literary development of du
Maurier's genius do not apparently recognize the fact that the whole
series of his drawings has included the literary element. His thoughts
as expressed in art have always shown a close and philosophical
observation of life, an understanding of the actions and motives of men.
Every one of his illustrations tells not only an individual story, but a
story of surroundings and times, of tendencies, fads and foibles. And
the text is always as important as the picture; sometimes it is far more
so. Who can have forgotten the history and culmination of the "old
china" craze given by du Maurier in a four-inch-square illustration of
the young husband and wife examining an old teapot, with the exquisite
text, "Oh, Algernon, do you think we can ever live up to it?" Certainly
the man who could invent the application of that phrase must have stores
of wit and sense equal to the writing of many "Peter Ibbetsons" and
"Trilbys." And those stores were bound to find their larger expression
in literature.

NEW YORK, 22 NOV., 1894.

CANDACE WHEELER.

* * * * *

The New York _Tribune_ has printed the following protest against the
insinuation that the author of the book was not its illustrator also:--

"It ought not to be necessary for any formal contradiction to be made of
that absurd rumor which has just been set adrift concerning the
illustrations to 'Trilby.' On the face of it, it is impossible for
either Mrs. du Maurier or her daughter to have given the pictures the
character they possess. They have du Maurier's style, du Maurier's
technique, du Maurier's peculiar little touches of humor, not merely in
the broad idea but in that minute turn of the pen which makes all the
difference in the world between an empty profile and a funny one. It is
true that there is a dissimilarity between Trilby in one illustration
and Trilby in another, but it should be remembered that du Maurier's
eyesight has been failing him, that he has been compelled to be prolific
at a time when he has most needed to lie fallow as an artist; and, in
brief, the shortcomings of the 'Trilby' designs, if serious shortcomings
they have, are to be explained on the most natural and logical of
grounds. The intrinsic character of the drawings proclaims their
authorship. Only George du Maurier could have done them, and not any of
the trifling assistance which he may have received from his family in
matters of posing