The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1850-10-03
JENNY LIND.
BY FREDERIKA BREMER.

the capital of Sweden. She was poor
little girl indeed then; she was neglected.
and would have been unhappy, deprived
Of the kindness and care so necessary to
child, if it had not been fora peculiar gift.
The little girl had fine voice, and in her
loneliness. in trouble or in sorrow, she
consoled herself by singing. In fact she
sung TO all she did; at her work, at her
play, running or resting, she always sang.
The woman who had her in care went
out to work during the day, and used to
lock in the little girl, who had nothing TO
enliven her solitude but the company of
cat. The little girl played with her cat
and sang. Once she sat by the open win
dow and stroked her cat and sang, when
lady passed by. She heard a voice, and
looked up and saw The little singer. She
asked the child several question, went
away, came back several days after, fol-
lowed by an old music master, whose
name WAS Crelius. He :ried the little
girls musical ear and voice, and was as
tonished. He took her 10 the director of
the Royal Opera at Stockholm, then
Count Pune, whose truly generous and
kind heart was concealed by a rough
speech and morbid temper. CreIus intro
duced his little pupil to the Count, and
asked him TO engage her as "elve" for the
Opera. "Y You ask foolish thing ~ said
the Count grufiiy, looking disdainfuIly
down on the poor little girl. What shall
we do with that ugly thing! See what
feet she has And then her facel She
will never be presentable. No, we can
not take her! Away with herr
The music master insisted almost in
dIgnantly. Well,'' exclaimed he at last,
''if you will not take her, poor as am, |
will take her self, and have her educa-
ted for the scene; then such an ear as she
has for music will not be found in the
whole world"
The count reIented. The little girl was
at last admitted into the school for elves
the opera, and with some difficulty SIM
pie gown of black bombasin was procured
for her. The care of her musical educa-
ton was left 10 an able master. Mr.. Albert
Berg, director of the song school of the
opera.
Some years later, at comedy given by
the elves of the theatre, several persons
were struck by the spirit and life with
which young elve acted the part of the
beggar girl in the play. Lovers of genial
nature were charmed, pedants almost
/ frightened. 1t was our poor little girl
! who had made her first appearance, now
about fourteen years of age, frolIcksome
and full of fun as q, child.
A few years still later, young debu-
/ tante was TO sing for the first time before
| the public in Weber's Frieschutz. At the
rehearsal preceding the representation of
the evening, she sang in a manner, which
made the members of the orchestra at
once, as by common accord, lay down
! their instruments to clap their hands in
rapturous applause. 1t was our poor,
| plain little girl here again, who had now
grown up and was TO appear before the
/ public, in the role of Agatha. | saw her
at the evening representation. She was
| then IN the prime of youth, fresh, bright
and serene, as a morning in May, perfect
in form-her hands and arms peculiarly
graceful-and lovely in her whole appear
ance through the expression of her coun-
tenance and the noble simplicity and
! calmness of her manners-in fact she was
charming. We saw not an actress, but
a young girl full of natural geniality and
grace. She seemed 10 move, speak and
! sing, without effort or art. All was nature
and harmony. Her song was distinguished
especially by lis purity, and the power OF
soul which seemed TO swell her tones
Her '.mezzo voice" was delightful. In
the night scene where Agatha, seeing her
/ lover come, brealhes out her Joy in q
rapturous song, our young singer. on
/ turning from the window, at the back OF
| the theatre to the spectators again, was
PALE FOR JOY. And that pale ioyousness
she sang with burst of overfiowing love
and life that called forth not the mirlh but
the tears of the auditors.
From that time she was the declared
favorite of the Swedish public, whose
musical taste and knowledge are said to
be surpassed nowhere. And year after
year she continued so, though after time
hervoice being oyerstrained lost something
of lis freshness, and the public being sati-
ated, no more crowded the house when
she was singing. Sill, at that time, she
could be heard singing and playing more
delightful than ever in Panama lin Zaub-
erflote) or in Anna Bolena, though the
opera was almost deserted. III was then
late in the spring, and the beautiful wealth
or called the people out to natures plays. }