Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1850-05-16
Volume IX.a::::::::::::#:Number 50.
JENNY Lind.

The following letters from HENRY CLAPP, Jr. sesm
to us of different stamp. Mr.. Capp saw and heard
her during his first visit TO England, in lS47. and
again during his second visit, in l649; aud those
several occasions home TO his paper, the Lynn
Pioneer, as follows IN Y. Tribune.
H. Lospos Friday June 25, 1S47.
Having the fsar of the American public before my
eyes, dared not think o returning TO The United States
$50 cslied) without first seeing that greatest of all lions
the Swedish Nightingale JENNY LIND. alias Jenny
Lion, alias Jenny Linnei. alias Jenny Nightingale, is
the object of attraction London Just now, about
which all the fashion aud fortune aud taste of the metro
polls centre aud graviate by universal aud irrepes
sbls instinct. Even ethiopian Sersnadeis and 'Co
go M.adts have s'cear de track TO the of
i,Oai of de way Ole Dan Tucker,' appear ance
while the "Bedoun Arabs leap out of her way like
many frightened saiyrs. In the iu blaze of her fame
which mantss the whole kingdom and indeed lights up
all Europe other lumnares however bright flicker aad
fade away like ru<hRbts in the sun. She lowers mp
over the most urmiablr rivals for popular apPlHuse-
the }gslers Crisis, Grahns, the Ceritos
the Tagtio,is like Jesse Hulchn-on ..iIg, Rock of
Lynn, colony Of pola'o bills. Her name is
every Tongue, aud her tame in svsTytrumret. Be-
lieve nor, have and heard Jenny Lindstood
upon my mortal feet land. ralher than not to have
her. scould have stood upon my Immortal head Tor i've
English hnurs. us to her sweet lace aud hear her
pure voice through feeIing opera. went in
pany with two young ladies, whom, ia rash moment,
had "oered myself (Iet anti bgams, get in rage
before reading the three words) pilot We hur-
red the doors of the opera nearly hours be-
fore the time OF openings and found them already be-
seged by crowd IN the midst of which we were like
rain drops in maestrom. We soon found ourselves
pressed together every person present had fully
solved leaving Length and indeiibe impression
OF himself. not omitng button thread, upon every
person with whom he could come in The hug
of bear would have been luxury compared TO the
braces to which, without the slight formay Of
presentation all Of us, without distinction of skin
sex, Instantly subjected. The only 'ntroduc-
ton which the occasion seemed Z" offer was The intro
duction into your eyes, and between your ribs, aud
among your OF every mans hsis elbows, knees,
or boois-as the might be-whieh for The time be-
ing he might find it convenient TO force upon yorr
quaintance. Within such circumstances waited
mortal hours each minute of which aspired be hour
on its private account, and not without
cess-when all heard a shout and crash,
and the next instant were borne forward with most sim
decent haste through interminabe crooked hearted
gallery, as full Of angles lawyers brain. We were
raised off feet and hurried through the air,
walking upon nothing and finding IL very hard
lei down 10 be tiumped against sinne wall like batter
ugrans squeezed through narrow passages if we
th. moment poked 10 lis eye by poker in The shape Of
what must have been r0n-brnmed hat, and the next
having the bridge of our nose shaken that
of '.seepers' wide awake Instantly aud
bling for life; and finally being carried into the pin, with
piiiless rush. amid the and shreks of
Thousand operating but unoperake voices, each of
which seemed inen, on bechng its miserable self out
Of existence. AT last, though, had sumehng like
order and quiet,
'.And silence like poulsice, came
To heal the blows Of sound"
Each Of my ladies having come out Of the rush with
'one shoe and shoe off, and of them with the
skirt of her dress literally away $50 that she had to
appear dmiiy instead of musin) detained in
the lobby minute two, and so lost the chance,-
which had pretty well earned,-of good seat and
obliged to put up with very Indifferent stand.
