The Irish standard., 1892-09-10
A GIFTED FAMILY.
An Interesting Sketch of Sir Will
liam and Lady Wilde and
Their Two Sons.
A LITERARY QUARTETTE.
The Parents and Sons have all Dis
tinguished Themselves in the
World Of Letters.

The following interesting sketch Of the
Wilde family is contributed by Eugene
Davis to the Boston Pilot:
The Wildes,though originally English,
became in the course of time, like other
English families that settled in Ireland,
<'more Irish than the Irish themselves
They made their home in Connaught $50
years ago. William Wilde, the husband
of "Speranza." was born in Castlerea,
County Mayo, i'll 1915. He commenced
the study Of medicine and surgery in
Dublin at an early age and became duly
qualified practice in those departments,
in which he attained almost immediate
success. Having made particular study
of ophthalmy, he soon won world wide
distinction in that branch of his profess
sion. To his residence in Dublin people
afflicted with weak eyes, and in some
cases persons supposed to be incurably
blind, foc]zed not only from all parts OF
Europe, but from this continent as we'll,
and returned home almost invariably
cured Of their infirmity. Despite the
fact that his time was largely taken up
with his professional duties, he snatched
from it few hours every week in which
to devote himself to literature. His YER
isatile talents We're Of an extraordinary
kind. They embraced great variety of
subjects. The antiquities of Ireland be-
came his especial study; and among the
more interesting volumes which eman
ated from his pen on that subject may be
mentioned one entitled "The Beauties of
the Boyne and Blackwater," in which he
brought TO light for the first time many
quaint old legend and many choice
moroccan of historic lore that had, 50 to
speak, clustered Cor long ages around
the heartnsides and the ruins of those
romantic localities. In 1864 his surgical
skill was rewarded with q knighthood,
while his literary talents received recog-
milton at the hands of the Royal Irlsh
Academy, of which he was unanimously
elected a member. Although he did not
share the burning enthusiasm of his
wife for the cause of Irish nations atty,
Sir William was what might be called
nowadays a Conservative Home Ruler.
He loved ireland according to his lights
sincerely and honestly, and died some
twenty years ago, full of honors, carry
ing with him is his grave the esteem and
respect of all classes of the community
Sir Williams wife, whose maiden name
was Jane Francesca Ellis, was the daugh-
ter of clergyman of the communion
once known, as the Established Church
of Ireland, and was born some sixty and
odd years ago in the County Wexford.
Although her father belonged to the
Tory school in politics, his daughter be-
came early in Life IN ardent Irishwc man.
Trampling under foot all family preju-
dices, she used to visit the battlefield of
Oulart and Vinegar Hills, and the other
scenes Of Irish heroism connected with
the dark but glorious epoch of '9S, and
from these patriotic pilgrimages she i'm
bibed much of that fervor and enthusi-
asm which characterized her splendid
poetical effusions of after years. Towards
the close of her teens Miss Ellis became
a favorite contributor of prose and poetry
to the pages of the Dublin Nation, then
the well-known and highly talented Or
gan OF the Young Ireland party. Her
maiden efforts we're published under the
peh-name Of ''John Fanshawe Ellis" and
everybody within and without the Ma
tion Office believed, Of course, that the
promising young writer belonged to the
eterner sex, until the editor, Charles
Gavan Duffy, having been one day in
Dublin introduced to his contributor,
was agreeably astonished to find that
John Fanshawe Ellis was most charm
ing young lazy, tall, beautiful, graceful
and distingued. When his first surprise
was over, Duffy was informed by the
blushing fair one that her real name was
Jane Francesca Ellis. Thenceforward
che wrote stirring national lyrics for the
newspaper which had published her first
attempts, adopting the soubriquet of
"Speranza,' and putting new soul into
Erin by the generous enthusiasm and
,chivalrons devotion of her young heart
expressed in a style characterized by
classic grace and beauty. She soon be-
came known. as one of the three Graces
OF the Nation, the other two having been
Mary and Eva. Since then Mary, whose
real name was Miss Downing, passed
away in the silence Of a convent cloister;
but slE1 Eva is still alive, residing with her