The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-12-02

that has always seemed TO me the hap
piest in my life Well, just alter re-
Sumed work on the story ! happeheu 10
20 out into the garden of the mouse ~
BaySwater where we were stdylhe AZ
the time and | discovered there the ldeh-
teal wheeIbarrow / had played with thal
day. OF course il wasn't really the same
one, but it was exactly like 1t. 50 ! con-
sidcred the incident a good omen.
1--WE often wondered ! said, as l'u
Maurier sat back in his chair, smiling
and running one hand through his hair.
how you happened to think Of th1
theme of Peter IbbestonE Then, 700,
remember your saying in the story thal
anyone could cultivate the power 10
dream as Peter did and at the time
felt a great curiosity to know II this had
any scientific basis
NO" Mr.. Du Naurier replied that
statement Of mine was merely part OF
the story. And as for the theme, mat
had been in my mind FOR years. We
always had remarkable dreams ana these
| suppose, first suggested the idea 10 me.
/ used to wonder if il might not be pos
sible for two people to have the same
dream or course, | don't pretend that
this is in the least probable; indeed, the
possibilities are dead against il. But the
possibility interested me and on that
built the story. What curious things
dreams are! | shall never forget one
dream that | have had. | thought | had
gone back to place in France where
| lived as boy. and ] felt radiantly
happy. happier than | had ever been
before. In fact my happiness was so
great that it became almost sufocating.
l recognized everything about the place
with the greatest joy--even to the minut-
est detail. Yet when / woke up and com
pared the place in my dream with the
place where | thought ] had been while
/ was dreaming | found that the two
places were entirely different SO, you
see | hadn't dreamed true"
Perhaps the most remarkable fact in
connection with the writing of Peter
Ibbetson" was the ease with which II
shaped itself Mr. Du Maurier had not
been trained as a novelist: yet he took
up the novelist's tools and used them
with the skill of a professional while ]
was at work on the story" he said "a
friend of mine, an author came to see
me- and ! told him how ] was doing it,
and he seemed to think I was on the
right track" This was the only help he
received. SO it would seem that instinc-
lively the talent for authorship had de-
VelOped itself.
When / asked Mr.. Du Maurier If he
had not n youth written out tales for
his own amusement he shook his head
NO" ne said, Peter lbbetSon was
absolutely the first story ! ever wrote.
And yet. | have In one sense been writ
ing stories all my life. Every one of my
pictures, for example, has had under it
a story condensed 10 the smallest posi-
BILE space The necessity Of Condensing
my description and dialogue has been Of
great benefit TO me in writing my two
novels"
"Then tCO." I suggested. "all Of your
characters have been types. and each
Of the illustrations has represented a
significant bit of life. rave often
wondered Row Yod were able to continue
them every week. ! should think that
now and then your IDEAS would give out
under the strain Of such inceSsant pro-
duCtiQn."
Il feel as If they had every time |
finish picture. In the first years of
my work | used to furnish the ideas
as well as the illustrations. but now a
great many Of the ideas are sent to
me ! felt the same lack of ideas when
| finished Peter Ibbet.on.' / thought
| should never write another book. But
peTience with writer's"