The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-10
FAMOUS NOHELLS7S
AND GAS7RONOMY.



omy of the novelists has attracted little
or no attention from literary critics and
philosophers. and the more SO that, insig-
nifcant az this feature may seem to the
careless, there Is none which IL more char
acterist.c Of the nation. ideas and temper
ament of the individual to whom we owe
in each instance the literary banquet.
Women novelists, with one or two exeep-
lions, notably Ouida. rarely allow their
heroes or heroines to partake of a gener-
Gus feast; whereas in the pages of the
great male novelists dinners abound, and
reflect the same artistic tendencies as are
discoverable in the courage Of the hero,
the purity Of the heroine and the general
trend of the writer's philosophy Of life.
Compare Dickens with Thackeray. Note
how the attitude toward life of each re-
veals itself In their gastronomic descrip-
tons. ThAckeray is just as fond as Dick
ems OF telling you what his characters eat
and drink upon all occasions, which de-
tails. he very justly understands, are by
no means unmportant accessories to their
portraits, and whether 1t is Maj. Penden-
MIS- elegant little dinners or the Mugfords'
plebeian but magnificent feasts, or Becky's
"salma," prepared for the fascination of
Mr.. Pitt by her own hands according to
the veracious lady, or Talbot Twysden's
shabby, cheap. pretentions affair, with his
wretched Chateau Margaux, there is al
ways the same attitude. slightly cynical.
yet epicurean-the attitude of the man OF
the world with q fastidious palate, who
knows how to appreciate defeats and rare
viands and wine, and has yet some kind
Of restraint which prevents his enjoying
them In an open, hearty manner How
different from Dickens very real, hearty
and somewhat coarse relish OF the food his
personages eat and invariably enjoy! Not
a saucepan or an oven is safe from him.
n ha la hi a. .sxfk.
than when the fare IS of the humbIest
kind. Mr.. Swivellers boiled beef and
greens, which this Ingenious gentleman OBJ
tains on credit In his usual careless man
ner; poor Mrs. Quilps tea party OF new
bread fresh butter and lettuce; or the
famous meal prepared for Mr.. Goblin at
the Jolly Sandboys"-nothing can exceed
the gusto with which he retaiIs the az
fair. tits a stew Of tripe." sad the land
lord, smacking his lips; land COW heel"
smaeking them again; land bacon"
smacking them once more; ''and steak"
smacking them for the fourth time; land
peas. cauliflower, new potatoes and SPAR
rowgrass all working together In one dell
cious gravy"
All honest. wholesome appetites had the
sympathy-of Dickens, and never was
there novelist more loyal to the British
fare of roast beef and stout. Between
these two novelists stands Scott, and
while less coarse and realistic than Dick
ems. more full of homely, unaffected sim
plicity, and thereby more nobly dignified,
than Thackeray. His breakfasts and din
ners 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 animal eating and drinking. The
| noble meal which the Baron de Brad
| wardine sets before young Waverley upon
| the morning that he proposes to fight the
| Laird of Balmawhapple would have dis
| sipated the Ill humor of the surliest youth,
| even had not the lovely Rose presided at
! the table, "loaded with warm bread, both
| of -four, oatmeal and barley meal In the
! shape of loaves, cakes. biscuits and other
| varieties. together with eggs, reindeer.
| ham, mutton and beef ditto smoked sal
| mon marmalade" and all the other dell
| cacies which induced even Johnson him
| self to extol the luxury of a Scotch break
fast above that of all other countries.
| There is another breakfast, the famous
one of Quentin Durward where Louis XII.
plays the host In disguise. which sur
| passes all similar incidents in Its persua-
! sive appeal TO the readers sympathies.
| making him forget the French kings plot
| for the destruction of Quentin, IN genuine
| admiration of the delightful human fash
| ion in which he provides for the fine ap-
| petite of a bold, generous youth. There
| Is, perhaps, only one other scene to match
| this. even in Scott's own pages. and this
| Is the famous supper in the hermitage of
| st. Dunstan. when another monarch plays
4 with even finer success the part or guest
| to the jolly clerk of Copmanhurst.
There is something of the same geniality
and food fellowship to be found in Lev
| er's lively feasts, which, however, some
! times degenerate, as Sir Walters never do,
into scenes of disorderly riot. Who for
! gets the capital dinner in Charles O'Mal-
1
key fianked by a picket OF ham, and a
| detached squadron of chickens carefully
| aElbushed in a forest of greens. potatoes
| piled like shot in an ordnance yard. and
| massive decanters Of port 4 and sherry,
| which stood proudly up like standard
| bearers amidst goodiy array" OF when
| beverages the gallant young men appear
4 No. Jxx,h baA mite "a