The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1894-08-18

man who was kinsman Of sailors anc
military officers; and then to Lord Git
ford, whom she married on his death bee
at bis urgent entresty. Lord Dufferir
calculates that the Sheridan family-o
whose genealogy, going back to the days
of the O'Sheridaos OF Togher, he gives
an interesting account-and there col
laterals produced between them twenty
authors and over 200 literary works
Driven out of their lands like 80 many ol
the Celtic Irish, it was, as he says, their
struggle with adversely which brought
out their extraordinary genius.
The story of Lady Dufferin's second
marriage is sufficiently romantic. When
Lord Clifford first made her acquaintance
she was COZ siderabiy older the he. In
fact he was but lad reading with q tu-
tor before going up to Cambridge. Be-
ing at the time in morbid condition he
was impressed with an unfounded dis
trust of his own capacity. She cheered
him and made him believe in himself,
and, as he wac in reality man Of excep-
tional power, he soon gave premise OF
considerable distinction. Naturally he
fell in love, like many other men, with
the beautiful widow, and on more than
one occasion pressed her to marry him
His career was cut short by an accident.
While experimenting some repairs at
Castle Clifford he saw that large stone
was about 10 fall on some Of the work
people below. He exerted all hlsstrength
to hold it up until they could escape, out
the strain caused il juries from which
re covery was pronounced hopeless. lie
was nursed for nearly yeac at Lady
DufferiL g house in HighRate, and OH his
death bed asked as last satisfaction,
that he might become the husband of
the woman he bad loved in vain for
eighteen years. Being assured by the
doctors that tie Invalid could not re-
cover. Lady Duffsrin consented to the
brief union. In less than SIX weeks Lord
Clifford died. The wife in name only
survived him four years, bearing, with
cheerful bravery, long and painful ILL
ness. On the morning of her death Lord
Dufferin thinks that she must have had
some present,ment that she would not
live to another day. In brief interval
of consciousness allowed by the narcotics
under which she was kept she sent for
her daughter. in. law anu children to her
bedside and, kissing them one after the
other, bade them good-by in the same
fond, cheerful way in which she was in
the habit of wishing them goodnight.
with many little tender joke and loving
word of endearment.'
The present author, her son by the
former marriage, says he was boy when
his father died That father pressed q
wish that the heir OF Blackwoods should
reside good deal in Ireland. Lady Duf-
ferin, though abeautiful woman, who de
lighted in social intercourse, for her sons
sake spent many Of her best years in his
company in the solitude of an Irish
country house. ""The gain to me,' says
Lord Dufferin, twas incalculable. The
period between II and II is perhaps the
most critical in any mans life. My
mother, in spite Of the gayety Of her tenn
pe1ament and her powers Of enjoyment, or
perhaps Oh that very account, was lm-
bued with deep religious spirit-a spirit
of love, purity, selfsacritice, and unfail.
ing faith in Gods mercy. In spite OF
her sensitive taste, keen sense OF humor,
involuntary appreciation of the ridicu-
lous, and exquisite critical faculty, her
natural impulse was to admire and SEQ
the good in everything, and to shut her
eyes to what was base, vile or cruel. .
But the chief and dominant character
istic of her nature was her power OF low
ing, Generally speaking. persons who
love intensely are seen to concentrate
their love upon single object, while in
my mothers case, love seemed an mex
haustible force. Her love for her horse,
for her dog, for her birds, was passion,
and the affection she lsvished on me, on
her brothers, sisters, relations, and
friends, VAS persistent, all embracing,
PARENTAL and indestructible as the light
of the SUM-" When he has recorded her
death Lord Dufferin breaks into the fol-
lowing pardonable threlody: "Thus
there went out of the world one of the
sweetest, most beautiful, most accom-.
plished, wittiest, most loving and loyable
human beings that ever walked the earth.
There was no quality wanting to her
perfection; and I say this, not prompted
by the partiaity OF q son, but as one we'll
ACQUAINTED with the world and with both
men and women"
The subject Of this memoir was nat
urally brought into contact with many
of the distinguished men Of her time,
amongst whom may be mentioned the
,,oa+ Rnrernt r Tanrd Rnnn0ham I,nckhart.