FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98  
99   100   101   102   >>  
"I only wish it would suit the convenience of _Punch_ to take all the work I could send on a scale of prices literally fixed by myself! (ye modern Hogarth!! 10,000,000 a year! R.A.--P.R.A.--Sir George!!!)" At the foot of this letter is a thumb-nail picture of "Chang," du Maurier's huge Newfoundland, leading a blind man, initialled D.M. The dog holds a tin and begs from a passing fine lady, a well-known beauty of Society and the Stage, and the legend "Sic transit Gloria Mundi" describes the situation. [Illustration] Section 8 The above letters were dated from New Grove House, Hampstead, where the du Mauriers lived for twenty-one years. They had moved into this house from Church Row, where they had gone when they first came to Hampstead, and where their youngest son was born. During the period of their long residence in New Grove House they frequently took a furnished house for the winter season in Town for the convenience of going into Society. It was the inaccessibility of Hampstead before the days of the Hampstead Tube that made du Maurier latterly relinquish many social engagements, and developed the disinclination for theatre-going which I have seen ascribed to an aversion from the drama. Sir Frederick Wedmore says that it was at Hampstead evening parties that du Maurier found his type of the Adonis up-to-date. Alas, that even by Sir Frederick Wedmore the type should be regarded as salient of du Maurier's pictures. It is further evidence that the artist is only remembered by his later pictures. It is in these the type monotonously appears. But we feel better disposed towards Hampstead when the eminent critic adds that Church Row itself gave du Maurier more than one of the models in whom one recognises his ideal of youthful feminine charm. [Illustration: Manuscript of "Nocturne" "Sun of the Sleepless--Melancholy Star!"--BYRON. Translated into French by George du Maurier. _The English Illustrated Magazine_, September 13, 1886.] Du Maurier's tastes were very quiet. His interests were centred in his home, and he found no companionship more acceptable than that of his own children. He was not at all fond of being alone. He preferred even to work with people round him; writing his novels in the drawing-room standing with the MS. upon the top of the piano, and walking up and down undisturbed by the conversation of his family round him. It caused him no annoyance when members o
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98  
99   100   101   102   >>  



Top keywords:

Maurier

 

Hampstead

 

Society

 
Illustration
 
convenience
 

pictures

 
Wedmore
 

George

 

Frederick

 

Church


critic
 

eminent

 

recognises

 

caused

 

annoyance

 
models
 

remembered

 

regarded

 

salient

 
parties

members

 
Adonis
 

evidence

 

appears

 

monotonously

 

artist

 

family

 
disposed
 

undisturbed

 

children


acceptable

 

centred

 

companionship

 

preferred

 

standing

 

drawing

 

novels

 

walking

 

people

 

writing


interests

 

Sleepless

 

Melancholy

 

evening

 

Nocturne

 

Manuscript

 
youthful
 

feminine

 

conversation

 

Translated