The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-27


10 barely mention In passing a character
of the old book from which much OF the
atmosphere and some of the ideas OF Trilby
barring Svengall and hypnotSm-zre
drawn.
A concident marks the very first word
Du Maurier pens in the book which has
gained such an Irresistible and such pro-
digious vogue. The very first word Is the
name by which Murger styles his heroine.
OF a song at the top Of the first chapter:
Mimi Pinson est une blonde
Tine blonde que fon connalt
Ellie ma qu'une robe monde
Landerirette, ct qu'un bonnet"
AS Mimi was a blonde, with blue eyes 50
was Trilby; the former was. so her creator
tells us, lovely creature with a voice
like pair of cymbals." OF Trilby. IL was
told she had "a voice so rich and deep and
fun as almost 10 suggest an incipent ten
ore roousto. From that capacious
mouth and through that high-bridged. bo1y
nose there rolled volume OF breathy
sound, not loud but so immense that IL
seemed to come from all around. to be re-
verberated from every surface in the stu
did," Henri Murger's Scenes de Ia Vie de
Bohemia" must have formed a deep I'm
| preston the mind OF the talented In
glishman. who afterwards came in contact
with the life so well described by the French
prince OF Bohemianism. no less parsonage
That devil of a book will hinder me from
| ever crossing the Pons des Arts said
b Mopger OF OF his book, 1t was his dream to
which created a sensation in Paris in ISIS
as IL was published i'm installments in the
Corsaire, periodical of limited circulation.
is the only literature by which the name OF
Murger Is saved from obscurity. After he
abandoned the lax life he had led so long
thoroughly despised the character OF his
success His pride and ambition rebelled
at al the tendency Of the public to associate
the author with his hero.
| ,Neverthe.ess Murssr was his own hero.
the Rodoip1e who burned his furniture 10
keep himself warm while he correspondence
wrote burning words OF love 10 his Mini.
than whom Trilby. who came afterwards.
was no more delicious. Take away Trilby's
| by's jacket-and you have much OF Mimi.
| Murger's characters were not shadows. he
did not have to put himself in their places
TO draw incidents. Real life was his most
| productive mine, and his biograpner Is SO
| bold as TO give you the real names OF the
| characters. adding some OF their history.
| besides more explicitly setting out incidents
| which the author envelops i'm so much
charm. Murger had -Four Musqueteers"
| the brush. AT that time" says he Gus
| fave Coiline, the great philosopher, Marcel
the great painter. Schaunard. the great mI-
| stefan. and Rodolphe. the great poet Gas they
| called one another). regularly frequented
| the Menus Cafe, where they Were sur
named The Four Muslueteers' because they
| were always seen together. In fact, they
| came together, went away together, played
together and sometimes didn't pay their
best orchestra Little Billie Tafry and
the Laird OF Cockpen. DuMaurier's Three
MUS Musk etc Were no happier together, nor
any stronger than that which buoyant pow
erty knitted for Murger's four loyal fell
| lows.
Mr.: vandam. the author OF the Forum
article, possibly does not have fresh recoi-
lections of The Bohemians." for he is at
the book To Rodoiphe standing at the
brink of Minis grave he attributes the
exclamation LANAI soh, my youth, it's you than
grave Of Francine whom Mr.. Vandam in
tended TO write: The incident comes In a
hemians s'e WtSout appprspf neevanev b1
the main story. For himself Mr. Vandam
says: oh. my youth. it's you that's being
reading Trilby! And IL for nothing else I
owe the author sincere and humble thanks"
of this book aPRy ss9 to MS
ten long before D1 Maurier's tale was given
to the world?
There is a prettier wit to THE Bo-
hemians" than to Trilby and at frequent
times the flavor OF the situations IS as de-
lightful as those in Fielding's TON Jones'"
| With all the inclination OF a Partisan in
writing OF old days in the Latin Quarter
10 take advantage of the license allowed on
ly the French, Murger has striNen 10 throw
no halo around immortality. Nor does he
| pretend TO that wretched art which mas
ouera6es as realism. He Is neither Dau-
| det nor Zola, and yet he tells story as
well Balzac.
The Bohemians" live in the same at
l
this respect the similarity is no doubt more
striking than in a tracing OF incidents. The
subtle quality in a book which impels one
to rapturous championship Is in both these
stories. There Is the sinking OF the
heart heart Which n,, is familiar to those who loved
when Triiby drfted away from him: Ro-
dolphe. in the other hook. invites the dew
OF pathos as one reads where Mimi leaves
| him. Where Taffy and the Laird soiace
the hero IN one book. Marcel, the artist.
and the other two friends try to cheer up
the hero OF the other book Both young
meu had the sensitive. overwrought tenn
permanent which permits no sleep when love
threatens the least sort or mental indges-
ton. In actual life. Marcel. so the b.
ographer saws. was a youth named Taber,
al art student who vanquished a gang of
rowdies. This Hercules OF painter lift
us helping him continues the biographer.
Do you not remember the powerful Tany
and the trouncing OF Svengali? Marcel. too.
had one Of those masterpieces which was
forever growing, and never marketable.
Countless hours were spent upon his Pas
avail The Laird OF Cockpen. master that
conceived the celebrated "Toreador sere-
nading lady of high degree" had COM
mon ground on which to rest his unsatis-
But Murger had none such as svengaI
with his matches art Of magic. True there
Is a friend of The Bohemians." the Jew
Medcis. who kept shop In Rue du Musee
but he is Of little worth In the story. The
only trace of a Svengali Is in the schemine
musician. Alexander Schaupard, and the
very first picture in the book Cthe musician
at the piano in the garrett suggests the
wel,-known likeness OF SvengaIi He. too.
as Svengali I'D. lived Eau sixieme." II
occurs 10 one frequently. in resnarx Nor
| gers work. that Schaunard is akin in some
degree TO Svengsi. and one involutariiy
holds aloof from him. His nickname was
''Schaunard savage" One day while play
ing on his piano Phenie strciei I'm and
asked for few notes to accompany .
| ballad she knew. And she Is afterwards
called "featherless linnet. Something
after the order of Trilby In thisy Picnic
was devoid OF all instruction. turbulent and
decidedly slangy.
In America The Bohemians" had not
even a small portion OF success such as
h"Trilby" had. Recently attempt has
heen made TO revive II. a small edition
having been put on the market. Among
those who find a fascinating interest in
Bohemians whose greatest crime Is lack
OF ORDER the revival may become a popu-
lar che. for such types as Schaunard. bril-
liant and eccentric Colline. the book-worm
If entscinz manners. Marcel the artist. ana
Ro iolphe who aobuobbei with the muses.
are of Characteristic fascination The
grisette appears frequently In the coufs- u
events, but no apology Is made for her.
GAVIN l.. PAYNE.