The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-24
The Greatest of Irish Humorists.

[F'rom the London Athenaeum.1
DR.. Thomas Medley. the greatest of
Irish humorists, and, we say it almost
with dread, the last of the species in
Dublin, died a few days ago. Failing
health had debarred him for two or
three years from joining in the society
he loved, and which had reciprocated
his love; so that his death will not
leave a gap which a great social force
suddenly stayed, is wont to make in
mems imagination. We had become
accustomed to dinner parties without
him, and it was chiefly their compare
tive dullnesS which made our older men
recall the days of Medley and Healy,
of William Lefanu and OF Father Tom
Burke, when a dinner of men in Dub
lin was often far more brilliant than
any attempt of the kind in England,
even in London, where Irishmen abound
But, like many other delicate plants,
Irish humor of DR.. Nedley's quality viii
not thrive beyond it's native soil. The
very presence of one strange or one I'M
sympathetic face at the table would
generally stay the flow of his spirits,
and his simple question, Who is that
sitting down there?'' was, to those VINO
knew him well, a token that little or
nothing would be drawn from him until
the stranger treasured him in person or
obtained social passports from others
at the table. There were also Dublin
men who often met him, but never
heard one word of his humOr.
In direct contrast to his intimate and
companion, Father Healy, Medley was
a Il. d
flashes for which the former was ia
nous We're not frequent with him, ex-
cept, indeed, in the wonderful conflict
of both Qualities which was often eX-
hibited when they occupied head and
foot at the same table. At those mo-
ments and in this encounter. at his own
or at Healy's table his wit seemed as
great his humOr. But his distinctive
quality, wherein he stood alone and
unapproached, was the telling of Irish
idylls'' containing dialogues among
the poorer people; the singing of street
ballads. mostly of his own composition
in fact, the reproduction of the speech
and the ways of thinking of the Irish
people.
He possessed not only the insight of
great comic poet, but the face Of a con-
summate comic actor and tenor voice
songs as well unsteady as dramatically
charming, Hence no one ever tired OF
from him something new in preference to
held the social stage in Dublin, like the
and it was the manner of telling. the sub
tie variations on various occasions, the
with Irish national psychology. which
made him the master of a very rare and
Like all profound humorists he was the
most sympathetic and modest of men He
never thrust his conversation upon any
cold or Indifferent audience. 1t was, in
gar vincent once made valuable re-
| mark-ValuabIe, that IS to say, to Eng
nSnmen-' Inere Is no use IN asking a
single Irishman to dine: you must ask
| another to draw him outr'
| Such was the man in society. genial,
modest. never using his powers of satire
and mimicry for any unkind purpose.
hospitable to fault. generous to the poor
| passing through the storms of Irish poll
/ tics without ever declaring a strong opin-
| ion. and yet respected by extreme men
] of every type. They knew well that he
| saw clearly, with his profound knowledge
| of character, not only through the i'm
! postures, but through the self-impostures.
| of Irish politicians, and probably they felt
| grateful for his reticence- He might have
| lived a little longer if he had entertained
his friends less frequently: but he of all
men. preferred quality to quantity of life.
though with rare and Christian patience
| he tolerated the enforced seclusion of his
| closing years. His literary tastes were
for the drama. He was well known to
| all the the actors and operate singers
| who visited Dublin in his time. Most of
| them cannot forget his hoSpitahle table
| There will probably be found among his
| books many rare plays and collections of
street ballads; but of his own art. moth
| ing. 1t lives only in the memories and
/ who knew him and loved him.