Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-06-10
ODE aas spp; dalurost, saturoap Nomng Sumo H. 1871

born to be something better than page! NO
| house of INV narents nor any where else; but
| cannot bear them, the cats NY hlotner u i ~
| giving me birth and was left to cry for hours
| at time. That perhaps helped 70 give me Soou
| lungs Afterwards my lie was rougn, ana my
| schooling hard; but my voice grew probably on
| that very account like tree, and learned TO
sine from the organ. My father made me stand
near him when he played, and l was obliged to
! let nv voice swell and sink with the organ tones
| MANY box on the ear did | receive when
cried out loud alone, without modulating my
| voice. So learned. and one day my father
twtched my hair, which was his greatest act of
endearment and said: Now ALPS right; now
we shall become a singer AT first was put in
the chapel choir, aud then had Scuchi for my
master. Later went to Rome and Venice, and
now am here in the north, as you see. But a
singers lungs that have once breathed the air of
Italy, can not long endure beneath this grey
sky-my stay here will not be Of long duration.
And, besides, am heartily vexed at all the do
ings of the women, and, above all, of that little
coquettish devil, Angelique Ia Barre with her
thin voice, and goat-lke quavers, who has be-
witched you all. She is worse than the Swedes,
for she spois the whole theatre, and my best
scholars, especially you. See, how red you have
become, little fooll 0, | know all, know how
she calls you caressingly her countryman, al
though your native country, Brabant is almost
as far from that serpent's nest, Paris, as Copen-
hagen from Rome, and how she entices you to
herself to talk gibberish with you. My heart is
ready to burst when hear all that, and yet can
change nothing, because you are all mad. l
should like to throw her into the water, the sly
catl Now sing-I have vented my ragel"
And the clear, wonderfully beautiful treble voice
sang, but the soul of Franciscus was not in the
tones. The censure of his instructor, TO whom he
was devoted with all the passion of young, fiery
heart, had made a deep impression. An
orphan from his tender years, the beautiful boy
had been taken by distant relatives from his be-
| loved fatherland to strange Denmark. His
| beauty and his charming voice had soon caused
an excitement in the northern capital, and the
music loving king heard of the young stranger.
Frederick Third loved two things above all
| others, handsome men and beautiful voices.
| Franciscus pleased him at the first glance by
| the beauty and grace of his whole appearance;
and the execution of little Brabant popular
| song so delighted the royal heart, that he de-
| sired henceforth to hear the singer daily. He
| Immediately put him under the care of a most
skillful teacher of music, had him instructed
| also in science and literature loaded him with
presents; and the favorite of the sovereign soon
became the favorite of the whole court and of
the aristocracy of Copenhagen. The elegant
| little page as they called him, was loaded with
batteries, and he grew up like little prince.
His royal patron himself frequently called him
| "my dear sonF' Thus years passed away, when
| two forms came on the stage that were destined
to give a different turn to Franciscus's life; the
| charming cantatrice Angelique la Barre came
| from Paris, and took an engagement at the
| opera, and Caspar Foster was invited to Copen-
| hagen as royal director of music.
AT a festival given in the palace OF a rich and
aristOcratic patron of the arts it happened that
| the French cantatrice and actress saw AMI heard
| the handsome page for the first time. Surprised
at his beauty and grace, she made him advances
| of loving friendliDess, and without farther in
PRODUCTION offered to become his inStructress in
| singing. DazZled, he looked up to this appear
ance out of a strange world, this fairy, who
nodded and smiled upon him out of q rosy red
cloud of silk and lace. He was enyeloped in an
intoxicating odor that streamed from the nosegay
blooming on her breast dark eyes CLEANED upon
him, and it seemed as il he had never seen more
beautiful lips than those, which just now whis-
pered in the language Of his native land; "Will
you accept me as your instructress in singingp
Who to such question would have been able
to answer mo-?
