The workingman's advocate., 1872-10-26
Musical Anecdotes.

A POOR woman with baby in her arms,
the very picture Of misery, was singing in
the streets of London popular AIR in a
dreary and plaintive voice. No one paid
any attention to the beggAr; she continued
amid the general Indifference Of the pass
ing public, reaping here and there a soli-
tary copper A broad and stout gentle
man stopped and looked at her for mo
ment, and then, taking of his hat and put
ting it On the pavement before him, he
began the famous dig paf air Of Les Hu-
guenots" in a splendid bass voice A large
crowd was soon gathered around the new
performer and his protegee pennies and
even shillings came down rapidly in the
hat and as the grave and magnificent air
was being delivered in a masterly manner
that was not to be mistaken, a murmur Of
admiration went round the dense circle.
When the piece was finished the singer
took up the money, handed il to the beg
gar, and walked hastily away, not, how
ever, before being recognized by an &C
quaintance as Sig. B, one of the
principal bassi Of Her Majesty's.
THE Paris correspondent q the Man
chester Guardian is responsible for the
following The celebrated pianist Leo
pold de Mayer gives his experience at the
Turkish Court in letter which is going
the rounds Of the papers. 1t was, he
says, no easy matter to play music in the
seragllo. You are sent for at eight in the
morning in order to play at three in the
afternoon you must be in full uniform
you wait seven hours Ill very fine gallery,
where it is forbidden to sit. From time to
time you are informed Of what his High
ness is doing. His Highness has Just got
up-you must prostrate yourself. A little
later you are told that his Hlghness is
taking his bath-you prostrste yourself
again. His Highness is dressing
reprostrate yourself. His HighI.ess is
taking his coffee, and you reprostrate your
self at each Of these particulars more pro
foundly than before. At length your
piano is brought in. The legs have been
taken off, 80 as not to injure the floor, a
precious mosaic of rare woods. The inn
mense grand piano is placed on five Turks
The wretched men support the crushing
mass ON their knees. Why" you say,
~ can't play on five-Turk piano" 1t il
thought that you hesitate because the in
strunent is not horizontal. A cushion is
therefore placed under the knees Of the
smallest Turk. No one supposes that a
sentiment Of humanity makes you hesitate.
After a long explanation of this refinement
of civilization the piano is placed on its
own legs again. The Sultan appears. After
all sorts of salaams you are told to play.
You ask for chair there is no chair No
one ever sits in presence Of his Highness.
M. de Mayer suppresses one detail, which,
however, is current as authentic He
played long fantasia on his knees, and
when, at the end, the Sultan said he
thought he must be very tired, M Dc
Mayer convinced his Highness Of the con
trary by moving round the gallery on his
hands.
AN exchange comments upon a recent
auction sale Of furniture of the Milll
House, Charleston, at which man bid $5t
for mattress because Nilsson had SLEPT
on it. The writer considers that the sheetl
would be far more preferable possession
and that the mattress might be earth frou
the garden, but very far from the rose
He continues "What proof il there tha
Nilsson did sleep on this mattress at all
The fair Christine may have sat at tn,
window all night, gazing at the moon Tn,
only hope that can now be seen for his util
ixing the treasure In found in the prevail
ing fashion of jewelry. The time ma,
come-and Judging from the jewelers. win
dows will soon come-When he can wea
the mattresses for a bIeastpin and the pil
lows as sleeve buttons