character, which he had a particular gift of observing closely. They are nearly all free from the sensational element, though rich enough in original incident. They develop a simple, natural plot, and tend not only to the amusement, but also to the improvement of the reader, without incurring, on the other hand, the reproach of P sententiousness or of moralizing. A warm patriotic is feeling pervades all his works, and an unobtrusive tendency to do good to his compatriots.
His chief power lies in the delineation of character. His stories abound in original figures, not the least interesting among which is Father Cvok in the following story. In the description of such manly, noble-minded, humane men, Šmilovský was particularly successful. Not less so are his aged persons—old-fashioned, blunt, outspoken characters—which he was rather fond of introducing; or again, wavering, though at heart good natured weaklings, like Baron Mundy; or practical men of common sense like Father Ledecký in our story, which he introduces for the sake of contrast. In some of his novels we also meet with characters of the lower serving-class, who exhibit no small degree of racy wit and humour. Downright bad, depraved characters Šmilovský did not like to make use of; they appear but rarely in his works, and when they do, he endeavours to show that even the very worst are not entirely devoid of some good point or other; just as, on the other hand, even it the best are not free from human weakness.
His female characters show less variety on the whole. They may generally be classed under two heads: the truly feminine, gentle, loving woman; and the imperious, cold, calculating natures, more given to reasoning and selfish ambition than to obeying the softer teaching of
