The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-10-20
MARIO AND GRIsI.
Their Eccentric Habits and Devotion
TO Each Other.
From CasseIrs Saturday Journal

From CdSseHS Saturday Journal
Mario, Marquis of Gambia, one of the
greatest tenors OF his owl or, indeed, Of
any age, married in 1856 Guilia Grisi, who
was, perhaps, the greatest dramatic singer
of this century. She died in 1862 He,
after making aud losing an enormous for
tune, died in 1888 at the age of IS. Both
were remarkable people, not merely as
artists, and the lives Of both will, no doubt,
some day be written.
But it is already high time for the serious
blographer to take up his pen. While he is
delaying writers who have but fragmentary
facts at their disposal are investing the
careers of tho two Singers with legends and
myths which, unless soon con5radicted, will
eventually be accepted as history.
According to a sketch by one of these
writers, recently published in Paris. and
which contains statements that, although
they are PROBABLY not all true, are sutti-
GENTLY curious to deserve notice. Mario
was the most extravaganza individual that
ever lived. Not satisfied with possessing
houses in Paris and il London, he had a
villa at Brighton and a palace at Florence;
and at each of these establishments he kept
large permanent staff of servants. Every
where money ran like water. After his
marriage with Grlsi he never permitted her
to spend farthiag Of her own income, and
she was thus enables to save something for
her daughters from the ultimate wreck of
Mario's fortunes.
When he was not singing Mario dined in
great state at 9 o'clock. An invitation 10
Lis banquets, we are assured, was much
sought after; but the host seems to have
made little or no distinction between kings
and peasants. His mGitre d'hoteL informed
him when dinner was served, and it was
not an uncommon thing for Mario to enter
his dinlng-room with princess on his arm.
GriSi, nevertheless, always sat on his right !;
and after the soup her devoted husband in
variably turned toward her and, with a
pretty speech. emDtied his FIRST glass in her
honor. ..--.
He usually slept by day and seldom awoke
until about o'clock in the afternoon.
Meantime the newspapers were placed by
his bedside; but he never looked at them,
and so great was bis distaste for letters and
papers of all kinds that one of his finest
estates is said to have been seized and sold
by his creditors, he learning nothing of the
affair until several weeks had elapsed. Even
then he only heard of the business by acct
dent.
Grisi, on the other hand, was most meth
odical. She arose early and personally
looked after the comfort of her children
and household. Her weakness was an inor-
dinate love of jew elry, and she would wear
scores of rings on her fingers and two
| watches at time. She was proud of her
beauty and tried to preserve it by causing
| herself TO be rubbed with orris and violet
| Lowder, add by bathing her face, neck and
| arms in crushed strawberries, of which she
| consumed fabulous quantities, both in and
| ont of season. She also drank milk of al
monds, beverage which, in the belief of
| some, indirectly caused her death. She had
three maids, whose sole employment was &c
| dress her; but they were not enough for her
| needs, for she changed her costume at every
| hour Of the day, although it was her Gus.
| tom never to wear anything but white be-
| fore dinner. At dinner her favorite robe
| was of black velvet, over which she wore a
necklace of twelve rows of pearls.
Mario gave her presents almost daily, and
at her death she left a large collection Of
| valuable trinkets and curiosities Although
| he was always most devoted husband,
| Grisi was not above jealousy, and once,
| when he was singing at st. Petersburg and
a rumor reached her that Russian princess
was showing him attentions, she left Flor
eace with the intention of facing and con-
| founding her supposed rival. 1t was her
last journey. She fell i'll at Vienna, whence
she telegraphed to Mario, who came at
once. But he came too late. Grisi was
dead when he arrived.
The French authors account Of Crisis
| funeral is almost Incredible. Mario, he
says, ordered coffin to be cut out of rock
| crystal and to be mounted in silver.
Within, visible to all. was laid the dead
singer, dressed in her favorite white and
covered with gems. Soon after her death
| he withdrew from the stage and retired &c
Rome, when ne entirely changed his habits
| of life.
"a year before his DEATH" concludes the
| writer, II had the pleasure of passing the
| evening with him. We sat together unit
| far into the night, so completely did he
enthrall me with mis- "reminiscences. The
singer had become a philosopher. As far
as I was able to judge, he accepted his
modest position, and was even happy ia it
! His favorite occupation at that time was
| the reseating of cane-bottomed chairsp
| He was then poor, and, of course, too ole
| to attempt to retrieve his fortunes. During
| one of his previous residences in England he
lived at Klngston-on- Thames, where many
strange stories Of his prLncely liberalIty,
| his kindness of heart, his curious nocturnal
habits, and his commanding appearance
are still current. A gooi and true account
Of his life should form one of the most en-
chanting books of biography; but this
French sketch of him is too brief and too
romantic to fill the void.