'THE WILD IRISH GIRL'

Evening Star, Issue 22460, 3 October 1936, Page 23

'THE WILD IRISH GIRL'

A century ago the most famous woman novelist of her day was Sydney Owenson. She was a “ best seller ” for many years and a Societyleader who moved in the highest circles, through sheer brilliance and ability. She was more widely known as Lady Morgan, and in' writing the story of her life, Mr Lionel Stevenson takes her famous story, ‘ The Wild Irish Girl,’ for the title of his book. Some idea *of her animation and spirit will be gathered _ by Mr Steven-son’s-record of an incident when she was 80 years of age: ~ “On January 1, 1859, appeared ‘Passages from-' My Autobiography.’ In reviewing it, the ‘ Athenaeum ’ remarked that she had ‘ lived through the love, admiration, and malignity of three generations of men. A literary Ninon,: she seems as brisk and captivating now as when the author of “ Kate Kearney ’’ divided the laureateship of society and song with Tom Moore.’ . These allusions to her age touched such a tender spot that she protested to the alitor in Byronesque verse; My life is not dated by years, For Time has drawn lightly his plough, ■ And they say scarce a furrow appears To reveal what I ne’er will avow. Till the spirit is quenched, still a glow Will fall o'er the dreams of my days, And brighten the hours as they flow In the sunset of memory’s rays. For as long as we feel, we enjoy, And the neart sets ail dates at defiance, And forgetful of life’s last alloy With Time makes a holy alliance. Then talk not to me of “my age”— 1 appeal from- the phrase to the fact That I’m told in your own brilliant page 1 am still young in fun, fancy, and tact. “ On St. Patriot's Day she had a lively musical party, but a week later she caught a chill, and her strength slowly ebbed. She was reported to have "whispered to her maid, 1 Put just a touch of rouge on my cheeks; one might as well look one’s best at the last.’ On April 16, 1859. conscious and patient, she reached the end of the voyage.” Ail through her life she carried everything before her, and those who dared to criticise invtfriably had the worst of the encounter. Mr Stevenson’s book is not only the story of a famous woman, but of her contemporaries—many of them people of note —and of the Georgian and early Victorian periods.

Believe it or not, but just before Mr Robert Ripley left America recently on another voyage—to Tibet this time—in search of facts to astound, lie was notified by his publishers that the sale of his books was well over 500,000 copies.