New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-04
ABOUT "TRlLBY'
Mere Mans Idea of the Char
acter Proves All Wrong.


Joined in a critical discussion concern
ing the new cight-star production OF
"Trilby" at the Shubert. He was IN
sistent and obdurato in his contention
that Du Maurior's heroine. created TWO
decades ago, was small, or at least me-
dunn sized, in physical proportions
"Of course, Trilby was rather ut
tic woman" he declared oracuiariy'
"She was an artists model, chiefly eel
cbrated for the beauty of her pare leet.
That in itself is significant. me youhs
lady was accustomed to pose IN the
altoRether--that ~ TO say, no aIecVa-
tion of mock modesty deferred her
from shedding all her apparel. Inc
Young artists Of the Latin Quarter had
a lot of her to choose from, but gained
chief inspiration from the lady's teet.
Now. no large foot is beautiful. Natu-
rally. the model was at least a medium
sized woman. Look at her little Tril-
bys' used 10 be common expression
when one desired 10 compliment the
prettv feet Of a woman. In fact have
heard il within the last year. ] am
not certain / haven't used it myself,
Probably So" drily remarked Inc
Lady Always Sure OF Her Facts, III
would be quite like you. But let us see
what Du Maurier had to say about the
pet child Of his fancy"
And from beneath a pile Of current
magazine fiction, concerning tango
dancers, gentlemen crooks and sclentinc
detectives, she drew q well worn copy
Of "Trilby" published in 1894 and pro
fusely illustrated with Du Maurieir,s
own delcately drawn sketches, a Itte
old -fashioned by comparison with Ham
boyant modern illustration, but Gu
riously beautiful in quaint grace,
poetic imagination and artistic enthus-
iasm. 80.
"Listen." continued the lady with a
little ring of triumph, 1T IS Du
Maurier himself who speaks TO US
through his own pen and pencil. here
Is Trilby as she is first introduced IN
the story ,,,,.
Suddenly there came loud knuckle
rapping at the outer door OF the studlo
and a portentous voice Of great volume
and that might have belonged 10 any
sex (even an angels uttered the brl.
fish milkman's yodel mix below! -
And before any one could say "Eutrez! "
a strange figure appeared, framed Dy
the gloom of the little antechamDer. IL
wa. the figure of very tall and fully
developed female -. beneath her snort
striped petticoat were visible her bare
white ankles and insteps, and slim,
straight, rosy heels, clean-cut and
smooth as the back of a razor-lovely
slender feet, neither large nor small,
all made up of delicate lengths and su6t-
" modulated curves snort, thlcN
wavy brown hair and a very healthy
young face; full. broad cheeks -. she
would have made slngularly hand-
some boy"
The Man of Superficial knowledge
coughed nervously and burned his mn
gers lighting a fresh cigarette.
"And here we are again. continued
the placid lady. This is subsequent
description that Du Maurier gave OF
his heroine when she was all dressed
Up: ~ -.-.... ...,aro
shouldered, deep-chested, full-bosomed
young grisette, with fine, wide, frank
smile tall and stately, more
like Juno or Diana than Hebe.
Tho specifically Informed man at
tempted depression by irrelevant rel
erence 10 the newest musical comedy,
but the lady quite sure Of herself was
memorable.
zone more quotation viii suffice,
think, to dispel your delusion. 1t is
Du Maurier's description Of the hyp-
Noticed singer as she stepped between
the parted velvet stage curtains, and,
under the spell Of Svengali, thrilled all
hearers by her rendition of the sweet
old ballad, Ben Bolt:
"a tall female figure appeared. No
such magnificent or seductive appari-
ton has ever been seen before, or since,
on the stage or platform-nOt even
Miss Ellen Terry as the priestess Of
Artemis in the late laureate's play,
1.-THE Cup"
And now what a coincidence con-
tinued the perfectly sure lady. as she
tossed aside the book. How very
curious that it is Ellen Terry's own
niece Phyllis Neilson-Terry-a babe IN
arms when Du Maurier pcnned those
lines, who is now TO realize his ma
jestic ideal and sing her own songs
long after the novelist was laid to his
final rest. And to see her IN assocla-
ton with seven stars of our own stage
Wilton Lackaye, Leo Dltrlchsteln,
Burr Mcintosh, Taylor Holmes, Bran
don lyman, George MacFarlane and
Rose Coghlan-that certainly strikes
me as something distinctly worth
while"
81 will buy a boz. and IT, shall be
your party" CALAMITY declared the de
feated and humbled male disputant.
And the incident was closed.