New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-23
MR.. BONFIGS PROTEGE.

Fbenezer Bonfig was a widOwer between hlty ana
s,xtv wears of age freSh-cOored and alert, exceed
inply dapper and natty in his appearance very Wen
10 do ana member OF one or Two some huls IiuLo
than respectable clubs. 1t had been long ago iVI-
gotten that Bonfigs her had made his lOr une by
The discovery and extensive sale OF an eSOteTc CON-
p und known by the title OF Luncheon llchle;
and the son had never been tainted on account OF
his sTes connection with trade since he nad ltl coz
lege where of course the nickname OF Pickles had
been affixed TO him. But EDenezef was no tull--
hunter: not in the least ambitious or dcSlrous OF
passing himself off for what he was moi, ana look
the thing with great and undistWbed good huinor,
ill the term lost all trace OF cOntemluouS cApeS-
sion and pecame transformed into kindly peculiar
epilhe used by his particular chums III moments OF
endearing expansion. After leaving college b9nhg
married. led an even, chdIess existence Ht'eu 'od
lady of a temperament as calm and eq liable as MS
own un il death dissolved this stornieSs partner
ship and left him to nurse III sontude "a crowd OF
sweet and coHcOrdant memories. ,
Yet Ebenezer had one ruling passion; II indeed
sober worthy crotchet deserves TO be dlgulued by
such a name lie dotted On muSlt and musicians. lie
was steadfast subscriber TO the ltanan opera; at
tended every philharmonic, sacred, ana classic con-
cert. where good musical fare was Il certainty, ana
was generally tolrrauly " IL posted up IN operauc
gossip The SOrehOuse of his IccUlectlOnS was rlcn
with anecdotes OF singers o! worlII"de anne many
of whom he mad known personally III ms younger
DAYS; aud 10 get Bonhg on TO his pet subject was
common trick practiSed with con>i ierable JUNCTION
by his friends at the club aud elsewhere.
sir Ebeuezer would say, his plca. ant TuhIcund
face glowing with modest triumph, / mad Inc n nor
nj heing ON speaking terms with The great Manbran
the great Maria MallOran herself. We slau never
see her like again. Patti, Nilsson, lie Jrns dohi
talk to IHr of any of Them SIT great artists IN their
way no doubt, who command our gT1uMde I0T the
pleasure they give us, but not one OF them touch
upon Mahbran. Thai W. man SIT wasn't woman
al all when on the stage; e was an anger ana
fury by turns, the occasion required. wonder
tul! W ndcrlul. And DO you know what she used,
10 keen herself up To the marx Porter, slr-good
honest poTter she would drink a whole uOttl.tul
lust before GONG tine boards and, by gaL you
should have seen the world OF good IT uld her!
WHAT a power 1t gave her! l have handed her The
H.. af- z.fTn u "A
singer if you ike, or I'm a Dutchnan!
a host OF the best singer, were all familiar per-
sOuages to HIM. He hdu either known them from
ms stall ut he Opcra-hOuse or, what was even
better, made their acquaintance at some OF those
celebrated garden parties, gwen by sui NeI-ie-
meiubered ,mpyesdrtO of former days. BOnig uId
coutrIved to make himse extremely ,OpUar IN
then society ana got to be received with genuine
8 ire al welcome where men oil high raul aud utle
were only more or less tolerated account of their
social influence and standing. lnDerd, on one or
twn delicate occasions, his good offices mad been So
lcited 10 shake the unDendIng obduTacl OF some
Teca cltTaut prlHa donna and IL was manly due to
his persuasive good humOT ana plausible serenity.
that storm IN - tea-cup, which might have proved
serious 10 managerial Interests, avcrtrd. Artists
knew they had an cHthusla tic, sincere niue friend
in him ready To eXut with them IN their Success
ana to console them with graceful tact in their fam
ure HIS bouquets, flung with Il superb flourish
aud with uuerIiug ann, were things To be rcmen-
bered ana his honest face, beJninS Win undis-
guised rapture, looked for as Sympl ,h'tIc
stimulus useful antidote 10 fashionable British
frost.
was master OF the craft himself lie could not
have decIph,red single bar of music 10 save his
life and was only known 10 have attempted 10 sing
once when he frightened by the hlueousiY
dIscordant sounds which came from him, that he
retired quite disconnected and upset. lie simply
had an unlimited capacity for appreciation; a
reverent admiration Tor anything like a decent
voice and the power of using II. lie would have
rlseH a SICK bed, rather than miss "a pcriOr-
nance of artistic consequence, and pos poned his
most pressing engagement to put himself al the dis
pDsal OF a singer The grasp oil "A peers hand would
not afforded INN a tithe Oi the qualification
winch passing nod from LdDlache gave MIN and
as for Of SaiibTan's smiles, he would not have
bSrteTed IL for kingdom. a. was "A M >tcIy too,
wuence hs derived ms extraordinary pre- IlrcI H.
Bonhg seniors soul had never scared Tor instant
aDOYe pickles. ana the account at his bankers; Ddt
then 70 be sure, problems OF greater ntricacy re-
main 10 TINS en- uu.Olyed-
Alter the death OF his gentle companion who,
far from checking kbeneleT, had dole her very best
t. share his enthusiasm he stlll continued 10 i'll
teIost himself I'D musical matters; but MS interest
grew less active, and iound It's vent rather more IN
the retrospective than ia the present pros
The iBtprcsQrtO. who had iOphed upon BOuug IN "a
measure counsellor and staunch ally had
tOund a successor; ntW ARTISTS had taken The place
81 ;ie old, and kDenezer--a hp Van Wrinkle, IN an
Old world become new, without Eis even having
Aoen asleep-was iai1 10 content himself with
making his appearance rs usual In ms stall, ard
induigmg IN regrets ci glOricu, last when Yer he
gOt me chancc OF dOinE so. inc modern school OF
song had oil course, degenera ed IN hs opinion ana
with IT, the modern school oi lyrical composition.
He bitter anti Magucrite. aud for he life of
hun cOnld not see what the put lie found to auuaUd
in the music OF that cOniounded German which to
iim all noise and melody
H.
But he was shortly 10 be reused from this COM
narrative state of apathy. One day Ia called moon
am Old college friend, home from ludIa ami Saving
at "A bo9rdIn house situated IN OF the squares
81 the West-Central district. Whilc the two ere
talking Il gcthcr amcaDiY IN the somewhat dingy
dr5wingroOm. BOuhg became suddenly dIs grace
Soiiy natteniIve 10 the conversation and strangely
absorbed m listening To the sound Ot voice which
seemed 20 shoot up from somewhere about the base
ment of the house.
1t was, howeser a voice wen worthy OF attention.
mans voice of pronounced tenor qualify r.ch.
strong. agreeable and OF extreme purity; one Of
those voices which. ordinary sized rooms, shake
the chandelier glasses and cause sense OF vibra-
toh IN the diaphragm OF tie listener bnt Which. IN
IaIge nan, lucky in MS acoustics swell INTO hfr
InoniouSly-regulatodw waves OF sound as full and
majestic As tie notes OF a church organ.
pom eyes tw.nked with excitement.
marx. be SAID; SOMEONE IS singing; you didn't
sc,i me you had an artist IN the house
fOoh us no ARTIST IT'S only LOnis the servant,
vi AdlttI, OF VIVA ever 90 an