After a while there burst npon the musical FIRE and
fury OF the orchestra swelling eolumn Of s,und which,
coming from nearly hundred impatient instruments all
doing their oudest produced such perfect hurricane Of
noise that when the final blast had spent ITSELF and the
furious bow had perpetrated its last scrape, and the
whole company of bowers and scrapers had dsappeared
mysteriousiy, amid echoing runders Of applause, TO
"wei their whistles aud "spcs their main braces y
the audience drew long sigh which came hard lIka
double tooth, and all s'once more'-iike "Black
Dan on a memorable occasion, ,-breahed freely. Then
the tinke of small be as of a stray cow-then
another not quite modest, and then-tp went the
busling curtain, If ashamed of itself for having
ed so long, revealing whole troupe OF open-mouIhed,
elaborate series of the most excrncstng which
the human throat (whose capacities in that way appear
to be unlimited is capable Of All this increased
and aggravated by the mad orchestra which having got
"wet and 'spced" were up (and DOWN to any
thing in The way OF noise, and broke forth upon the al
ready wounded air with of brazen and
gut catter which was perfectly astounding.
The first yelled and roared itself away in this
streperous fashion the second began and continued for
while, If the sssame old coon'-and then, gill
dug in like star, heamIng and beautiful appeared the
genius of the evening, Jenny Lind The moment the
eve in that .aneoun.sd muitiiude -sone like fire, and
chorus of welcome forth from their upllied voices
which made the poor girl trembe 'lke reed shaken in
stnrrn The over, with her clear blue eye bent
shaded by her soft esses, The beautiful songsress ad
vanced tosvurd The footghts, made her silent and iremu
ous acknow Judgements, exchanged look of condolences
and Joy with the wrapt thousands before her. and then
with The ease. and freedom, and grace and of
bird she let out stream OF simple, clear, sustained
melody so natural and so full Of pahos and beauty that
have received it except in perfect silence would have
been actual sacriege. And this III prelude what
followed the instant, and continued IRON time
tme (after the interruptions and too often, with the in
sane Of the ochesra) throughout tho
evening. The opera Roberto la Diacolo In parts
Of H. aud especially toward the close, her
fuller aud powerful Than first; though was af
ALL the quiet yet rich aud neodious cadences Of her
eIordium which touched me the most deeply.
What enhanced the effect Of the whole performance
her chldlike simplicity OF expression and manner:
her entire freedom from that distortion OF counienance
extravagauce OF costume and wild shreky taking
breath-catching eurt the unnatural and startling,
which renders operate performances disgusting
Whatever is the fac the quid
pro quo has TO do with Jenny Lnd's singing-be the
conurction between her bird notes and bank -noies
the that The bird does, because she lores
aud when she gives up her soul the mastery and
mystery (snme would add, and mistress ~ Of song and
becomes inspired by its sacred influence she utter
Iy lost all subunary though and her spiri. soars
unfaering wing and with unbroken and exulting voice.
uni like The lark she is lost TO our sight, and her soce
trembling down from the still depths above
like stray note from some angelic choir.
Oh that her voice. like tina, Of charming 7'nerican
Songsress, (who can mean but AssY HurcHIss"s p
might be heard in The owy cottages OF the Poor in the
mufHed OF the prison within the icy heart OF the
aims house at the gatherings of the people when they
call led together in the great behalf o down-trodden
and degraded humanity; in the s"ul OF the trembling
slave; of the guilty stakeholder, aud
of the poor sensuaIist aud II would speak lan
guage unto all, full Of faith, and hope, and charity
instinct with divine ght and love, that its gentle tone
would pierce the hardest heart and raise the dronP
ing and desoate spirit Ii is voice-ihst voice OF Jen
ny Linds-which might wake up the forgoten harme
nes Of the most wretched heart, and lu TO sleep The
fercest passions which .he human breast.
ne'er shall listen to otis like again." wish could de-