The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1888-07-21

SSAAASAy H0SS0
princes, as musical as the Elizabethal
Wrists. Here is one poem called ''A
White Rose," which is well nigh flaw
less:
"The red rose whispers Of passion,
And the white rose breathes Of love;
4 On the red rose is a falcon, -m
And the white rose is dove.
"BatI send you crean-white rose bud,
With flush on its petal tips;
| For the love that is purest and sweetest
Has kiss of desire on the lips
4 This is in itself most musical. 1t has
been happily set to music. 1t is, per.
haps, if choice must be made, the
most perfect Of Boyle O'Reilly's small
er poems.
just now it is the books ana not the
man that we are studying, and yet
somehow the books lead up to the man
and do not seem complete without some
special word on him. His books are
very individual, very personal, essential
ly complime entary to his own strenuous,
vivid, many sided life. Even to those
who do not know Boyle O'Reil!y-who
have never, that is to say, taken his
hand or heard his voice-he seems like
a close personal friend, nearer and
dearer than many Of those whom chance
and circumstances bring into the rout.
inc Of daily life. To those who do
know him personally he is one Of the
most remarkable. most attractive, most
original Of men-unique, ideal, one Of
the heroes.
In Mr.. Boyle O'Reilly as in his writ
ings is to be found that strong note of
Hellenism which is so characteristic Of
the earliest days of lrssh civilization.
With that affection for perfection of
| literary form which is stamped and
sealed upon all his writings is united a
keen and ever passionate admiration
for physical strength which is very
Greek i'm its ferysnt enthusiasm, 1t is
not the admiration tuE' strength which
is so often characteristic OF the weak
ling and the sickly; which is to be
found so often in the novels Of women;
which often translates the ache and
anguish Of the disabled. Mr., John
Boyle O'ReillY is man Of a physical
strength that it would be scarcely un-
fair to describe as gigantic. Although
he is not mere than common tall, he
has the breadth and the thews of a Vik-
ing Of the days when Olaf Tryggyeson
dwelt by the Liffey in Dublin town and
wooed and won the fair daughter Of an
Irish royal house. He excels in all
manly arts and complishments in a
way that we ars almost afraid to chron-
icle, so like the hero Of romance the
list would make him seem. Who
among amateurs can ride better, row
better, above all, who can box better ?
If such man is red-hot in his enthusi
asm for the brawn and biceps Of a
famous pugilist, 1t is not with the sham
enthusiasm of the dandies of old Rome
who pinched the muscles Of gladiators
with slim, feminine fingers. In the
society of the physically strong. of the
physically skillful, Boyle OReilly is
among his peers, and if he finds man
stronger or more skil.ful than himself
it is scarcely wonderful if he accords
him his highest admiration.
1t is one OF the curious privileges Of
Boyle O'Reilly to be universally liked.
That he should be liked by his own peo-
pie is only natural. He is one Of the
brightest ornaments of the Irish race
abroad; he lives III exile for his service
to his country; he has enriched his Ma
tional literature with exquisite prose
and yet more exquisite verse: he renders
daily service to the National cause.
That such man should be popular
with his own countrymen is scarcely
surprising. But Boyle O'Reilly's pop
ularity is not limited to the children Of
his own race Strangers come to Bos-
ton, strangers often enough hostile, it
not to Ireland. at least to Ireland's Ma
tional cause, and the men who guide
and direct it. The strangers meet
John Boyle O'Reilly and they come
away with a common tale enthusias-
tic praise, unqualified admiration Of
the exiled Irishman. 1T has happened
time and again that travellers in New
England, meeting elsewhere, and run
ming over their Joint stock of recollec-
tlons have each, begun to speak With
warmth Of the man they most admired
| Of all they met, and to find immed ediately
that the name Of Boyle o Reilly was on
both their lips. Once very gifted man,
| a stranger to Boston, met one day a
friend, a disting gulshed Bostonian..
|.Said the stranger to the Bostonian: II
Ihave Just met the most remarkable, the
most delightful man il all the world, {
ST know whom you mean, s said the
Bostonian, you mean JOhn Boyle
Il1,Keilly And the Boston ian was vas
right i. h q. 81 III. ;SSs ,ES