Later in the evening, when taking leave of
him, she told him he might come every day;
and so he went to her, and stood near the harp,
which she played in so mastery manner, and
sought to sing after her the charming trills and
roulades which she warbled to him with the
voice of little bird. But how many unoocu=
pied intervals remained in which he could adj
mire her! Elegant was everything about the al
Turing Partisan, the form, the hands and feet,
the mouth and the little nose only the ewes
was not particularly patient, this charming in
structress; how often would she thrust back the
harp, stamp on the floor with her little foot and
say: "Tu chantes CONNIE un petit foul" 1t was
really charming TO see these impatient little feet
in high-heeled shoes of bright colored satin! Or
she would throw herself back in her chair at
trill in which her pupil lost his breath, or at an
awkward roulade, and lauoh eXtraYagantly
However much Francscus blushed at such fail
ures yet he would much rather have continued
to sing badly, only to see her laugh, and at last
to laugh with her. Nothing in the world in
his opinion, could be more beautiful than
the laughing Angelique; she was icreated for
laughter and joyousnesS, just as the sun for
shining. Her eyes sparkled, her pearly teeth
ghttered between her red lips, little dimples ap-
peared everywhere; and the tone of this laugh
ter reminded him of silver bells.
1t sometimes happened, too, that in this
outburSt of hilarity she would seize her young
scholar by the head and kiss him on the fore
head, and he was sure of the same caresS when
he sang after her little air or difficult place
without fault. 1t was strange, but after such
a reward he was unable to sing nearly as well.
Frequently she would order him, after the les
son was over, to sit for while on a stool at her
feet; and then he had to tell her of his old
home, of his childhood and his dead mother
who had taught him to sing such numberless
songs with the sweetest voice in the world, of
his handsome father who had died so early, and
of his old wonderful aunt, who had brought
him with her TO Copenhagen, finally of his
royal patron and the life in the kings castle.
And whilst he spoke her little feet would dance
up and down before him, and little, uneasy
hand play with the locks of his blond hair. The
singing lessons were also occasionally inter-
rupted by visits, as the dwelling of the much
admired eantatrice, at this time especially,
| sembled a dove cot. Elegant cavaliers appeared
TO inquire after the state of health of the queen
| of the stage; neat little colleagues hoped in to
nibble sweetmeats and relate piquant stories.
The young pages progress was therefore not
very rapid from this kind of instruction, but
that troubled him little; he lived the careless
life of flower that sees itself admired by every
one in its first fresh bloom.
AT this time Caspar Foster appeared in the
Danish capital, and, at the especial request of
the king, undertook the direction of the opera
His fame had preceded him on wings of light
When Franciscus heard him for the first time at
a court festival, he stood stiff and motionless
behind the throne of his royal patron, his
beautiful face appeared deadly pale, and the tears
that could not be restrained poured over his
cheeks. The very next morning he knocked at
Fosters door, and beSOught him TO receive him
as pupil. This step cost him a severe strug-
gle, for in his deepest heart he feared the new
director, whom his beautiful friend had pictured
to him as kind OF ogre, and at the same time
polar bear. The celebrated man did not re-
celve him in particularly friendly manner.
The KING has already spoken to me of you, my
son, said he, "but you have had woman for
your instructor. Sing me first a little specimen,
that may myself hear whether | can venture
on your Instruction.
Trembling and excited even to his Utmost
soul, Franciscus sang, and his blue eyes hung
full OF expectation on the severe countenance of
the great singer
You must unlearn again everything that you
have till this hour learned" said Caspar Foster.
"lf you feel within you the strength to do this,
will become your teacher. But, understand
well, will allow no woman to interfere in the
least with my instruction. If you have the
courage TO give yourself into my hands, con-
slider that will have you entirely alone"
81 have nothing more to consider" was
the answer; 81 transfer myself to you body and
soul"
Andso it happened. The very same hour Fran
ciscusiburried to his charming nstructress, and
confessed 10 her that he had surrendered himself
to mightier one. He secretly feared an out
break Of tender reprOaches and entreaties, and
tremblingly asked himself how he would be
able to resist. But she did not entreat, the
beautiful Partisan, she fell much more into the
most violent passion, and made the separation
lighter for the handsome page than he had
dared to hope. The enticing lips overlooked