The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-08-09
ARTIST DU MAURIER.
Visit to the Famous Cart00nist
of London Punch"
TAKES HIS IDEAS FROM LIFE.
What He Does Not Know About Bon
nets and Dress His Wife and Three
Daughters Tell Him.

LONDON, July 27.-fSpecial Correspond.
ence. THE celebrated Punch society artist
George Du Maurier, lives on top of great
hill and on the very edge of Hampstead
Heath. 1t was in q very lovely house, the
windows of which commanded a wide ex.
panse of country, that found him on a re.
cent visit to talk with him concerning his
art. Before we fell into conversation he
drew my attention to the beautiful view
which met our eyes on every side.
There, on one side, we caught glimpse
of Harrow, its multifold steeples glistening
in the evening sunshine, and one pictured
the boys of that celebrated school wherein
were educated Pitt and Byron. making the
historic walls ring again with their gleeful
shouts and laughter; and far away beyond
one could just discern the keep of Windsor
castle, from the top of which one can see
into no less than thirteen counties. I'M
medlately below US lay the celebrated
heath across which 100 years ago none
dared to walk at night for fear of the
jaunty, daring highwayman, or the less
picturesque, but still more cruel and cow
ardly footpad.
On the other side lay London, the vast,
weary, melancholy city over which hangs
an eternal mist, while nevertheless the
golden cross that surmounts st. Paul's Ca
thedral, cleaving the fog and mist, gilt
tered in the rays of the departing sun.
Amid such artistic and inspiring scenes
lives the great society artist. Turning my
glance within, looked round the pretty
room in which stood, first taking note OF
the short, gentlemanly figure and good
looking, eye-glassed features of my host.
Over the fireplace of the drawing-room
hung three water color portraits of his own
daughters, whose charming faces, graceful
figures and dainty costumes are, imag-
inc, well known to vast and appreciative
public. A magnificent portrait of the late
astronomer royal, Sir John Herschel,
hung upon the wall, and as he pointed to
it, Mr.. Du Maurier said:
"That is one of Julia Cameron's best
photographs. I consider that no work of
an old master can beat the beauty of that
picture. Those drawings, too, of e. A..
Abbey. the well known Harper artist, are
very charming. But it is getting dark, so
come into my studio and Well have some
tea and a chat"
Down tiny. narrow little gallery hung
with works of art we passed, till at the end
We pushed open a door and stood within
a room gently illumined with delightful
crimson light from the setting sun, and
hung round with the choicest specimens
of the artists skilled and talented pencil.
Near the window wherein he was so fond
of lying hung the skin of the gigantic st.
Bernard, with whose likeness in Punch we
are all so familiar.
ayes, poor Chang is dead" said Mr.. Du
Maurier, in answer to a question of mine;
"a splendid dog he was, too. That skin
measures seven feet from tip to tip. His
skeleton is in the Westminster Abbey of
celebrated animals-the college of sur
geons."
At this moment the door opened and
beautiful little boy, who looked fully 6
years old, but who was only 8, walked
into the room hugging in his arms a
dear little, old-fashioned Scotch terrier
that wagged its tail and gazed up at his
young master with trustful eyes, while be-
hind them walked slowly and solemnly a
droll, quaint little dachshund.
"All three of these important person.
ages" said Mr.. Du Maurier, as he took
Godfrey on his knee, figure almost weekly
in Punch. Godfrey, of course, you know
well by pictured repute. He is just like
Millais' celebrated boy who is blowing
bubbles" And so he was, indeed. He
might have stepped out of that very pic
ture, and I was not surprised to hear that
whenever he took his walks abroad the
sharp-eyed, keen-wltted, little London
gamins would frequently call after him,
"Hullo, Bubbles, old chap. tired OF blow
ing that empty pipe all day, Ell 2"
1.-THE dogs are capital setters," continued
Mr.. Du Maurier, shut I miss my dear
Chang terribly. He always used to go
abroad with me, much to the astonish-
ment of the custom-house officials, who
on one occasion, somewhere in France,
examined his enormous tail to see if it
contained any struggled goods"
Mr.. Du Maurier, telling Godfrey to take
away the dogs and go to his mother-who,
by the by, was one of those charming
Misses Du Maurier to whom allusion has
already been made-began her converse
ton by giving me a few biographical
details concerning himself, his life and his
hfe's work. l had said to him; May l
ask. Mr.. Du Maurier, are you to this man
ner born, or is your connection with Punch
a mere matter of chance.
"Weu." he replied, 81 don't much be-
lieye in chance, you know. But it Is quite
true I was not born an artist. | was edu-
Gated originally in scientific chemistry,
and nv first start in life was when l was
sent to take charge of an alleged gold mine
in Deyonshire. The mine was there, right
enough, but it was the gold that was alb
sent. as very soon found out. | did not,
however, take to science. Chemistry had
no attractions for me. The desire for art
was ingrained in me, and so at length
gave up my profession and went to Paris.
II attached myself to the Gleyre studio,
where POINTER also was studying, and
which Whistler had just quilted. From
there l proceeded to Antwerp, where I
met with a serious accident, which en-
tirely deprived me of the sight of one eye,
and for fifteen years | was only allowed to
work two hours a day, and even now [
have to be very careful indeed Leaving
Antwerp I came TO London, ana began
drawing pictures for the English magazines
in the year 1850. illustrated many stories
in Once Week, and | sent now and again
pictures to Punch. About twenty-seven
years ago Leech, whose funeral attended.
died. and | took his place at the celebrated
weekly Wednesday evening dinner at
which the plan Of the following weeks
issue of Puach is solemnly agreed upon
and worked out, and to which dinner no
stranger is ever admitted on any possible
pretence whatever. | was on that never
TO he forgotten night enrolled a member of
the Punch staff"
Then" said I, I'VE may consider Won
as Leech's successor"
We'll, / don't know about that" smil-
ingly replied Mr.. Du Maurier. "You see,
my style is so utterly different Still
Leech. as depicter of society-Society