The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-25

Some GIimpses OF Ga-tronomy in Fic-
ton.

ton.
From the London Evening Standard.
II is curious that so far the gastronomy
of the novelists has attracted little or no
attention from literary critics and phloso-
piers, and the more so that, insignificant
as this feature may seem to the careless,
there is none which is more characteristic
of the nation. ideas and temperament of
the individual to whom we owe in each in
stance the literary banquet. Women novel
lists, with one or two exceptions. notably
Ouida, rarely allow their heroes and hero
ines to partake of generous feast; where
as IN the pages of the great male noVeiists
dinners abound and reflect the same arts-
tic tendencies as are discoVerab)e in the
courage of the hero, the purity of the her
oine and the general trend of the writer's
philosophy of life. Compare Dickens with
Thackeray. Note how the attitude to-
wards life of each reveals Itself in their
gastronomic descriptions. Thackeray Is
just as fond as Dickens Of telling you what
his characters eat and drink upon all occa-
sions, which details he very Justly under
stands are by no means unimportant acces-
series TO their portraits; and whether II is
Major Peudenrs' elegant little dinners or
the Mugfords' plebean but magnificent
feasts, or BecSys "salmi" prepared for
the fascination of Mr.. Pitt by her own
hands, according 10 the veracious lady or
Talbot TWysden's shabby. cheap preten-
tious affairs with his wretched Chateau
Margaux, there is always the same alti-
tude, slightly cynical, yet eplcurean-the
attitude of the man Of the world with a
fastidous palate who knows how to ap-
preciate delicate and rare vauds and wiuc
and mas yet some kind of restraint which
prevents his enjoying them in an open,
hearty manner How different from Dick
ems very real, hearty and somewhat
coarse relish of the food his personages
eat and invariably enjoy! Not saucepan
or an oven is safe from him and he IS
never in more hilarious spirits than when
the fare is of the humblest kind. Mr..
SwiVeiler's boiled beef ana green's, which
this ingenious gentleman obtains on credit
in his usual careless manner; poor Mrs.
Quilps little tea party of new bread. fresh
butter and lettuces; or the famous meal
prepared for Mr. Goblin at the Jolly Sand
boys'-nothing can exceed the gusto with
which he retails the affair IFS a stow
of tripe.' said the landlord smacking his
lips, the COW heel, smacking them again.
"and bacon" smacklng them once more,
land steak" smacking them for the
fourth time. "and peas. caulihower, new
potatoes and sparrow grass, all working
up together in one delicious gravy"
All honest wholesome appetites had the
sympathy of Dickens, and never was there
a novelist more loyal to the British fare
of roast beef and stout. Between these
two novelists stand Scott. and, while less
coarse and realistic than Dickens, more
full of homely, unaffected simplicity, and
thereby more nobly dignihed than Thack-
cray His breakfasts and dinners serve
to cement the bonds of good fellowship
and geniality, and there is ever a hint
of picturesque splendor about them which
saves them from degenerating into mere
Il fwns- lat.at LII.
meal which the Baron Of Bradwardine
sets before young Waverley upon
the morning that he proposes
to fight the Laird OF Bal
mawhapple would have dissipated the
III humor of the surliest youth. even had
not the lovely Rose pres ded at the table
LOADED with warm bread, both of flour
oatmeal and barley meal, in the shape of
loaves, cakes. biscuits and other varieties:
together with eggs, reindeer, ham, mutton
and beef ditto smoked salmon, MARINA
lade," and all the other delicacies which
induced even Johnson himself to extol
the luxury Of a Scotch breakfast above
that OF al other countries. There Is an
other breakfast the famous one of QUEEN
tin Durward where Louis XII plays the
host in disguise, which surpasses all Sim
liar incidents in Its persuasive appeal TO
the readers sympathies. making him for
get the French Kings craft and subtlety,
anu even MS utb@NidDiE pot IOF the de- Z
of Quentin, In genuine admlra- |
ton of the delightful human fashion in |
which he provides for the fine appetite of
a bold, generous youth. There Is, per-
haps, only one other scene 10 match this. /
even in Scott's own pages, and this is the |
famous supper in the Hermitage of ST. !
Dunstan, when another monarch plays /
WIN even finer success the part of guest |
to the jolly clerk Of Copmanhurst
There IS something Of the same geniaiity |
and good fellowship to be found In Lev (
ers lively feasts, which, however. some |
times degenerate, as Sir Walters never
do, into scenes Of disordcrly riot Who for /
gets the capital dinner in Charles O'Mal- !
ley" with the turbot, the srlo.n, "the tur-
key fnaked by a picket Of ham, and de-
lached squadron of chickens carefully am
pushed in a forest Of green's potatoes pi ed I
like shot in an ordnance yard. and mass
I've decanters Of port and sherry, which
stood proudly up like standard bearers
amidst goodiy array" Of which beverages
the gallant young men appear 10 have I'M
bibed with generosity for 1t was after Mr.
Bodkin had sung The Man of Galway"
that Mr.. Charles OMalley threw a wine-
glass at his mead, and had later on to
meet that distinguished duelst. Al
though the young gentlCm men in these ro-
mances invariably drink mere punch than
Is prudent, their conyiyialties are pleas