The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-18
THE ORIGINAL "TRILBY."
FAIRY STORY THAT CREATED A
SENSATION IN PARIS.

Name of "a Hero. Not HeroIne-ThIs
Scottish Elf Fell MadIy in Love
with n FisberwOman. But Her Hus-
band Grew Jealous and Had n Monk
Pronounce an Exorcism Against
Him-An Ingenious Work of Fancy.
From the New York Press.
Charles Nodier created the first "Tril-
by. who was of the masculine gender
some seventy years ago. NJ Nodier was a
member Of the French academy. a master
OF literary style, slave of beautiful fan
cies, singer in prose. Mr.. Du Maurier
undoubtedly owes the name of his story to
to M. Nodier. for NJ. Nodier coined 1t. one
can plainly trace how 1t was possible for
Du Maurier to have drawn the idea for his
two leading characters from Nodier's
'Trilby," reversing the sex OF each one
as he found them. But even II he did get
his inspiration from Nodief, il was so
slight. and he so expanded and changed
the original, that the most carping busy
body could find no ground for the slightest
| imputation of plagiarism.
But Nodier only possessed the inspira-
ton alone, for he admits that he got his
from Sir Walter SCOTS writings. Just
what portion of Scott no one can tell
But there are a number of places where
Sir Walter speaks of the elves and the
sprites which were the traditions of the
peasantry of his native land. NJ Nodder
visited Scotland in 1920 and was so charm
ed with the romantic country and the ro-
mantle people that. according TO his own
testimony, he wrote "Trilby" more to
please himself than the public.
There is not one of you, my dear
Il FnH. 49,
who has not heard of phe drows OF Thule
| and of the elfs or familiar spirits OF Scot
| land, and who does not know that few
country houses in those lands do number
a household sprite among their guests.
| However, the goblin Is more mischievous
| chan wicked, and more frolcsome than
/ mischievOus, he Is sometimes Whimsical
and roguish, often gentle and helpful. with
all the good qualities and all the faults of
a spoiled child.
He rarely frequents the dwellings of
| the great. or the rich FARMS where there
are a great many servants; more modest
| fate confines his mysterious life 20 the
/ hut of the shepherd or the wood cutter
| There thousand times merrier than the
| brilliant parasites of fortune he amuses
| himself by teasing the old women who
SANDER him when they sit up at night,
or by disturbing the sleep of the young
girls with incomprehensible but pleasant
He takes especial delight In barns, and
! loves to milk cows and goats In the ham
i let by night, in order to enjoy the sweet
surprise of the milkmaids in the morning.
when they come at daybreak and cannot
| understand by what strange means the
bowls placed In order, have been filled so
| early with delicious. foaming milk; or he
| jumps on the horses backs and makes
| them gallop. neighing with delight rolls
! their long waving hair around HIS fingers
polishes their shining coats, or battles
| their slender, nervous legs with water
| pure as crystal.
I'm winter he has decided preference
! for the surroundings of the domestic
I rsaA
sides of the fireplace. where
| he takes up his abode in the cram
MES of the wall beside the crickets melo-
| dious cell. How many times Trilby, the
| pretty sprite of Dugal's cottage, has been
| seen jumping about on the edge of the
| calcined stones, with his little flame col
! ored tartan and his floating, smoke col
| ored plaid. trying to catch the sparks as
| they flew past him leaping up from the
/ firebrands and rising in brilliant foun-
! tain above the hearth"
! This sort of realism would make Mr.
| HoWells or Mr.. Ibsen shudder
But now that the ultra-piratical people
i in which N. Nodier would have US live
| let us get to the tale itself. "Trilby
! was the most youthful, the most gallant
! and the dearest of elves" hays Nodler. He
/ could have lived in the grandest hearth
stone of all Scotland, but he was in love
| with dark-eyed Jeanie, who was only a
/ poor boatwOman of Lake Bonnie. When
| Dugal, her husband, was away he whis-
] pered sweet nothings to her. He was also
/ EOOQ 10 DuRdl, SenulUE great quantities OF
/ bluehshes to his net. If Jeanie rowed he
| lifted the weight of the oars to spare her
arms. When she walked he threw flowers
! in the pathway before her and made him
self agreeable and helpful in the MANY
ways that fertile-minded sprte car
| when he wants to. Finally Jeanle told her
| husband about Trilby's seductive ways
| Dugal became jealous and sent for old
! Ronald, the centenary monk, Of Balvaig
who had a grudge against the elves be
| cause of the damage they had done to his
vicarage. This was far more than poor
Jeanne had desired, but she dared to say
when she came into the hut on the
following evening Ronald stood by the
fireplace (after having spent all day in
meditation and prayer. and kissing the
bones of the saints pronouncing in thun-
derous tones an exorcism against the Iowa
BILE little elf, quite overcoming her as she
| realized how much more attached she
was to Trilby than she has ever dreamed
of before. When the monk at last fin
ished the ceremony he said that Trllby
was condemned to exile until Dugal him
self should ask for him, and she well
knew that Dugal would never be In the
mood for that.
bic those Of Little Billie when his mother
came to interfere with his love match with
Trilby Dugal caught few bluehsh but
The stubborn fellow blamed IL to luck and
not to the exile of the sprite. Jeanne suf-
fered more and more now because of HIS
absence; again because she felt that her
affection for Trilby was Wronging her hus-
band.
The old monk. pleased by his first sue
cess was prompted 10 drive all the sprites
out Of Scotland. Jeanie had 10 go to
the monastery with her husband to wit
ness the ceremony. While there her grief
vas further heightened by seeing "A fancy
picture Of the sprite upon the wall OF the
monastery. Ronalds more ambitious ef-
fort was also successful. Then Dugal
caught no more fishes and snll blamed Il
All to luck Poor Jeanle thought Of the
Fpfl a. a. she walked alone with heavy feet
and rCWed alone upon the lake with heavy
oars.
one day in mist-W'hich Is such a won
derful misty mist as described by 81. No