New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-21
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
SOME CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE BIoG-
RAPHY OF DU MAURIER.

IN BOHEMIA WITH DU MACRlER Inc raIs.
chees with 81 original Drawings by by q, i Rs |
Maurer. Illustrating the Artists LIRE Rroh IN s"e
ENGLISH SOCIETY. skstched b, by &C george Or HOW wv
Maurer,, with an ln,roducuSSnp pg Mi ~
When the life Of George Du Maurier comes 10
be written these two volumes Will De OF SCI
vice to his bographer In one there IL u'.i"
light thrown upon his early career as ssudeh.
and practitioner Of art. In the other some VI
the best fruits Of his maturity have been COZ
,ected and arranged in compact form henec'-
ing ne they do In one case his personality. Ill
the other his art they enforce when taken TO-
eether that conc option OF the man which re-
CARDS his art and his personality as inextr'caos
mingled elements II is the same VIII" '"o
men OF genius but with Du Maurier the coi'i
poste seems peculiarly definite ana Important
The humor Of his inimitable carcatures' pom
a.r.d noushed sent forth into the world with
az much solicitude ever his novels wouiu
seem TO have provoked in his mnd-ths oei"s
elaborated humor Is. after all. exactly the same
"a that which irradiates the pages OF MT 1"
che,es The latter gives US proof positive II
further proof is needed. Of the complete lde"''-
6cat,on Of Du Maurier the writer and artis.
with Du Maurier the man. 1t has Deen acceP'eu
by every discerning reader Of Peter ipoe'soh
ond tie SUCCESSORS but to the unconscious rev
.,at,ons Of these volumes this record or bu
Maur,er's Antwerp apprenticeship ADDS the
most concrete testimony.
Du Maurier came to the Antwerp Academy
young and ardent. to the point OF boyish ia'N-
mess" He discovered Felix Moscheles there "a
dant in a blouse upon the back OF WHICH so'''e
curious warnings had been panted-"Blsuche's
beware" 1T is forbidden to shoot rubbish mere
and the two struck up friendship on the
terms OF gayety Implied hy that astounding gar
ment The memorials Of their intercourse are ho'
easily ouotable, inas7',uch as the correspondence
6, e,Ied with little sketches essential to the effect
but the general significance OF the DOCK ~ p'a'"
enough. It shows Du Maurier rejoicing In the
name Of Rag his comrade wearing the appeha-
ton OF Bobtail and the two rollicking along 'he
no -e,ess Maths Of studentship with the livellest
interest In all the joys of youth. They were
enormously devoted to one Carry. the dlVlnlt!
~ a shrine which Is delightfully."- Indicated by 'he
title OF one Of Du Maurier's sketches TWO ricHiy
adorned cavaliers are galloping along OH 'ne i'o'
romantic chargers, and the legend READS pc
shrew thee noble Sir Ragge' Let us 10 the ia''
,ohacconiste" AYE. Gentle Sir Bobtaile! bv
nv halidome she's passing fair. The secoh"
drawing which displays the knights MAKING
their obeisance in the shrine must ne seen ~ NC
annreciated 1t is one of the most comicai 'hihss
artist ever did. he drew Ills ie''oi" 90 V>
&C he wrote them, and when in the company OF
his friends he would never stop carica'uiihe
them When difficulties with his eyes necessi-
800 h,s denarture from Antwerp for Malines he
carried the profes Of the studio with him. ana
hts ,s,ters give his visions of the companions
,.,t heh,nd Two fragments from his Manes cor
resnondence are especially funny He waits with
a Young lady at the Hofrath's door. ana ceie
brates the episode in drawing which SHOWS MN
gazing into the ladys eyes She says: heahs'
don't see the slightest mote in your eyes he
calamity replies: mo. but can see 'he oeai's
IN yours" Then he undertook, upon just one i'm
mortal OCCASION to play the part OF a oarpei'
shaving a certain blind man named Kennedy
While he is at work upon the gentlemans race
which the drawing portrays as resembling a
huge pumpkin-a Captain Marius enters ana
saws. "in discreet whisper and with much con-
cern T saw. governor; mind you don't cash his
throat as YOU did that poor old Spaniards
Notes like these are trifllng indeed. and wnen
thew extend n Du Mauriers first days of artistic
activity IN London the trivial character stili
continues II 20 knocking about as nap
pilv as possible singing and smoking cigars
everywhere Jimmy Whistler and &c
.tumbling' together. as Thackeray says.
In Regent-st. day Du Maurier stea''
up unawares and tries to pick Bobtails pocket
Bobtail clutches the intruding hand. The joking
pag nearly expires from fright. Surprising II
had not been Bobtail... And so the merry 'aie
continues But It all reveals the same HAPPY
Youthful spirit which Du Maurier preserved t'
the end undiminshed. 1t Is for the manner III
which Mr. Moschees brings that spirit near &c
his reader that he deserves well or his frleho
biographer. Everything that will help TO MAKE
tho nortrayal OF his genius more vivid and more
Nd
before us Is but the expanded reissue Of maya
zine article ii Is sure of wide appreciation.
The handsome volume in which the Harper
have gathered together a considerable collection
of Du Maurier's drawings affords first OF all
commemorative and instructive survey Of hi
technical methods Here the suppleness and pre-
cis,on Of his art may be studied at their best
1t is interesting also to note how well his humo
lasts the humor that being devoted TO passlns
social types manners. might be expected L
fade The fact is that he dealt In the long rui
with permanent inspirations. The type nigh
vary The spiritual oddly, as II were beneath
the type is recurring always: and TO turn tn
pages of this volume Is to laugh again with tn
same heartiness at skits which were irresistlbl
upon their first appearance. How perennial !
the point to that sketch Of a British True Blue
and two fair interlocutors. But doesn't hearn
those brilliant speeches sometimes make yo
change your mind?" my mind? Oh often. Blu
my vote never" The parliamentarian OF tn
next generation may not resemble In his carriag
q and expression the figure which these lines &C
company but In the cut OF his mind we know
that he will exist forever. point which strike
the student of these caricatures as equally I'm
portant with their perpetual humor Is thei
humane drift. The stroke is deep and lasting
but how gently how even tenderly II falls.