SIDE LIGHTS ON OSCAR WILDE

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9965, 16 April 1895, Page 4

SIDE LIGHTS ON OSCAR WILDE

From some p raonal recollectiors of Oscar Wilde wi.ich appeared recently in an English journal, a few side-lights atoit him and his family are obtained which may be worth noting just now. There is no doubt übont his being Irish, born and bred. He is quite as Irish as T. P. O'Connor ; imd if De still kept his second name o< O'Flahertie— which is entered In the Uxfa.d Calendar— it would bn a eoii'Tiiuo testimony to hia Celtic ougiii. Hi, father. Sir William Robert Wilde, the en i'lruc Dublin oculist, who was knighted by the Lord-Lieutenant for his services in connection with the Irish census, was a native of the west of Ireland. After he became celebrated he bonght a place in Gilway — Moytura, in the midst of wild and romantic scenery. Amongst Sir William Wilde's many contributions to Irish antiquities and folk lore Is a book on Lough Corrib, foil of valuable information, mostly gleaned on tbe spot. It is from hia mother, however, that Oscar inherits his brilliance, his poetic gifts, and bis taste tor paradox and epigram. Lady Wilde is a daughter of Archdeucnn Elgce, an Irish clergyman with a strain of Italian blood. Lady Wilde's second name, Francesca, shows that the family was of Italian extraction, and her striking appearance — large dark eyes and amount of color in dress and decoration— quite bears ont this theory. She i* closely related on her mother's side to the Maturiu family — French Huguenots who settled in Dublin after 1688 Everyone has heard of the Rev. Charles Matnrln, the "brilliant and eccentric Matniin," principally known from a grneaome tragedy of his called " Bertram," which was produced at Drnry Lane In May, 1816, and ran for 22 nights, bringing in the author £1000. V 5 henever Matnrin wished to be lefo undisturbed he was in the habit of pasting a black wafer on bis forehead, to show that he was in the agonies of composition. Jane Francesca Elgee showed remarkable gifts for acquiring languages, and early bpgan to spout poetry. Under the name of Speranza she wrote hundreds of poems ot a pronounced Nationalistic type, and also contributed largely to the Nation When there was talk of a leader to the Yonng Ireland party the writer of these glowing articles was suggested by those who did not know they were written by a woman. One of the strongest of Lady Wilde's poems is " A Million a Decade." After her marriage with Sir William Wilde her splendid house at Merrlon • eqnare became tbe meeting place for all sorts and conditions of men— political leaders, actors, poets, and journalists. Id was like a Faria salon at a Dublin house. Father Healv's humorous face was of ten seen there. W. J. Fitzpatrlck, the biographer of Levar, melancholy and aristocratic, Professor Mahaffy, observant and cynical, were constant visitor*. Hi. Tisdall sometimes . recited with a fun all his own ; and there was talk, stimulating and brilliant, in which Lady Wilde took a leading part. One of her great gifts is Vart de faire un salon. Oscar Wilde had a striking university career. At Trinity College, Dublin, he gained a scholarship and carried off the Berkeley gold medal. At Oxford he gained the Newdegate prlza for English verse, and took a first class. After this he travelled in Greece with Professor Mahaffy. After her husband's death Lady Wilde came to London, and settled at O.ik'iey-street,. Chelsea, with her eldest son. Here sho still lives ; but, alas ! her popular Saturday receptions no lonizer are held. They used to be quite a feature or society. Even in summer there was demijour; the blinds were pulled down, tbe curtains were drawn, red shaded lamps were lit, and Lady Wilde glided about with soft white tulle lappets hanging about her still handsome face, and a long train of rich eilk or satin sweeping the ground. No one was ever moped or bored at her bouse. She never forgot anyone ; she was always tactful, prompt, and full of resource. " Every lady in the room has written a book," she used to observe, aad she generally remembered the name of it. The American twang and the Irish brogue met together; there were French and Itus3lans— editors and " essayists ; John Strange Winter, Mrs Fenwick Miller, Mr H. D. Traill, and Lady Hardy and her daughter Izi Dnffus Hardy, were often to be seen. There was, of oonrse, «reao flattering of the dovecotes when Oscar Wilde appeared, At tbe first glamour (says the writer from whom we quote) of his wonderful smile, the susceptible ones gave in and were ready to join the army of love-sick maidens in " Patlenae." Once he came oub in a pink shirt and yellow button-hole, and shed a radiance over the room. His talk is like his plays— epigrammatic end fall of point. His mother and he stimulate one another.'