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George Du Maurier: Paris

The year 1856 found him in Paris, in the Latin Quarter, a student at "the core of the art world" of which in "Trilby" he produced a fascinating idealistic picture, with both pen and pencil.

For many years he was connected with "Punch," "The Cornhill Magazine," and "Once a Week." He spent some yeas in Antwerp, and it was there, while working in the studio of van Lerius, that the great misfortune of his life came upon him--the gradual loss of sight in his left eye, accompanied by alarming symptoms in the right eye, which, it was thought, might also become affected--but this did not happen; he went on with his work, although his weak sight made it difficult for him to sketch in the open air. Du Maurier's three novels, "Trilby," the story of a tone-deaf artist's model who became a prima donna; "Peter Ibbetson," the story of the dream existence of Peter and the Duchess of Towers; and "The Martian," which tells of Barty Josslin and his guardian angel from Mars--are all equally preposterous, yet plausible and fascinating.

TRILBY Condensation by ALICE G. GROZIER A CHARMING studio, in the Latin Quarter of Paris, sheltered "Three Musketeers of the Brush": Talbot Wynne, or Taffy, a big, fair, blue-eyed young Yorkshireman, who had been a soldier, but was at last following his wish to be an artist; then Sandy McAllister, or the Laird, as his friends called him, intended by his parents for a solicitor, but who was in Paris painting toreadors and singing French ballads with a decided Scotch accent. "The third he was Little Billie," or William Bagot, a pleasing young Englishman from London. To live and work in Paris had been Billie dream, and at last it was a reality, he and his two friends having taken the studio together. He often looked at these friends, and wondered if any one, living or dead, ever had two such glorious chums. His absolute belief in all they said and did touched them exceedingly, and they in turn loved him for his affectionate disposition and lively ways; and recognizing his quickness, keenness, and delicacy in all matters of form and color, they had also a great admiration for him.