In Bohemia with Du Maurier

In Bohemia with Du Maurier

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Title: In Bohemia with Du Maurier The First Of A Series Of
Reminiscences
Author: Felix Moscheles
Release Date: September 24, 2004 [EBook #13517]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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BOHEMIA WITH DU MAURIER ***

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IN BOHEMIA WITH DU MAURIER
THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF REMINISCENCES BY
FELIX MOSCHELES
WITH 63 ORIGINAL DRAWINGS
BY
G. DU MAURIER

_ILLUSTRATING THE ARTIST'S LIFE IN THE FIFTIES_
LONDON T. FISHER UNWIN
* * * * *

The few introductory words to this volume were written, and the last
proofs posted, shortly before the fatal news overtook me in lovely
Venice. My world, resplendent with sunshine, was suddenly lost in
darkness. The most lovable of men, whose presence alone sufficed to
make life worth living to all those near and dear to him, was gone from
amongst us. His hand was no longer to hold those pens--the
finely-pointed one that drew, the freely-flowing one that wrote. His
well-earned rest was not to be enjoyed on earth.
Now that all is changed, the joyous note of these pages jars upon me.
How differently would I attune the story of our student days, were I to
write it to-day in loving memory of my friend!
But as it stands, so it must go forth. The book, cordially endorsed by
him, is printed and all but issued; he would not let me recall it, I know.
He himself, in his kindly, simple way, had enjoyed my resuscitation of
our early recollections, and had here and there lent a helpful hand even
to the correcting of the proofs.
To write of him and of his qualities of heart and mind as I would now
venture to record them, I must wait till the heavier clouds have cleared
away and left the picture, I would draw once more to stand out brightly
in the background of Time.
FELIX MOSCHELES.
October, 1896.
* * * * *

IN BOHEMIA WITH DU MAURIER

PREFACE.
"You'll see that I've used up all your Mesmerism and a trifle more in
my new book," said du Maurier to me, some time before he published
his "Trilby"; and that remark started us talking of the good old times in

Antwerp, and overhauling the numerous drawings and sketches in
which he so vividly depicted the incidents of our Bohemian days. It
seemed to me that some of those drawings should be published, if only
to show how my now so popular friend commenced his artistic career.
In order that they should not go forth without explanation, I wrote the
following pages.
The Bohemia I have sought to coerce into book shape, is not the wild
country, peopled by the delightfully unconventional savages, so often
described, but a little cultivated corner of the land, as I found it in
Antwerp, a mere background to the incidents I had to relate. Such as it
is, it may perhaps serve here and there to point to the original soil from
which were eventually to spring some of the figures so familiar to us
to-day.
To me it was a source of enjoyment to evoke these memories, and if I
publish them, it is because I strongly feel that pleasures shared are
pleasures doubled. Sociably inclined as I always was, I am truly glad to
have the opportunity of giving a hearty welcome to those who may care
to join my friend and myself in our ramblings and our "tumblings."
* * * * *

CONTENTS.

PART I. 17

PART II. 69
* * * * *

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
"FOR EVER AND A DAY" Frontispiece THE ATELIER GLEYRE 18
MY BLOUSE 20 (_From an oil-sketch by Matthew Maris._)
PEGGY AND DU MAURIER AT THE RAILWAY STATION IN

MALINES 27
FROM DU MAURIER'S PAINTING 30
MOSCHELES ET MOI SI NOUS AVIONS ÉTÉ DU BEAU SEXE 32
SI NOUS AVIONS ÉTÉ BEAUX 32
MOSCHELES ET MOI SI NOUS N'AVIONS PAS ÉTÉ ARTISTES
#33
SI NOUS AVIONS ÉTÉ CHEVAUX 33
F. S'IL ÉTAIT CHEVAL 33
SI NOUS AVIONS ÉTÉ MILITAIRES 34
"CE SACRÉ VÉSICATOIRE" 35
ISABEL DU MAURIER 35
MOSCHELES, OR MEPHISTOPHELES?--WHICH 40
"INSPIRATION PAPILLOTIQUE" 42
DU MAURIER IMPROVISING 43
HOW RAG TRIES TO DÉSILLUSIONER CARRY ON BOBTAIL,
AND BOBTAIL TRIES TO DITTO DITTO ON RAG 44
THE INGENIOUS USE WHICH RAG MAKES