The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-02
HOW "TRILBY"WASW WRITTEN
Du NauTieI TALKS Frankly Of The Novel
Of the Day.
Artist and Author at Home-He Has
Not Studied Hypnotism and the Hero
inc Was a Servant in the First Draft
of the Story.



cf the Story.
CCopyriEht)
London. Nov. 24--There Is probably no
living writer in whom the public feels
so keen an interest at the moment as
in Mr.. George Du Maurier. For many
years Mr.. Du AIaurier's rank as an artist
has been unquestioned in England or
America; but when his first novel. Peter
Ibbetson. appeared. the popularity he won
as a writer leaped at a bound past even
his popularity as artist. and since the
publication Of Trilby this popularity has
become a personal affection. Few writers
have been able 10 make their characters
so vital as the chief personages in Trnby
are; none has reproduced life with so
little artihce. Indeed. the very artIessness
Of the story gives its most charming quail
ties. and it is this artlessness that makes
US love the spirit behind It.
SO il was with an especial pleasure
that I took advantage Of an opportunity
TO meet the creator Of Trilby at his home
in London 1 say Tin London. for Hamp-
stead. where Mr.. Du Mauriers house is
situated, forms part Of the city. though
il is remote from the more crowded dis
tricts. In America il would be called
a suburb and a very delightful suburb it
is, by far the most rural Of all the out
lying districts Of London. New Grove
House. where Mr.. Du Maurier has lived
for. several years. is within a short walk
Of Hampstead Heath, that fine tract Of
open country. which gives one of the
most extensive and splendid views in
all England. For generations the Heath
has been the resort of literary men, no
tably Of Coleridge, and Keats, and Leigh
Hunt. Lovers Of the place for its historic
associations. as well as for its beauty.
will tell you that on the little pond at the
top Of the steep hill which you have TO
mount TO reach the Heath Leigh Hunt
used to help Coleridge's children sail their
toy-boats. Near by is the celebrated Jack
Straws castle, now one Of the Few pic
turesque inns left in London, where
Charles Dickens used to come, and where
Sir Frederick Leighton, Lord Randolph
Churchill. and other celebrities often come
now for a few days Of rest and quiet.
New associations are gathering about the
Heath, and in years TO come people viii
speak of it as the place where George
Du Maurler look MS daily WALK
The afternoon on which l made my
way 10 Hampstead was duh and the pic
turesque Queen Anne houses on the hill
and the trees around them were enshroud-
ed in a silver mist. The whole district,
with it's narrow winding roads, its quaint
architecture and its homelike air, was
typicaly English. New Grove House
stands very near the top of the hill and
the view from the window is uncommonly
fine One would expect the interior of the
house Of an artist to be artistic, and no
one could be disappointed in Du Maurier's
home, filled. as it is, with rare pictures,
drawings and art treasures.
Our talk naturally turned to Mr.. Du
Maurier's literary work. and of that the
author spoke with perfect frankness. 1T
has all been a great surprise to me- he
said. Il had no idea l could write till my
good friend, Henry James. tried to per-
suade me that l could"
'How did Mr.. James happen to do that?"
I asked.
1T was one day while we were walking
together on Hampstead Heath. We were
talking about story-writing, and l said to
him: II / were a writer, II seems to me
that 1 should have no difficulty about
plots. 1 have in my head now plots for
fifty stories I'm always working them
out for my own amusement Well he
said, 1t seems TO me that you are a very
fortunate person. l wish you'd tell me one
of those plots Then l told him the story
of Trilby.'"
"And he liked it?'
YES, he praised it very generously.
Wen / said. you may have the idea
and work it out to your own satisfac-
ton But he refused to accept il. You
must write it yourself he said. I'm sure
you can do it if you'll only try But
insisted that I couldn't, and so we left
the matter. But that night after going
home e.. hof b,
worth trying to write, after all. So, on the
impulse. ! sat down and began work
ION 'Trilby?"
mo. On Peter Ibbetson.' I kept at IL.
for time, but after doing several chap
tiers l became utterly discouraged and
said TO myself one evening: oh, can't do
anything with this. It's a mad story. It's
utter rubbish Then I took up the sheets
and was just about to throw them into the
fire when ! thought ia keep them for an
other day and think the thing over That
night in bed while 1 was worrying about
the impossibility of going on with the
tale, the solution of my difficulty suddenly
occurred TO me. IN make the hero mad
/ cried 10 myself. That win put every
thing right So the next day / wrote the
Introduction, explaining Peters madness.
and after that | went on with the work to
the end without any more trouble. And.
by the way, that very morning an odd
thing happened. Do you recall the passage
in Peter Ibbetson' which refers to the
happiest day in Peters life-the day when
he played with his little wheelbarrow? 1t
was suggested by a day in my own child
hood that has always seemed to me the
happiest IN my life. Wen, just after l re-
suroed work on the story happened TO go
out into the garden Of the house in Bays
water where we were staying at the time
and ! discovered there the Identical wheel
barrow I had played with that day OF
course, 1t wasn't really the same one, but
il was exactly like il. So 1 considered the
incident a good omen"
I've often wondered" 1 said, as Du
Maurier sat back in his chair, smiling and
running one hand through his hair how
you happened to think of the theme OF
Peter Ibbetson2' Then, too, l remember
your saying in the story that anyone could
cultivate the power TO dream as Peter die
and at the time felt a great curiosity &c
know il this had any scientific basis"
NO" Mr.. Du Maurier replied, thai
statement of mine was merely part of the
story. And as for the theme, that had beer
in my mind for years. I've always had re
markable dreams and these l suppose