gistfile1.rb

    attr_accessor :jmessage

    def initialize(message=nil, options={})
      if message.kind_of? org.jgroups.Message
        @jmessage = message
      else
        @jmessage = org.jgroups.Message.new(options[:destination],
                                            options[:source],
                                            message)
      end
    end

    def self.from_jmessage(jmessage)
      self.new.jmessage = jmessage
    end

# So other classes call
Message.new(jmessage)
Message.new("Here is my message"

#
Message.from_jmessage(jmessage)

Rather than provide so many options, I think I'd pick one way and stick with it, especially if this class is never instantiated by users of the library (do they?). Since you want to wrap the org.jgroups.Message with your Message class, I think I'd make the initializer look like:

def initialize(message=nil, options={})
  @jmessage = org.jgroups.Message.new(
    options[:destination],
    options[:source],
    message)
end

This is not the end-all-be-all solution though, so do what makes sense for your library.