National Republican., 1886-10-01

sprinkling Of French novels and similar
works Of modern genius in other branches
Of art. The name,of such heroes is generally
"Baby," "Puss," "Beauty," and so forth.
We remember once hearing an officer OF
the Household Brigade, which is the "crack
est' corps of the British military service,
express his opinion on Oulda's men, "She
must, he said, "consder British officers n
set Of Internal idiots, who have no instincts
but those of brutes and sots, and who are
all as rich and lavish as SO many stock
jobbers or soap.bollers, who, from q state
OF almost sordid poverty, have suddenly
come upon heap OF money. She evolves
us all out OF her own not too nice imagina-
ton, and knows nothing in the world about
us. We may be good-for-nothlug fellows
enough, but even II we were naturally the
devils incarnate that Oulja represents, we
haven't the coin to carry on her high
jinks.' The average private income OF an
officer in the guards is about G300 year.
Some few fellows have, OF course, three
times as many thousands but as nearly all
Of us are younger sons we have TO look
after our shillngs as carefully as any poor
clerk in the city looks after his pence
The smiles OF ballet girls are not for us,
and Oulda's women wouldn't look at most
Of us. Ouida's babies are all children OF
her own. Not one of them had ever been
at an English public school, and certainly
not one Of them had ever been brought up
in the home OF an English gentleman or an
English lady"
II is right that the public should fully
understand the imaginary nature OF 0uida's
heroes and heroines. They are all completely
Of piece with the men and women In the
serial stories of the London Journal, which
enjoys such an enormous circulation among
tho servant girls Of the British empire.
An oxford graduate of considerable
ability commenced his literary career by
writing a couple OF stories for two London
weeklies. In quite serious mood one day
he produced for us his returned manu-.
scripts, aud narrated q private conversn-
tion with the editors who bad each told
him that "he pitched his characters to low"
He had described people whom he knew
In his own sphere, the professional class in
English society. Each editor calmly said:
"Our readers wouldn't give straw
for a cart load of such characters as you have
drawn so well. We would advise you In
all sincerity to send such manuscripts to
the high.class magazines. Remember,
nearly all our readers are servant girls.
They know their class only too well; they
act as servants in all homes Of tho middle
class, and therefore know something about
your style Of people, but only small pro-
portion Of them can become servants In
homes of the nobility, and the possible love
| episodes Of such establishments have for
our clientele all the charms Of Paradise
| and mysteries more numerous than those OF
Eleusis. Therefore, sir, II you wish TO
write for us, please give us plenty Of dukes
and duchesses, and the lowest we can afford
to have is an occasional colonel in the
Household Brigade" The young gentle
man took the advice, made up his wonder
full nobility and military after the manner
Of ouida, and has long since been in the
enjoyment of a comfortable income derived
from the pence Of lord-loving kitchen
wenches.