The Project Gutenberg EBook of In Bohemia with Du Maurier, by Felix Moscheles

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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: ASCII

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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 Mesmeri