Washington sentinel., 1854-01-04
From the Forest City Democrat.
Ole Bull.

$50 you heard Ole Bull last evening"" said
Cousin Kate, bounding in quite breathless with
haste. "Come quick-tell me all about it. for
I'm dying to hear, and you know / couldn't 60.
What is he like ~
"Tell you all about. ii, Kate7 A very mo-
dest and sensible request, truly-as if he and
his music were a thing quite comprehensive
to any poor country girl who might choose to
set with open mouth and rolling eyes, and won
der with exceeding and ever increasing won
der at his marvellous powers. Indeed, dear
Cousin Kate, / am not able to tell you one sin
gle thing he is like The music was like moth
ing ever heard before, and yet it embraced
all had ever heard and more. That is the
difficulty. But I'll tell you all can. He came
in in a simple unconstrained manner, as child
might have done; then he laid his ear lovingly
near his violin, as if he was saying You'll
not fail me darling; you necer did-Ah | can
trust you, for kno,o you Then he drew his
bow slowly and caressingly across the strings,
and ah! they understood each other perfectly,
that was very evident. Then such music as
leaped forth |! 1t was to all other music had
ever heard, as if the beautiful picture Of my
mother had stepped suddenly down from the
walls, wakened into life, speaking, laughing,
crying, scolding, praising, and caressing the
little children. 1t was all life. | thought of
Powers Greek Slave suddenly waking into
life, getting voice and heart added to its
surprising beauty, and pleading, entreating,
bewailing. | thought of many things never
dreamed of before, and saw the distant tops
of thoughts which eluded me, to get away
with the music. You know how ignorant
am of the Divine art, and Of sohys and where-
tores; can't guess how the wires are pulled,
but this music tears one to pieces.
81 got out of patience at last, and was glad
to hear the little thing begin to scold and mock,
and upbraid, for / felt ike doing so myself
For only think of it Kate What right has he
to expose to a public audience in that manner,
all our private griefs and petty vexations, Of
which we are half ashamed oursclves-nay
worse-to bring up our sacred and buried sor-
rows, and lay them all bare and open before
these stupid listeners. How should he know
about my darling little sister-now in Heaven
or of Mary, the pure and sanity, laying down
in her white robes, and leaving the whole world
empty--so of my sainted mother--so my white
haired father How should he know the heart
of a stranger in a great cityl Oh, that per-
haps he might-but he need not tell all this to
stupid ears besides, he is not so young as he
has BEEN lie might be supposed to have for
gotten the Romance of Youth to Love. But no.
He turns tell tale and lets everything out o,
he said things he ought not to have said, am
sure, though donot quite understand all about
it. But | know lost my temper more than
once and then what climdr-what dancing,
and shouting, and villainous exulting and then
what storming and cutting short the whole sub
ject. What defying, and unconquerable will
what heroic effort what host of impossible
ties conquered and laid at his feet. Why, man,
you think one may well afford to lirc for all
that and all that All, to live like hero--a
king Just as you do yourself for instance In
word, Kate; the impression left on me was
one Of simple child-like wonder at the marvel
Gus power of genius and the double wonder is,
that having attained to the high ideal, God gave
him wisdom to clothe his thought with body,
and manifest it to the world"