OBITUARY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6658, 25 September 1889, Page 4

OBITUARY.

» WILEIE COLLINS, NOVELIST. [Special to Pkess Association,] LONDON, Ssrr. 2S. The death is announced of Wilkie Collins, the well-known novelist. William "Wilkie Collins, eldest son of the late William Collins, 8.A., the wellknown painter of rustic scenes, was born in London in January, 1824. His mother was a sister of Mrs Carpenter, one of the best female portrait-painter 3 of the time. After being educated at a private school, and spending two years with his parents in Italy, he was articled for four years to a firm in the tea trade. Exchanging commerce for law, he wbb a student of Lincoln's Inn at the time of his father's death, and his earliest literary performance was an admirable biography of his father, with selections from his journals and correspondence, published in two volumes, 1848. Prom this time Mr Collins devoted himself entirely to literature, and published successively "Antonina; or the Fall of Borne: A Romance of the fifth Century," 1850 ; "Eambleß Beyond Eailways; or Notes in Cornwall, taken afoot," 1851'; "Basil: A Story of Modern Life." 1852 ; "Mr Wray's Cash Box, or the Mask and the Mystery : a Christmas Sketch," 1852; "Hide and Seek," 1854. Soon afterwards he became a contributor to Household Words, and his "After Dark," 1856, and "The Dead Secret," 1857, are reprints of tales which originally appeared in that periodical. The later productions of his pen are " The Queen of Hearts," 1859; "The Woman in White," I860; "No Name," 1862, which, a3 well as the preceding novel, originally appeared in the columns of All the Year Round} "My Miscellanies," 1863; " Armadale," 1868; "The Moonßtoue," 18«8 ; "Man and Wife," 1870; "Poor Miss Finch," 1872; "Miss or Mrs? and ooher Stories in Outline," 1873; "The New Magdalen," 1873 ; " The Law and the Lady," 1875 ; and "Two Destinies," 1876. Mr Colling principal works have passed through several editions both in England and the United States, and have been translated into French, Italian, German, Dutch, Danish, and Russian. He was a member of the Guild of Literature and Art, and took a prominent part in the amateur performances which were got up for its benefit. He wrote the " Lighthouse," first played in private atTaviscock House, and afterwards produced at the Olympic Theatre. In 1857 his" unpublished drama, entitled " The Frozen Deep," was first produced at Tavistock House, Mr C. Dickenß and other amateurs performing it with great success. It was afterwards brought out with the same cast at the Gallery of Illustration, for the benefit of the "Jerrold Fund," the Queen having previously witnessed a private representation of it at that place. A dramatic version, by himself of " The Moonstone," in four acts, was brought out at the Olympic Theatre in Sept., 1877. His play, " Eank and Riches," produced at the Adelphi Theatre on June 9, 1883, was a complete failure ; presenting in this respect a remarkable contrast to the reception in England, in America, and on the Continent (nOranslatione) of other plays founded on his novels, namely, "The New Magdalen," and " The Woman in White," both produced at the Olympic Theatre ; and " Man and Wife," produced at the Prince of Wales' Theatre, under the management of Mr and Mrs Bancroft.