfect cigars a grand piano in
the Elizabethan drawing-room, the clash of
billiard-balls under the painted arches of the
chapel entrance, and whist-tables in the little
| garden-roOm that looks through oriel windows
on TO the terraces and the shady cedars. When
out shooting, these gentlemen, who are trough
ing it, toss the dogs foie grdS and truff1es, and
drink delicate Burgundies to their perfumed
cigarettes. When the hero flies from his debts
and difficulties, he betakes himself from the
vet-cushioned bench, lie the newest novels, Just
out. By its side is splendid goblet, in which
Jumps of ice float in golden wine. Silky nee
tarines and purple grapes lie lazily together or
his plate. In the mirrored cabin a choice din
ner awaits him. When he returns to town, We
find him ensconced in rooms decorated will
imperial blue, filled with things of great anti
quity and beauty-ivOry, bronze, marble, china
enamel, all cleaning out of the prevailing hu,
I,NH H. .o1,.
up as containing as many treasures in them a
Christie's itself on a view day. When b.
gives a dinner at the little box inhabited by hi
: AnOnyna, all the male guests have half-guine
0 rose buds In their coats, the dining room is on
sheet OF light, miniature sun in the blue ar
of the ceiling sheds down its rays, the atmos
E phere is scented with pastilles, the table
> Gbaze with gold and silver, and the hanging
of the walls are azure satin, silver starred
/. Anonyma herself is dressed in fame-colore
robes, and she seems to be literally on fire wit
the superb rubies that glitter all over her. Sh
:, wears boots that cost thirty guineas pair, wit
h sllver-gllt heels that go click-clack " like
cavalryman's. But the golden tazze, cost
china, exquisite pictures, Oriental stufs, silk
satins and furs, malachite vases, jasper table,
ivory bound books, with monOgrams in tu
quOises and pearls on the cover, which are {
be seen in the dining room of the hero S nam,
less protgee, sink into insignifcance whe
compared with the contents of her drawin
room. This glows with ten times more ligh
> ten times more color, ten times more brilianc!
and is one mass of scintillating gold, silve
and amber-not large room, but small ar
bVou, " intensely luminous, and very cost
te When he goes to the theatre and tosses a bo
quet on the stage, it contains big sapphir
or is clasped by a jeweled holder Elsewhe
i, in the gorgeous pages of our fast instructor v
l.
and silver, with huge gold serpentine col
upon their arms, who lean over boat ST,
70. and meditate-nOt upon the elusive smile
We the sunlit waters, but upon the favOrs of ne
as sauces, and the strong old wines princes sci
,m to them, and of Oriental burnouses, all int
woven with pearls and turquoises, which Oh
entail ambassadors give them for the askin
rs Even the artists of our fast novels have ode
yer GUS cedar-lined studios, in which the smoke
ice choice cigars curls round antiques and brio
brac, and sherry and seltzer perpetually hiss
long fairy-like glasses of Venice.