National Republican., 1882-01-21
WHO OSCAR WILDE IS.

To the Editor Of TIE RKPUBLIcAS;
Pending the arrival In our city OF tho estheticl
a.. Oscar Wilde, few items rs to the animals
pedigree may not be unintercstlng Notwith-
standing that Mr.. Wilde comes among us as an
EBglshman, 1t ia nevertheless fact that his 8rst
opportunities for studying tho aesthetic were FROM
the windows Of his nursery In Merton Square,
Dublin. From here the annually recurring view
Of the Dublin students and their "motts," return
ing from =" batter" at Donnybrook Fair, furnished
one Of the first germs Of thought toward forming
his boyish ideal; and tho morning carol OF tho
sandymount 6Shwlfe, as she warbled, "frest--
fresh, cookies" meath his window, the earliest
poem of his childhood. II there II
anything in hereditary tendency" or, as they
put Il in Mr.. Wiides native islo "in the nature OF
the baste." Oscar must sure enough be q queer
amalgam Of genius, eccentricity, and "cussed-
ness" His father. Sir William Wilde, was a Dub
lin surgeon, who as an oculst gained the highest
round Of eminencc, and whose name, In common
with Sir. Philip Champion, Sir Henry Marsh, Sir
Dominick Corrigan. Stokes, and o'Farrell, holds .
niche among the medical saints Of the ancient
City OF Ebiana. But Sir William was neither saint
nor teshete-in fnct the very antithess of either.
In Dress personal appearance, and manner ho
loved TO be Outre. His hair was worn long and
brushed behind his ears, after the manner Of oue
frontier scouts and his appearance the streets.
generally driving like lunatic, has onen given
rise to mot "Wide by name and Wild
by nature" The old gentleman had
stl another reputation on the Don Giovanni
order that in point Of naughtlness "too utterly
too too" About eighteen years since he figured
as defendant in civil action brought against him
by the daughter Of brother physician The un-
scrupulous use Of chloroform was the burden OF
the charge. The injured maiden was spinster OF
some thirty-hve or forty years. strong minded and
bluestocking in her way, but the jury, discredit-
ing the necessity of an anesthetic In her case.
gave her verdict OF sixpenoe damages without
leaving the box. Oscar Wilde's mother was also
genius. but one of a very different type, and with
a reputation pure as snow. Among the bright
galaxy OF contributors to the old Dublin Nation.
including Davis. Mangan Dalton Williams, Leyne
and Mary Eva Kelly, none shone moro brilliantly
! than "speranza" (Mrs Wilde's nom dc ptumG) In
1s4s, just when the Young Ireland enthusiasm was
at its height, "Speranzn" wrote her soul-stirring
poem Courage" commencing;
| Lin up your pale iaces, you children ofsorrow,
| The night passes on 90 glorious tomorrow.
| Hark hear you not sounding glad Libertys pseau
From the Alps to the Isles OF the tideless Egekn?
And the rhythmcal march OF the gathering nations,
And the crashing OF thrones meath their fierce
| ultations,
| And the cry ofHumanity cleavlng the ether
| with hymns of the conquering rising together
| God, Liberty, Truth How they burn heart ana
brain
These words shall they burn--shall they wakcn in
vain
lTis hard TO believe that the of the patriotic
| woman who penned the above spirited lines could
| find no better mission than to don the motley. cap.
and bells of the fool, and play Wanda to an
! American public. One thing certain, did Oscar
appear in his present rig and role before the foot
lights of his native city neither the eminence Of
| Sir William nor the patriotism of Speanga would
save him from such a shower of rotten eggs a.
never before fell from the olympian heights OF .
| Dublin top-gallery. +. +. e.