, 1880-05-17
Audiences at the St. Johns Con-
certS.

I have often wondered what the au-
diences of 1880 would have thought of
those of to-day and tn st. James con-
certs. Art has SO completely revolu-
tionized taste that to-day one finds as
regular subscribers representatives OF
nearly all classes; but here and there
we recognize faces that kindle within
us the feeling which great name IN
spires. One often sees there the slight
figure and keen grave face OF Mr..
Haweis, the gifted author of Music and
Morale. Week after week comes Mad
anne Charlotte Moscheles, the musi-
clans widow and Mendelssohn's friend,
to whom harmony remains as legacy
of the great lives with which hers was
associated-a slender little lady with
silver -whiteAair and delicate mobile
face. A year ago one might have seen
as regular auditor George Eliot--a
la1ge, rather masculine-looking woman
of middle age, in whose strong,
thoughtful face one could read inten-
sity, sadness, that pain which is SO Of
ten the crown that genius wears; the
face is heavily framed in brown hair,
the eyes are dark and singularly mourn
full, the mouth full of grave purpose;
certainly it is not face to forget OF
pass quickly by. In that varied audi
ence we see actors of note, like Irving,
who listens always intently, and musi-
clans like Marzials, the young and now
famous author Of ",Twickenham
Ferry" and dozen other popular bal
lads; Elizabeth Philip, the composer,
whose English ballads are known as
widely as the language, and whose
musical criticisms are eagerly looked
for. Thither, too, come all the musi-
clans who are sojourning, however
briefly, in London. There one day we
recognized Saint-Saens. the French
eomposer-a trinity y-built man OF forty
with dark hair and clear-cut. very
characteristic French face. Not far
away sat Madame Jenny Lind Gold
schmidt, Who, in spite of her complete
retirement to private life, is always
quickly recognized on any public &C.
casion; how can we think Of her save
as our "Swedish Nightingale " of
earlier days? but to her English
friends she is best known as the hostess
of one of the mos beautiful houses in
New Kensington, home full of artis-
tic and musical associations, where
hangs the portrait of her youth which
we all know in prints and engrayings-
the sweet, graceful lady with smoothly
braided hair, white silk gown. and
roses the Jenny Lind of 1880.
At the upper end of the hall, in the
front row of stalls, one is almost sure
to see some of the royal family, gen.
eraIlv Princasa Christian or PrineesS
Beatrice, who come in very quietly,
acknowledging by bow the salutations
of those who rise as they pass, and in
the intervals joining in conversation
with their special friends. of whom
there are sure to be many at every con-
cert in London. The etiquette of
their coming and going is almost un-
noticeable to any one who does not
chance to be near the entrance or exit
at the moment. Down stairs, when
they are leaving, people are requested
! by the attendants to stand still and
move back little while the royal la
dies go out to their carriages. They
bow right and left, perhaps stop to ex-
change word or two with a friend -
sometimes it is with one Of the musi-
clans about leaving-and, in word,
endeavor to do away with the stiff
sense of formality which the forced
pause in the exit of the audience has
given.--MRs. JOHN LILLE, in Harper's
Magazine.