Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-10-13

A|OS03oA
VrvnR, the celebrated horn-player, u
one of those men Of whom anecdotes are
told-an eccentric insister upon having
his own way, and his own way being
whimsically peculiar.
In England he made . great sensation
with his first concert, and invitations TO
play at private parties were necessary
sequence. On tho day after, accordingly,
noble lord called upon the artist, and
giving . pull to his cravat in the English
fashion OF salute, he said, with his hat on,
in bad French -" You must come to NOR
row row evening. and play for the Duchess Of
Vivier looked steadily at the nobleman,
end said, with significant gesture-"Take
of your haiti"
"What :" asked the visitor.
"Tske of your hatr
"Ahl in England we have the custom
Of keeping our hats on"
"Take of your hatF'
Yielding to the psrtinacity Of these
three words, which the artist would have
gone on repeating thirty times II it had
been necessary, the nobleman took OF his
hat and said once more" You must come
tomorrow evening, and play for the
Duchess of Sutherland"
"You speak French very badly" re.
piled the artist. "Instead of that impo-
lite phrase, you should have said" The
Duchess of Sutherland Wishes very much
to hear you play, and she has requested
me to inquire whether you will do her
the pleasure OF coming to the party,
which she proposes to give tomorrow
EVENING""
"Ahl but in England we express it the
other way"
"Very possibly-but unless you express
1t in the better way have described to
you, ! shall take no notice of the invita-
ton"
The Englishman, evidently very angry,
repeated the invitation as directed.
~ am happy to accept the invitation of
the Duchess" said the artist
"They will give ten pounds" added the
nobleman.
There, again, is an i'll bred manner of
treating delicate subject" said Vivier |;
L should have made no bargain In ad-
vance, and should have left it to the dis
cretion of the Duchess; but, since you
have 80 unceremoniously oversteppcd the
barrier, permit me TO say that ten pounds
LIS not enough"
"Ah! but in England we only give ten
pounds to an instrumental. To singers,
like Grisi or Mario, we give fifteen"
~ shall not play for anything legs than
twenty five pounds sterling"
"Do you know" said the Englishman,
knitting his brow, "that twenty five
pounds are six hundred and thirty-ive
francs of your money!"
"My price, Notwithstanding.
"Weli, you shall have it. But do your
best and be punctual."
II shall be ready when the Duchess
carriage calls for me-" replied Vivier.
"Eh! do you expect a carriage to be
sent for your 1t is not the custom in
England"
IL am very sorry-but / do not ride in
hackney coaches, and if Madame, the
Duchess, does not choose to send her own
carriage for me, shall not got"
"Very WE'LL" said the Englishman,
looking perfectly amazed, but submitting,
in spite of himself, to the tone OF author
ity and digniied manners which the ar
tist assumed; "the carriage shall be sent
Tor you"
At nine the next evening, punctually,
drove up the Duchess chariot with its
footman in livery, and Vivier was received
with very unusual. pOliteness-a result,
evidently, of the description of his man.
ners given by Her Graces envoy. From
that time the vogue of the eccentric horn.
player became triumphant.