The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1913-05-17

JuStln N. Mccarthy IN MS Rcnuu-
iscences," has this reference to John
! Boyle O'Reilly, which the many adj
will find interesting:
| During my last visit to America
became acquainted with a countrynan
| of my own who had acquired political
celebrity first and social celebrity af-
forwards. l may introduce him by an
| anecdotc for the truth of which, ac-
| cording to the newspaper phrase, I
can vouch. At literary gathering in
Boston l met the late Lord Tlayfair,
whom l had known well in London,
especially during the years when he
and 1 were members OF the House of
Commons together. Lord Playfair had
married Boston lady, and used to
visit Boston with her every autumn.
When 1 met him at the literary gath
ering of which l speak, he suddenly
said to ne, after some friendly talk:
II wonder If you have vet male the
acquaintance of the most charming
man on the American continent?" "Of
course" l promptly replied, you mean
John Boyle O'Reilly?" "Or course 1
do" was the ready rejoindcr: and then
told him that 1 had already made
the acquaintance Of that most charm
inc C..; -.
possible that a considerable number
of my English readers may not have
the remotest idea as to who John
Boyle O'Reilly was. Not very long
before the time OF which am now
speaking, O'Reillys name came up
during a debate in the House OF Com
mons, the then leader of that House
frankly confessed that he did not re-
member ever having heard OReilly's
name before. Lyon Playfair was then
member of the House Of Commons
and he bore generous testimony to the
character and the abilities of O'Reilly
and the position which he had made
for himself in Boston and indeed all
over the United States.
John Boyle O'Reilly was, to begin
With, one of the handsomest and
most finely made men l have ever
seen; he was not tall, only just the
middle height, but he was splendid
ly built for strength, and he was,
indeed, a. perfect master of all ath-
1etic exercises-at boxing, at fenc-
ing. riding, shooting, running, swim
ming, he had few equals even among
the professional adopts of each par
ticular craft. He was a poet; he
was novelist; he was a brilliant
speaker with magnificent voice,
and with burning dark eyes that
lent new meaning to every word
and tone; and ut the time when I
knew him he had come to be the
editor and the owner Of the great
est Catholic newspaper in the States
His pen and his tongue we're at the
service of every good cause; he was
a true friend and most charming
companion, and was recognized as
an ornament to the most cultured
society of Boston. But how, it may
be asked, did all this constitute him
a subject of debate in the English
House Of Commons? The explana-
ton is, that Boyle O'Reilly was a de-
voted Irish Nationalist who had in
his youth become a member of the
Fenian organization in Ireland. He
had from his boyhood passion for
the life Of a soldier; and as his peo-
pie would not listen to his ideas he
ran away and became private in
the Tenth Hussars. He was a splen.
did rider, and he soon became a ia
vorite alike with officers and men.
Then the Fenian organization came
into existence. and O'Reilly became
a member of it, and induced several
or his comrades to become members
as we'll. The abortive lnsurrection
broke out, and O'Reilly was tried
and sentenced to death. His mill
tary superior, who had admired the
young mans soldiery capacity, made
strong efforts on his behalf, and the
sentence was committed to transpor.
tation for life. Our Transportation
system still existed so far as West
ern Australia was concerned. O'Reilly
was sent out as convict to West.
ern Australia after having been for
a time imprisoned in the old goal at
Millbank, which has since been con-
verified into the abode OF a fine arts
collection. O'Reilly escaped from
his bonds in Western Australia and
wandered away until he found a
refuge among a native tribe. do
not suppose it was quite like the ma
tive tribe with which NJ. de Rouge
mont protested to have spent so