The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-05-20
visit to Jenny Lind.

LONDON, May 4, 1SS0.-The other day /
had the pleasure Of reyiyiug the memories
of the supremest art-delight that ! have ever
enjoyed. | went to call on Jenny Lind.
The u~nforgotten Swedish prima donna,
who for so many years has sung no more,
lives in a spacious and charming mansion
in a retired nook in South Kensin2tOn, a
very grove for the nests Of s0ng-birds, by
tbe-way, for Albani lives but a few doors of,
and more than one Of the passenger war
blers take up their residence habitually in
this pleasant quarter. EmbOwered by trees
and flowers, the home OF Jenny Lind looks
lust fitted 10 be the peaceful retreat for one
who has drained to the very dregs the
worlds intoxicating cup OF Donors and ap-
plause. In The elegant drawing-rOom, hung
With pictures and tastefuIly decorated with
old china. artistic draperies, ETC., i found a
lady whose blue eyes and kindly smile bore
me back at once over the waste OF some thirty
years. Again l sat, an eager, excited school
Girl, glowing with anticipation, on the verge
of my first great art-delight. saw once more
before me the tall, slender figure in its
| white satin drapelies, with green leaves and
| diamonds adofning the abundant fair hair,
and the 0Iden thrill creeps over me that
| heralded the first notes OF that marvellous,
that Incompatible voice, whose tones were
10 those OF the velvet.thrOated Patti
or the silver-yoiced Nilsson as the Re.
| gent compared to the diamonds OF a
| duchess. Shall | forget how old men, who
| knew lust rs much about music as they
knew Of s~an,crit, used to sit with the tears
| streaming down their cheeks while Jenny
Lind was singing 81 Know that My Re-
| deemer Liyeih?" There she stood before
me, the uuforgottcn idol of my girlish idol
airy, changed, indeed. by the lapse OF
years. vet still Enthusiastically The Jenny
Lind Of old. The abundant brown hair,
| with a few lines OF silver amid its locks,
| was iufned'under in the peculiar fashion 10
| wbich she always wore 1t, and the eyes are
| lovely as ever in their expression and in
their soft depths OF lustrous blue. As she
talked her gl0ved hands lay clasped upon
her knee in the easy, graceful pose that
was familiar to us in the Swedish songstress
long years ago. l called her attention TO
the fact, and she smiled at my remember.
ing the attitude, and the pretty German
mOnosyilable :. so !" which used to be an
| other OF The little peculiarities that we no.
ticed and loved because they were hers,
escaped from her lips. A grand piano in
| one corner OF the room, and a large three
quarter length portrait Of herself, painted
ut the height Of her renown, recalled her
past quecnship 10 the realms OF song. She
was handsomely yet plainly dressed In a
rich black silk, closed to the throat with
coral buttons, a shawl OF old Cluny lace
was draped around her shoulders, and she
wore a very simple cap of fine old Venetian
guipure. She spoke in warm terms OF affec-
ton Of the United States, not In reference
10 the welcome and the worship it bad
| onoO,A.a - lor Il, hynnna raaro hat 10
cause, as she said in her quaint English that
had such a charm about il, "your country
takes the rabbie Of all other countries and
gives them all a chance" l spoke OF the fact
that when she sang in America there were
no o~pera-houses there. "And OF that l was
glad" she remarked. "forI had quilted the
stage, ana it was for that reason that l was
anxious TO go to the United States, since
there | would have no temptation to return
10 it," also spoke OF the intense sympa-
tbetic quality OF her talent, and the marvel
lous power that she possessed OF swaying
her audiences at will, particularly in de-
y~otionsl music. Something Of the old
beautiful rapt expression came into her
ewes as she answered: "It was because my
voice came from God and l sang to Godi"
| And so l took my leave of her and went
away, with all tender and exquisite memo
ries OF the divine Joy that the voice OF that
| greatest OF all great singers had ever given
me nesting warm about my heart. L felt
like enc who would seek out a cage wherein
a nightingale bad once sung 10 enchant the
world. aud, finding the bird gone, would
find in It's stead a single snow-white lily.
The wondrous voice has departed, but the
woman, BY purity and sweetness and lofty
intelligence that TENT 1t half its charms, re.
mains unchanged.
msineth siien',
Aad. The music Of It's singing 1. immortal as the
A lady whom ] met during my recent visit
to Versailles told me OF sn incident that
once occurred to her In Darms,adt oproDos
OF Jenny Liud. Tie great Swedish singer.
tben Ia The height OF her powers and her
Tame, wa, engaged to sing at q concert
10 thai city. Ny friend and Der hus.
band arrived at the hotel soon after night
Iap on the evening preceding that
appointed for the concert. They were
met by the landlord, who informed tbrm
That JENNY Lind vax 7hau raha..ss.. -