Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-02-10
LA PAUVRE TRILBY"
The liler Seriously Reviews Du Hau
rier'S Celebrated Book.
IT Is A LITERARY GEM.
The Heroine Was FrcckIe-Faced
and Big-MOuihed, But Very Iowa
ble-An Interesting synopsis of the
story.
story.

story.
Since the news OF the death OF my
friend Ward McAllstcr reached me
have been too low-spirited to think OF
a Joke, and nothing has been able 10
even make me smile or look cheerful
When l get depressed like this always
seek consolation H. literature, and ! gen
orally wind up my period Of depression
with book-review. Now, there's no
possible chance to ring in anything tuhhy
in a composition ike this, 50 you peo'
pie who think you are opening a ches'-
nut-burr when you glance at my iettei
had better desiSt. and 90 tickle each
other under your respective chlns FOR
my part I'm going TO talk OF lri'py'
rave about "rrilby," and give you "lTh-
by" ana Trilbyisms until you won't know
whether you're in Paris or in lunatlc
asylum. | read the book for second
time last week. and it has so impressed
aad imbued me with the Partisan sPlllt
that / cannot do thing nowadays Dul
read French bills Of fare from morning
say "Ron Jour- or Comment Nous
portez-vous, and all through my conver-
sations ! throw in "vouiez-vOus's' ana
lie ne sas quols's" until folks almost
think / am a sweet girl graduate. Ana
it's all because / consider "Trilby the
gem OF modern literary productions anu
4 book that will live along Win 'he
English classics.
1t is rare indeed that one after having
become famous in a certain profession
and followed that avOCatiOn unul gray
hairs began to grow numerous can sul-
denly turn about and render himsef
stnl more famous in another line. Ihis
is what George Du Maurier. the author
of "'Trilby" has done. lie was land any
one who baholds his illustrations VIII
know that he still Isl an artist, anu IoI
years we have been seeing ana smllihs
n his clever caricature sketches, many
OF which appear in Harpers pu Mau-
rler's pictures. a peculiar tou'h
which marks them a. his own ana Nnl'"
invariably attract attention ana adinira>
tion. Owing TO a defect I'm one Of his
eves ne could never indulge his tastes
FOR color. and hence he has had to con-
fine himself entirely 10 etchings in blacH
and white. In this class Of work ne
stands at the head Of the profession
but Of this more anon. lniess my me
morv deceiyes me-and feel sure shall
20 wrong in some Of my dftails-he Is
now I'm the sixties. and II was only Two
or three wears ego that he became an
.utbnr His first work-"peter lbhetsOn.
which was published in liarpers. al
tracte1 considerable attention, ana Wa
I'm every way a success-that lS' II WouIn
have been so had not "Trlby' subse-
l.
and completely oVershadOwed IT, The sue
cess of this latter book. which was Nus
frateC bv the writer and first publlshed
I'm Harper's monthly. was instantaneous
I'm fact phenomenal and more space
has been devoted 10 criticisms and re-
views Of the work than 10 almost any
other publication which has appeared
for years 1t has for months been the
talk Of the literary world, and according
10 the humorous periodicals has even
gotten TO be social fad. puck,
Truth" Judge" and Life" have al
ready begun to satirize it. and to pub
lish caricatures of "Trilby' cranks.
But in case anybody hasn't read Du-
Maurier's work. hardly suppose there
are a dozen reading people in Richmond
who hayen't-Ill briefly synops,ze the
hoop -rd than disergs rs raeri.s sftHf-
wards
The scene opens in the Quarter Latin Of
Paris, among Bohemian art-students. who
paint desperately i'm their working hours
and then frolic stil more desperately in
! their leisure Moments way with most
students. # I'm not mistaken. The cur
tain rises on the triumVirate Of heroes
whom DuMauier has 50 truly immortal
/ ized. TWO of them are artists of genuine
ability. and the third. though not alto
/ ccther success with the brush. makes ny
/ what he lacks in this line by his big
hoartedpess and muscle. The trio hal
/ from Great Britain. and jolly EritOn'
| hey are. First in size doth OF heart and
muscel there's Taffv. a ioyial Yorkshire
man. who has gorgeous Piccadiily-weepel
( whskers. and a special fOrlness for
/ sWinglug Indian clubs and for occasion
/ ally swearing most oloquentlv. Hes most
/ comfortable sans collar. coat, and vest
| The next Of the triumyirate IS Sandy. the
/ Laird of COckpen. a eOOd-naturcd Scots
/ man, VINO passed his life sucking a pipe
/ and painting Spanish toreadors. Like Tai
/ fy d. doesn't give a continental for hi'
/ personal appearance and goes about Pari.
/ IN long ONeTcOat and a straw hat. Las
/ If the three is Little Billee." a dear
tiny. frail English lad about % or q
I whose skill as painter. and whose quick
. made him universally beloved. lie was
/ the darling Of his chums. and they would
have shed their last drop Of blood fol
/ him. The three painters. living together
| working together. frolicling together. al,
/ forever talking together were for month
/ blissfuly happy in their Partisan haunts
, bat alas, the inevitable woman I'm The
! case" appeared. and then-well read OF
and I'll show what happened.
Trilby was the woman in the case
, hy the way her name was rr!lhv OFer
/ RAN (Which. as YOU know. is not French
but before glorifying her let me frs
Condemn her. She had freckles on he
! face. which Is decidedly uusentmental
lud large white front teeth. and a mouth
| which. though kissable. was rather 81
I p-rfu0us. IN its magnitude. She wa
/ exceptionally tan. but well-shaped anC
had "A foot yes, two feet-Which were tn
most exquisite in all Paris. She smoke.
I cigarettes. and told jokes-iokos whicl
we're suggestive Of the SCOT on chin
! ucN-and moreover. she was a harum
~carum miss who could swear in Frencl
and English and otherwise make horsel
charming. But that isn't the worst OF il
She was a model. and the students use,
20 make studies OF Ter feet, which. as ~
said. were beautiful (her feet, | mean
And there's some hing stil more horribl
10 come yet. Yes despite my enthusiasm
for her, I'm forced 20 confess that sh
went even farther than the ballroom flirt
and the society belle al NarraG Ganset
Pier. She posed In the nude-the alto
sether' as she called II. But for all tina
she was q woman. and being "A woman
she was sweet. Being sweet she wa
charming, and being charming she wa
beautiful. Being beautiful, she was lov
able. and being lovable. Little Billee fel
desperately in love with her So did som
other people. but that's neither here no
there Her heart was very big. and sh
was kind. gentle. and affectionate. an
everybody liked fer-eastwise those VIII
didn't love her. Being as much a Bohe
mlan as the artists the triumvlrate say
a great deal Of her. as might have bee
expected. considering she was a n ode
She used TO hang around the artists
studio and make herself useful for be
sides being handsome she could dar
socks. sew buttons and otherwise rende
herself indispensable TO a bachelors der
Thus II was that the trio came 10 knoN
her and TO appreciate her.
Little Bnlee" whose life had beel
and always was as pure as snow. pro