The Irish standard., 1892-09-10

IL iId@ D0 dAUSuJ llhd d WiIaci lungs tHdl
the field of Irish literature She became
the champion of universal Repu bic,
and preacher and priestess Of humanity.
She moreover penned some exquisite
metrical translations from Hugo and
Lamartine, Heine and Schiller, in whose
lal guage shs was thoroughly we'll versed;
while many of her own original lyrics
had the compliment paid them of being
translated into various European tongues.
A dramatic incident in her career oc-
Cured in '4S. Gavan Duffy, editor OF
the Nation, stood in the dock Of the
Green Street Courthouse, Dublin, ar
raigned on the charge OF ason-felony.
One OF the articles put in against him
was fiery essay entitled "Jacta Alea
EST ,'The Die is Cast!'}, in which the
Irish race were appealed to use their
strong right arms III sweeping the alien
and the despot from their soil. "Sper-
anza'' was in the gallery OF the court at
the time, and rising from her seat pro-
claimed in shriil but silvery accents that
she. aud she alone, was the author Of
the incriminated document Soon after
ward she became the wife of DR.. Wilde
For the past fifteen years Lady Wilde is
located in London, where her salon is
the rendezvous of the most distinguished
artists and litterateurs Of the English
metropolis. Oscar Wilde's baptismal
name is Oscar Ossian O'Flaherty Wilde;
but, on attaining mans estate, the sesthe-
tic poet discarded the "Ossian" and the
90 Flaherty,' preferr!ng, perhaps, the
simpler name by which he is now known.
Oscar, who was born in Dublin City, was
brilliant success as a student Of Old
Trinity. In or about 1881, he paid a
visit to this country, where he will be
remem bered as graceful but eccentric
youth, who wore long hair, rainbow
colored coat, and pair of dazzling knee
breeches and silk stockings. He came
here as the apostle of and lecturer on
aestheticism, and made few thousand
dollars out of his trip. The dress reforms
| which he advocated Oh scores of platforms
never went beyond the limits of mere
theory, except in "swelI' circles, where
however, Oscars male costumes were
soon literally laughed out of existence.
| Thanks to his growing experience Of life,
as we'll as to the influence exercised over
him by his sensible wife, Oscar has given
! over the idea of rigging out the modern
man IN the fantastic duds # a Don
Quixote, or Knight of the Golden Spur.
Oscar keeps his hair closely cropped at
present, and dresses like any ordinary
man about town. He has even resigned
himself to don that most inartistic piece
of toggery yclept 'c'awhammer," at
fashionable soirees; for the prcprieties
ordain him to do SO, and from the pro-
prieties, as we are all aware, there is no
appeal. Oscar, as poet, has yet to
make his name. His verses, though
somewhat sensual or Swinburnian in
tenor, are relished by certain coterie OF
intellectual epicures in Fleet Street.
London. a volume of his effusions,
published in 1881 by Roberts Brothers.
Boston, had fair measure of success in
this country. The love lyrics in this
collection have in them the subtle and
erotic favor of Catulle Mender or q
Theodore de Banville. Some Of them
rival i'll intensity Of feeling the passion
poems of Ella Wheeler Wilcox.
Willie Wilde, Mrs. Frank Leslie's hus-
band, was, like his brother, born in Dub
lin, and educated at Trinity, where he
distinguished himself in the class OF
Logics and Ethics, and was awarded
several gold medals throughout the
course OF his studies. In due time he
qualified himself for the Irish bar, but
as there was then-as there is now
quite superhuity of wigs and gowns in
the Four Courts of Dublin, and scarcely
any work for the junior barristers to do
Willie proceeded to London, where he
abandoned law for journalism. The
opening years of his career in that city
we're by no means promising. He led
Bohemian hand -to-mouth life in the
Strand and Ludgate Hill, peddling stray
articles at penny line, wherever he
could find a market for such wares, until
the growing fame of his brother, Oscar,
enabled him to obtain reporters posi-
tion on the staff of the Daily Telegraph.
His graphic descriptions of various
scenes in the Parnell Commission trial
pleased the editor, Sir Edwin Arnold, SO
| much that he was appointed to an edi-
torial post on that newspaper. Several
years afterwards, while holding this
position, he met Mrs. Frank Leslie, be-
tween whom and the young journalist
an attachment sprang up which culmln-
ated in their marriage in New York, 9
year ago, when Willie was introduced to
the literary public of this country by his is
fair consort. Mr.. Wilde, while looking