The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-09
OSCAR wILDE's FAMILY.
Mrs. Frank Leslie Pays n Tribute to
His Wife and Sons.
From the New York Herald.

From the New York Herald.
II want to tell you about Oscar Wildes
wife. She is an Irish woman and was a
Miss Constance Lloyd. She inherited a
large sum of money on the death of her
father, who had great shipping interests.
She is the prettiest, daintiest, most grace
full woman you ever saw and after fifteen
years of married life she still adores her
husband. While his dress is now strictly
conventional, she continue to affect the
aesthetic in all her costumes.
Why she's the purest simplest thing.
She wouldn't even tell society fib. She's
as cold as marble, but through the ice you
can see the warm glimmer of heartfelt
admiration for her husband. Her recep-
tion days are Wednesdays, and a marvel
lous feature of them Is the invariable
presence of her husband. He always
stays at home on her reception days, a
remarkable thing, / think, after fifteen
years of welded life II Is beautiful TO
observe how she is always looking up TO
him, always appealing for his approval of
everything she says.
Their home in Title street Chelsea. is
a marvel OF well ordered appointment and
elegant taste. The drawing room is deco
rated in white and gold, but the furniture
reproduces in it's models and combinations
the 'greenery gallery effect. Some of the
finest water colors / ever saw adorn the
walls. And then the persons you meet
there are the wittiest and brainiest in Lon
don. There you will see Swinburne, ever
an intimate and admirer of Oscar Wilde,
and Whistler, who got off that famous
joke which set the whole literary world
laughing and wagging its head. 1t hap
pened a dinner party. Whistler had said
something remarkably clever, and Wilde
remarked, 1 wish to heavens, Whistler,
I'd said that myself To which the artist
responded, You will, Oscar. You will in
when think of this delightful home,
of the lovely woman who presdes over
it, of the mother whose sole stay u d
support that son is, and of the two lovely
children, the fruit of a union of hearts,
l find It hard to believe that Oscar Wilde
is the creature men say he is. Oscar
Wildes boys are Vivian and Clarence
IL and II years old, respectively. They
are splendid fellows, with the mop of
Wilde hair growing low over their fore
heads. This Wilde hair is marvel. 1t keeps
the members Of this remarkable family
in the realm of perpetual youth. Even
at her advanced age 1t covers, when re-
leased, the. shoulders Of Lady Wilde like
a thick veil.
But let me tell you about these boys
They have been most carefully nurtured
Oscars fad has been that they should
never go to school until they were thor
oughly robust physically. The consequence
is that their education has been directed
so far exclusively by the father and
mother. Mr.. Wilde would never have a
matter, a male servant of any description
1t is a noticeable fact that at all his
great dinners Mr.. Wilde's guests are al
ways served by women walters.
'These boys are such perfect gentle
men. Their home life is so well ordered.
/ remember on one occasion asking Vivian
whether he had been TO see certain one
of his fathers pays. HIS reply was so
astounding that have never forgotten IL.
NO" he said, there are certain cpl
grams in that play which mamma doesn't
think it fit for me to hear. Imagine
that baby discussing epigramsi
Mr.. Wilde never discussed morals with
me except so far as his boys were con-
cerned He spoke of them with such pride
and looked on them so lovingly He en-
phasized again and again the wish that
they should be strong physically. He de-
precated their associations with other
children and was especially happy In
the thought that their mother had taught
them everything. And they are so fond
of him: so proud Of him. so happy In
his society. / VOW / could shed bitter
tears as / think Of all these things.
"As | said before, Oscar Wilde is sim
" devoted to his mother He said to me
last summer that she was the dearest
thing IN life TO him. My relations with
him have been unbroken for years. There
has never been a summer that | haven't
seen him
whatever occurred between his brother
and myself never affected our friendship.
] had been his first friend In America, and
then when he moved into lite street /