scholarship, with a special leaning to poetry....

"We noticed that he always liked to have editions of the classics that
were of stately size with large print.... He was more careful in his
dress than any other boy.

"He was a wide reader and read very fast indeed; how much he
assimilated I never could make out. He was poor at music.

"We thought him a fair scholar but nothing extraordinary. However, he
startled everyone the last year at school in the classical medal
examination, by walking easily away from us all in the _viva voce_ of
the Greek play ('The Agamemnon')."

I may now try and accentuate a trait or two of these photographs, so
to speak, and then realise the whole portrait by adding an account
given to me by Oscar himself. The joy in humorous romancing and the
sweetness of temper recorded by Sir Edward Sullivan were marked traits
in Oscar's character all through his life. His care in dressing too,
and his delight in stately editions; his love of literature "with a
special leaning to poetry" were all qualities which distinguished him
to the end.

"Until the last year of my school life at Portora," he said to me
once, "I had nothing like the reputation of my brother Willie. I read
too many English novels, too much poetry, dreamed away too much time
to master the school tasks.

"Knowledge came to me through pleasure, as it always comes, I
imagine....