The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1850-05-21
From Sartain'. Magazine, for June
Jenny Lind.
BY FREDRIKA DRFMER.

There was once a poor and plain luld
heirl, dwelling in little room, in Stockholm
the capital of Sweden. She wds poor lit
ue girl indeed then she was lonely and neg
lccied and would have been very unhappy,
deprived Of the Kindness and care so neccs-
sary to a child, if 1t had not been for a pc
culiar gift. The little girl had fine voice,
and in her loneliness, in trouble or in sor-
row. She consoed 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 enlircn
her solitude but the company Of a cat. The
little girl played with her cat, and sang.
Once she sat by the window and stroked her
cat and-sang when a lady passed by She
heard the voice, and looked up anl saw the
little singer She asked The child several
questions, went away, and came back sever
al days later, followed by an old musi,,n,as-
ter whose name was Crelius. He tried the
little girls musical ear and voice, and was
astonishcd lie tool, her TO the director Of
the Roysl Opera at Stockholm, then a Coun,
Puhe, whose truly generous and kind heart
was concealed by rough speech and NOR
bid temper. Crelius introduced his little
pupil to the Count, and asked linn to engage
her as eleye for the opera. "Nou ask Il
foolish Thing! :" said tic Count grullly, look
in. disddinfully down on the poor little giIl.
"N hat shall we do with that ugly thing {:
See what feet she has And then her face,
She will never be prosentable. No, We can
not take her. Away with her."
The music-mas.er insisted, almost indig-
nnnlly. "Wcll,' exclaimed he at last, "if
You will not take her, poor as am, I will
take her myself and have her educated for
the scene then such another ear as she has
for music is not to be found in the world"
The Count relen'cd, The little eiIl was
at last admitted into the school for eeycs at
the opera, and with some difficulty q simple
gown of black bombasin was procured for
/ her. The care of her musical education wa.
/ left TO an able master, MIR. Albert Berg, di.
rector OF the soug-schoo Of the opera.
Some years later. at a comedy given by
the eleyes Of the theatre, several persons
were struck by the spirit and life with which
a very young eleve acted the part of beg
gar girl in the play. Lovers OF genial ma
ture were charmed, pedants almost frighlcn-
encd. 1t was our poor little gill, who had
made her first appearance, now about four
teen years of age, frolcsome and full of fun
as a child.
A few years still later, young debutantc
was to sing for the first time before the pub
lie in Weber's Freischutz At the rehear-
sal preceding the representation Of the eve
ming, she sang in a manner which made the
members OF the orchestra once, as by com
mon accord, lay down their instruments TO
clap their hands in rapturous applause. Ii
was oul poor, PLAIN little girl here again, who
now had grown up and was TO appear before
the public in the role Of Agatha. | saw heI
at the evening representation. She was then
in the prime Of youth, fresh, bright and SO
rene as a morning in May, perfect in form
her hands and arms peculiarly graceful
and lovely in her whole appearance through
the expression Of her countenance, and ia,
noble simplicity and calmness of her man
ners. In fact she was charming. We saw
not an actress, but young girl full Of nat
ural gcnialty and grace. She seemed t'
move, speak, and sing without effort or art
All was nature and harmony. Her song wa
distinguished especially by its purity, an,
the power of soul which seemed to swell he
tones. Her "mezzo voce " was delightful
In the night scene where Agatha, seeing he
? lover come, brealhes out her JOY in a rap
turous song, our young singer. on turning
from the window, at the back of the theair
to the spectators again, was pale for JOY
: And in that pale .ioyousness she sang with
burst of outhowing love and life that callc
forth not the mirIh but the tears of the au
n ditors.
!. From that time she was the declared favor
! ite of the Swedish public, whose music,
: taste and knowledge are said to be surpasse
;, nowhere. Aud year after year she contir
!. ued so, though after time, her voice, bein
e oyerstrained, lost somewhat Of its FRESHNESS
and the public, being satiated, no MOI
crowded the house when she was singial