People We Hear About

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVII, Issue 16, 22 April 1909, Page 628

People We Hear About

Mr. Thomas Augustine Da]y, the American writer of humorous verse in the Catholic Standard and Times of Philadelphia, is manager of that journal, and contributes to no other. With much truth (says the Chicago New ■ World) one might put nearly a dozeri' titles upon Poet Daly, each of which would be considered graphic and accurate by an impartial critic. Because there are no sad songs in his. work he might be called the poet of cheerfulness. Because most of his* characters are urged to marry, or are arranging to get married;, he might be called tie laureate of Christian marriage. Because he use* toilers as types he might also .be called the bard of the underdog. Because he sees romance in the Italian in America a friend once designated him "the laureate of the dago," in otir hearing.' Mr. Francis Marion Crawford, the distinguished novelist, whose death was reported last week, was born in Tuscany in 1854. His father, who was a native of the North of Ireland, went to America at an early age, and fiom there proceeded to Italy to follow his profession of sculptor. The subject of this sketch was educated- in America and at Trinity College, Cambridge, completing his studies, after an interval of travel, at the Roman University. He spent four years in the East as journalist, and edited The Indian Herald at Allahabad for a time. In 1882 he published his first novel, Mr. Isaacs.' More than thirty novels have since come from his pen. He was received into the Catholic Church in 1894. He used to spend a part of his time in the Unibed States, and whilst there delivered lectures on various subjects dealing with Italian life. Mr. Crawford was very conversant with Roman life and character. Writing in 1897 to his distinguished fellow man of -letters. Professor Maurice F. Egan, he r«» ferred to certain criticisms made by those who objected to the introduction of ' bad Catholics ' into two of his novels, Mr. Crawford said : ' The stories in both books are literally true. . . In Casa Braccio I meant to show the effect of crime in successive generations. . . I need not say what hurt me most was the accusation tljat I had turned against the Catholic Church, than which nothing could be more impossible for a man so profoundly convinced as I am.' The late Mr. Crawford was awarded a prize of on<j thousand francs by the French Academy as an acknowledgment of the merit of his novels, and especially of two of them, Zoroaster and Marzio's Crucifix, which wero written in French as well as in English. He wrote a. play, entitled ' Francesca da Rimini,' which was produced by Sarah Bernhardt in Paris in 1902. Deceased held a professional master's certificate from the Association of American Shipmasters and the United States Marine Board. Mr. William O'Brien, who recently resigned his seat as M.P. for Cork City, was born in Mallow in 1852. He received his education at the local college. This was a mixed school, attended by both Catholic and Protestant children. There was not the slightest sectarian animosity between the children of the different creeds, but there was plenty of political argument and differences. The Catholic Nationalists in the school formed a sort t f small Irish party, and held their own, William O'Brien feeing successful in carrying off the class prizes, while his brothers and others carried off the honors in cricket, footl)all, and the like. His first journalistic work was on the dork Herald, with which he was connected until 1876, ■when he became a member of the reporting staff of the Tre email's Journal. He did the ordinary work of the xeporter for several years, with occasional excursions into more congenial occxipations in special descriptions of particular picturesque incidents. Whenever his work had any connection with politics, condition or "prospects of his country, he devoted himself to it wrfch a special fervor. It was his descriptions of the County of Mayo in the great distress of 1879 which first concentrated the attention of •the Irish people on the calamity impending over the country. In 1881, when the conflict between the Government and the Land League was at its fiercest, the idea occurred of establishing . a newspaper as an organ of the League and the Parnellite party. At once the thoughts of several people turned to the able and brilliant writer on the Freeman's Journal, and he was invited by Mr. Parnell to found United Ireland, and to become its editor. Jt ' was then for the first time that the higher powers of O'Brien were discovered. He entered Parliament in 1883 ior Mallow, and subsequently represented South Tyrone, North-east Cork, and until the other day Cork City. In 1890 he married Sophie, daughter of Herman Raffalovich," banker, of Paris. Both Mr. and Mrs. O'Brien have written books, principally dealing with Irish life..