Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-09-16
,lEiA. GAZETTE & VIRGINIA ADVERTISl
THE PRIMA DOMAIN RUSSIA.


lowing is the report of the interviewers:-
\ writer upon the staff of the n Y. Herald
called yesterday upon Nine. Nilsson, at the
hotel (the Clarendon,) where she it staying
He found the artist in perfect health and
spirits, and looking the prototype of the Mile.
Nilsson whom the American public lost eigh-
teen mouths ago. Those months have left no
outward record of their flight. What inward
record they have left will be seen when the cur
tain goes up and Nioletta and Lucia and Mig
non and ali the rest come trooping on. In the
course of conversation Nine. Nilsson made
many illusions to her recent career IN Russia.
She likes the Russian people and appreciates
the exceeding enthusiasm with which they re-
ceived her. Both In Moscow ani st. Peters
burg her success was emphatic. lD the latter
city her benefit night was something to be
borne 10 sensitive remembr brance by her (she
says to the latest day OF her lite. he poor
students came pouring out ~ scores tney sur
rounded the doors Of her hotel, and when she
was about to enter her carriage several OF them
seized her, and, inspired by an enthusiasm
which, iu spite Of its violence, never even lost a
respect that seemed to border on reverence, took
her in their arms and bore her in triumph to the
theatre, the others, each With alighted fambeau
D his hand, forming procession. The whole
city was alive with these frantic worshippers,
aud tiualy the police turned out in full force,
holding themselves III readiness in the event Of
fire. During the performance at this theatre
she was recalled torty-fve times, and the stage
was absolutely imbedded with flowers upon
which it was necessary for her to walk yards
before reaching the tootlights. Finally, i'll an-
svcr to the general acclamatlons the artist was
couIpeied to seat herself at piano, which was
conveniently near, and sing one or two of the
Ru>>iuu patloual sopgs, the audience meanwhile
standing and the royal family uniting, up to
the last moment, in the popular enthusiasm.
As the opera had been "Mignon, and as the
heroine bad her hair streaming over her
shoulders, the effect was extremely unique and
picturesque But the honors which Nine.
Nilsson reaped in St. Petersburg assumed
sometimes groteSque and encentrlc shape. 1t
was all very well to receive especial gifts OF
value from various menbers OF the royal taml
y and to be invited to Court concerts. but the
tokens of regard presented by the students
must have some time sorely tried the equa-
bily of the artists nerves. On more than
one occasion, Incredible as 1t may seem to cold
cr blooded Americans, some of the students, in
company with not few officers OF dlgnlhed
rank, prostrated themselves on the ground and
Nine. Nilsson was obliged to walk in order to
said the speaker, her eyes glisteniDg at the re-
uvmurauce 1T was really too trying to an
artists feelings to expect her to acceptit But
there they were, and what was | TO do At
my concerts the people behaved so sometime
that was frightened. Being requested to mcu-
ton the particulars, Nine. Nilsson said that the
people rushed to the edge Of the stage, snached
stthe hem other dress and tore it ito fragments:
caught her and held her, SO that she could not
move, and lett her in q condition that must
have resembled that of the 'priest all tattered
aud torn" They stole her gloves, her fan,
her handkerchief, her bouquet, and almost took
the slippers from her feet The prima donna
who would 90 unmoved through such scenes
must needs have steady nerves and strong
Constitution. So far as enthusiasm goes, ST.
letcr>burg audience is the beau IDEAL Moth.
Ing to compare with it is seen elsewhere. One
Of the most unique recollections which Nine.
Nilsson brought forward was her bear shooting
bear the Cult Of Finland, while on her visit 10
kuSSla Bear shooting is not general pastime
with the Russian ladies, bnt NJ. Rouzaud, her
husband was going and Nine Nilsson came to
the determination that she would like to try
her hand Her courage kept up uuti she saw
,ri ne bear, and then it kept up great deal more.
lGe readers Of the Herald will scarcely credit
what an next going to say, but since the as
N'ance came from the artists own lips there
+ 10 question about it. The bear approached
tie was one of those old white Russian bears
mat We read about, very handy to have IN
novel, but not so handy to have within sight.
but the heart Of the Swedish singer did not
aler, neither did her hand. She knelt, she
ooS alm, she fired 10 another instant the
Gear lay rolling in death, and when his silver
mfQatcd slayer returned to the Russian capital
PERHAPS this little incident did more than any
1nlng else to lend fresh impulse to that celeb
NY Which had first been won by her voice.
MONSTER UMBRELLAs.-A manufacturing
arm at Glasgow, Scotland, have recently made
sSo paanlun umbrellas of enormous size
lGey are each nearly thirty-three feet in cir
cllnierence, sufficient to afford protection to
ss>out twenty-five persons. One is made Of
Iae damask silk, with handsome variagated
wool fringe nine inches deep. The other one
made OF rep silk, with pure silver fringe,
sad lined with white silk At the top Of each
"a y, handsome gilt ornament; the ribs are of
'AaIebone, each thick enough for walking
:ane' The stick, which is of brentwood, orna-
.;so'ed and polished, is FIVE yards long, is
:tAied 10 the centre to make the umbrellas
a.Is A'Ie portable, and has heavy spike at the
ss ~! ior liking in the ground. The umbrellas,
iJslated at about $3.50 each, have been Or
a,'i a'e1 by firm trading in Africa, and are sup
5s ,D,'I 10 be designed for presents tor some OF
s;.l SHREVEPORT, which is so severely afflicted
,|p "Hn yellow fever, is situated on the west bank
,i': r"u river in the northern part of Louisiana,
~ aS'lt u three hundred miles by land northwest
ito naIon rT Rouge and about thirty miles below
p,,;. p., "reat Raft" which is the limit of navi-
;oru srs.on Tor large steamboats,. 1t is thriving
d,l,' and previous to its present isolation had
yass communication by water and railway with
Iar,0 orleans and all parts of the country. a
se business has been carried on at Shreve-