The sun., 1896-10-09

GEORGE DU hACR1ER.
At the weekly dinner of the stan of
Punch "Kicky" was always in tho
fullest food Of high spirits. His talk
trradiated flashes of tho subtlest hu-
NOR, but lately. with his falling health, he
was apt to be influenced by low spirits. His lit
erary success came too late. He was really
never the same man since tho great success of
"Trilby."
Mr.. Lucy adds: "I Der ono night In tho
early summer of this year his talking
at dinner party about his next novel.
Gen. Lord Wolseey asked what its title
would be. L think said Du Maurter
with harmonious smile, Il will call
It Soured by Success" lam afraid that truth
underlay this fash Of humor. Perhaps the Sc
cret OF his dolor was his failing health. His
frame was not too robust and he succumbed to
the efforts of an unselfsh. strenuous life."
II George du Maurer had died three years
ago his death would have made an impression
on q much smaller public than the great num-
Der of people who heard yesterday with a sense
of personal sympathy that the author of " Tril-
by y" was dead. He would have been regretted
at that earlier time as a caricaturist OF English
society. whose subjects and whose treatment of
them were little too foreign to have created
in this country any particular popularity for his
work. and as the author OF one novel which. as
the first literary effort OF q man no longer
young. made his name famous In another
field, and gained him q certain unostenta-
tious degree of favor. But II was tho writing
OF Trilby that brought It's author into
fame which, to the majority of his readers here.
began with that novel. Probably to every ten
people who read "Trilby" there were not three
who. until that time, were familiar with his
name or with his first work. But the knowledge
nf ham NIft N, Ity kirl
made his name nearly as well known his
heroine's. and he furnished one rare instance OF
q career in which the public willingly accepted
a man In two capacities.
Asa artist lie had been known for years in
England. and as q novelist he was a beginner.
Here he made himself known as a writer. and
his acceptance as an artist came with the sue
cess of his fiction
SO the history of "Trilby" Is in m measure tho
history Of Du Maurier in this country, and the
popularity of his book swept through the coun-
try. fascinating people OF every kind in every
field. finding readers among people to whom
books wero not habit. taking the place In or
moot as familiar in its features and charactern
to people who had only heard Of IT as to those
require more than mention.
Du Maurier has told the circumstances under
which he came to write his first work OF fiction.
that novel was inspired by the story Of "Tril-
by" as he told it to Henry James. Du MaurIer
said to the American novelist one afternoon
that II he were n writer OF fiction lie should
never be at a loss for plot. and at Jamess sug-
The s American wpter q" strongly
advised him to write the story. and Du Maurier
decided TO make tho attempt. He tried to nrge
Henry James to uRe the story himself but, fall
Ing In thi. set to work to wrIe the nGysl @ But
author is said TO have regarded always as q
work OF greater merit than its more popular
i'm pressions and OK perlences @ The res second novel
was changed somew hat during Its development,
make his heroine a servant But he saw the ad-
vantage that would come to the book from
making her cir, Of higher position. and gain
'Ths story OF SIrilby." tho author has do-
clared, was purely imavinatye, although some
James MaoNeii Whistler si recornIzed himself in
Joe sibley added another to that eccentric
painters list Of quarrel-., The studio described
was II that 4 Of Gleyre, in which m Dn Manrier had
at all events more like that region as his book
describes II than Z Il to-day. The Laird was an
T we're s' khsd s ah
fully enough for some OF Du Mauricr's friends
TO recognize themSelyes and one another The
form on an edition Of 10000 copies. he
ders exceeded that mum Der. and an edition
of 10000 was decided upon. But. the
Issue of the book WAS postponed to allow time
for an edition OF 80 900. This technically consti-
tuted the first edition, and as such has been
exceeded by other books. notably The Prince
of India" Of which 10000 COPIES were first sold
But in reality "rrilby" nnofficialiy exceeded
that number. ms. before the last plates were
tai zen on the presses 10000 volumes mad been
printed. and as the WORK had in reality never
been Interrupted. that constituted tho actual
first edition OF the novel, and aa such broke the
IL is said that over $50 900 copies of the work
were sold. Du Maurier insisted on selling 1t
TO his publisher for lump sum. and not on a
Harpers paid him royalty on the books sold
after q certain figure had been reached. For
The MaEtan." ~ now running ao IN Hqrper's
said yesterday Rt Franklin square that he had
finished revising the proofs OF this story before
his death. The manuscript which was type
set up In book f"rm. and sent back to Du
Maurier for correction. The changes he had
made were slight and most or 4 has been re-
tralions arc here excepting few which are
now believed 10 be on the way.
George Louis Palmella Burson du Maurier
March 0,lS34. and lived 10 the French capital
until he was II years old. He was British
subject. however his paternal grand father hRv-
ing He'd To England during the revolution and
settled In London. When he went to London ms
a youth he commenced the study ot chemistry
at the University College, under DR.. William
con, and II was Just us apparent that he was not
likely 10 succeed in this line OF work that he
possessod strong artistic tastes His cAricAturss
and sketches showed AZ that time the posses
Paris to study art in Gl"yre's studio lie went
later 10 Antwerp and then TO Dusseldorf, whore
he suffered from the sickness which left him
sight OF the other seriously threatened. When
he recovered he returned 70 London to work
said TO have been filled with the hardships that
poverty and neglecb impose on unr0cQgniZed