Woman's chronicle. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1888-1???, 1890-06-07
FANNIE /. JACKSON.
Jenny Lind and the Captain.

During Jenny Lind's visit to this country, thirty
years ago, steamboat load of ladies and gentle
men went all the way from Memphis Little Rock,
and Vicksburg to New Orleans to hear her sing.
1t was nothing for people to go such distances and
even greater, to listen to the great cantatrce But
the intense enthusiasm and overwhelming rush to
her concerts generally crowded out the farthest
and fastest served corners, and this was the case
with the party from up the river When they ar
rived in New Orleans there was not a seat to be
obtained for love or money
There were hundreds of people belonging to the
first families of the South, and they went away
bitterly disappointed. But learning that Miss
Lind herself would be passenger on the boats
return TO Louisville they determined to see her, If
they could not hear her. The master of the boat
was Captain Thomson, very king on the river
in those days, among Mississippi steamer captains.
Toward noon of the first day, after leaving New
Orleans one of the young ladies', a Senator's
daughter came to Captain Thomson IN trouble.
Jenny Lind would not even be seen, she said,
through all the long trip, for she intended to take
her meals in the stateroom The gallant captain
assured her that he would see to that, and he went
at once to interview Mr.. Barnum, who was Jennys
manager.
els Miss Lind ready to dine? It is nearly time
for the bell to ring"
NO. she takes her meals in her room.'
"Not on my boat" said the captain, with per-
feet courtesy, but like a man who generally had
his own way
Very soon after he knocked at the door of Jen-
ny's stateroom, and politely introduced himself.
He told her of his passengers disappointment;
that they had come from two hundred to six hun
dred miles to hear her sing, and had been shut out
by the crowd. The ladies would take it much to
heart if she remained by herself all the way up
the river.
The amiable songstress expressed lively inter.
est In the situation at once, and offered to be
guided by the captains advice. The result was
that he led her triumphantly down to dinner. The
captain was delighted, of course, but he was not
content with his single victory. He had a mind
that his passengers should hear Miss Linds won
derful singing.
When he spoke to Mr.. Barnum about it, the
astonlshed manager told him he talked like crazy
man.
'She gets thousand dollars for every song she
sings. If you can afford to give that, all right"
Captain Thomson fancied that Miss Lind her.
self might not exactly take that view of it. He
had on board several musical young negroes, one
of them gifted with remarkable tenor voice, and
he contrived to have these brought in to sing and
play the banjo in the cabin.
From the first of her visiting in the South, Jenny
had interested herself ardenty in all that pertained
to plantation life, and the strange wild music of
the negro band quite enchanted her. Some of the
pathetic slave songs of the young tenor even
affected her to tears-as they did not few of the
other listeners. Within five minutes after the
negro band had finished, Jenny was at the piano,
initiating the simple airs she had caught from them;
and then, striking more familiar chords, she poured
forth the splendid melody of her matchless voice
in song after song of her own.-Selected.
On HARVARD SQUARE.-Student Ito servant)-
| Thought Won had finished sweeninr nv room