A BOY FROM WATERFORD.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXII, Issue 2, 10 May 1895, Page 6

A BOY FROM WATERFORD.

(Eugbne Davis in the Catholio Columbian ) Mb M. J. Mukphy w« 8 born in the City of Waterford, Ireland, some thirty years ago. While still a child he was brought by his parents to America. When his primary and high school education had been completed, having a decided taste for the profession of singers, he commeccod the study of music under some of the most talented professors of th.it art. Eventually he proceeded to the continent of Europe, where he peifected his musical education in Beveral of the conservatories of German and Italian cities. Few of the denizens of Bohemia have the versatile talen's of Mr M. J. Murphy. In that in'ellectual Arcady, so well and so graphically described by the pen of the late John Boyle O'fieilly he became a alnger in both grand and light operas during his early career, and subsequently a manager of various theatrical companies. He is a poet, who has not only pinned sweet lyrics, the products of his own fervid imagination ; but he has also translated into English a considerabla quantity of poems from the Hungarian, German, and Danish languages. His series of articles in the Catholic Press on the young Irish-American authors of to-day, as well aa on the revival of Irish literature, are characterized by a graceful musical style which proves that his talents as a litterateur are a, brilliant as his mnsioal talects. He has also written many Irish tales in the mellifluoui dialtct of MuDßter, the southern province of Erin, for the Catholic Union and Times of Buffalo. These interesting short stories were reproiuced by most of the Irish- American and the Irish weekly journals. This fact ai tests to his growing literary fame. His contributions to the Columbian and other Catholic papers contain a large amount of humour, racy of the Irish soil. Mr Murphy is also an aJ«>pt in Irish fairy tales the characters of which aie Niamh, who laid the petp >et Oi.ii un.Kr G uad-r whioh heroes were fraquently put — lest old age ah^uM come buudenly on him ; Ana of the west, queen over the sidh, otbuv/it/ Hhee oi fairy folk iv Connacht ; the banshees who wail in tho vicinity of tbe residences of noble Milesian families on tho eve of tuu death of oqo of Us members ; and