Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1845-08-14

exquisitely soft as an Eolian harp, and
(wlth ones eyes shut he is singer who
gives one delicious enjoyment-but
will not bother with more about the opera
As the curtain fell after the first act
the men in the stalls all rose to slraighter
themselves and take stare over thu
house; and for the first time, it occurred
to me to inquire il the Queen were pres
ent. "You are looking straight al Hel
Majesty" said my neighbor; "she is talk
ing to one ofthe ladies' of her bedchambe
and Prince Albert is in the back of TIT
box, talking to the King of Belgium. -
The box was looking into was direct!
at the end of the stage lights, and o
course very near me. had seen the
Queen come in without recognizing her
though | had studied her face at Cour
when | was presented to William w
some years ago, and of course see por
traits of her every day. She looked ial
younger and prettier than any picture
know of her, and her manner to her Maids
of Honor, and their evident ease, made
it look precisely like most agreeable pri
vate party. There was no mark to dis
,inguish the box she occupied, and the
fact is that had insensibly looked more
at the Queen than at any body else think
ing her a remarkably pretty girl, and
feeling more curiosity to know who she
was than who were in the other boXes!-
| trust the Royal atmosphere lorgavc my
profane admiration!
AT the close of the second act, the Vi
ennese dancers tripped upon the stage
These, as you know, are twenty or thirty
children, apparently from five years old
to ten who dress and dance like full grown
dancing and produce astonishing
effects by their well drilled combinations.
They are curiositjes, if it were only for
the robust development oftheir little bad
les. Seen through magnifying glass,
their short petticoals, ETC., would hardly
look decent but as children, the plump
titudes which they express by every move
ment are humorously beautiful. They
must have been drilled with wonderful pa
tience to make such sudden and exact
transitions. AT one Instant they pile up
into bower-the next they are revolving
in many spoked wheel-,he next they
are braidIng themselves in complex
waltz. They seem to swallow each 9TH
er, and reappear, multiply and diminish,
swim and fly, with a one-mindedness, a
grace and an ease of countenance and
motion that is wholly incomprehensible.-
And, withal their little faces are as round
and rosy as Cupid's in picture, and they
look so happy that 1t is contagious. |
quite made my well-bred neighbors stare
with my un-London-y laughter. Perhaps
| should have been excused, however, if
they had looked at the Queen for Her
Majesty quite leaned out of her box, kept
time with the music with her head and
bouquet. and watched the little magicans
with continued smile throughout.
The curtain drew up at last, for the
"SyIphide," aud Tagloni gIided to the
char of the sleeping lover. | looked at
her ady-Iike face with the same feeling
of admiration for its modest unconscious
ness as before, but alas! for what it costs
beauty to stay in this wicked world! |
would not record, if were writing for
paper that would ever reach her eye, how
much missed from her shoulders, how
much from her limbs, how much-but
will not dwell upon her losses. She was
herself, in all her swift motions-in all
her more powerful efforts. 1t was nthe
slow poislngs, in the prouetts, in those
parts of the dance which require more
than mere graceful bounds over the stage,
that she showed where the essened mus
Gle had essened her charm. The bill
held in my hand declared that with the
five nights of this engagement, she was to
take final leave of the stagc-and was
sorry she had waited till the world had
thought it was time! Queen Victoria left
the opera before the curtain drew up for
her to appear
And now having made rather long let
ter, I'll go out for my short walk.
Adieu for to-day, Yours faithfully.
N. p. WILLIS.