The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-10-09
GEORGE DU MAURIER DEAD.
A Painless End Yesterday Morning.
 Sketch of His Career.

Sketch or HIS Career
 London, Oct. S.-George Du Maurier, the artist and novelist, who had been time, died at 2:9O o'clock this morning. His end was painless, and he passed away surrounded by friends. For days he had been lowering between life and death, at intervals conversing with his referring to the success of ''Trilby" as a book and as a play, he replied: Yes, it has been successful. But the popu- larity has killed me at last"
 The death of George Louis Palmella Busson Du Maurier for such was the portentous name he bore, will be a greater loss to society at large than would be that of many a greater man. This popular tale teller and social sa- tirist was of French extraction, his paternal grandparents having fled to England during the Terror and settled in London, but he was a British sub ject by birth, although he first saw the light in Paris and lived there until he was seventeen years old. Then he was taken to England and sent to the Uni versity college, London, where he stud jed chemistry under Dr. Williamson. It soon became evident, however, that he was not destined to shine in this ] branch of study, whereas he had given many indications of his artistic predi- | 1 .v, t,9 pf 1 sketches and caricatures. It was de- l termined, therefore, that he should go to Paris to learn painting under the l direction of M. Gleyre, and, later on, he proceeded to Antwerp and Dusseldorf l It was in the former town that he was stricken with the sickness that depriv- l ed him of the sight of one eye and, for | some time, threatened him with the loss of the other. After escaping this peril he returned to London and set to work to earn his living as an illus trator, dwelling in humble lodgings with his friend, Lionel Henley anc l winning bare subsistence from day to day, not always knowing, indeed where the next days dinner was te come from. In those days he was 2 l ferocious radical, and was very bitter against the society in which he found soon afterwards his best and most re- munerative opportunities
 | At the age of twenty-six he began te furnish occasional contributions tc 1 Punch, seeking inspiration in the ex | amples of John Leeeh and Charle. Keene, but forming gradually a stylt and field of his own. His skill ant humor were developed rapidly. ant I when Leech died he was invited to fl his place at the famous table and cary. ed his mongram between those of hi: predecessor and Thackeray. Marl Lemon was the editor in those days ant he was quick to perceive In which di rection the powers of his new associat, lay, and advised him not to try to b, too funny, but to confine himself to tn, gently humorous and graceful side 0 things. It was not long before tn weekly work of Du Maurier came t. be regarded as one ofs the chief at fractions of the publication, and fo many years he and the veteran car toonist, Sir John Tenniel, have don
 more than any others to maintain it
 
 ship Although the vast majority o his social figures, especially of his wo men, were modelled from one or tw original types, they nevertheless possessed, thanks to the deli cacy and skill with whic their main characteristics wer modified, clear and strong individual ties, while the framework in which the were set were always artistic and ac curate in delightful degree. Many the creations of his pencil have vital ity which will keep them alive in tn memory for a long time to com, Among them may be mentioned tn Ponsonby de Tomkynses Sir Pompe Bedell, Sir Gorgious Midas, Grigsb, the Colonel, Maudle, Postlethwaite an whole legion of round and spav church dignitaries, fascinating curate and social exquisites, all elegant an inane. His fair women, from his i'm perious duchess to the newly wedde Angelina are all delightful, whateve may be said about the liberties take with the laws of anatomical propol tions. These trifes are not to thought of in the presence of "daugh ters of the gods, divinely tall and mos divinely fair" and it should be note that in the letterpress which accom- panied his drawings MT. Du Mauriel although not an acknowledged wit, wa almost always as happy as he was i his designs His imaginary converse tions (often, doubtless, taken prett closely from the life) were exeactly ar propriate to the society of which the al