Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-16

contained one hundred and fourteen auto
graph letters and signatures Of the leading men
OF Napoleon's era. To crafty this expensive
hced. copy of the Versailles Gallery, cost
ing S25O, 1t was stated. was destroyed to obtain
some OF the portraits contained in thu unique
volume. Another remarkable book 81 like
Illustration was Forster's life Of Dickens and
MS works. OF course the first edition was OBJ
tanned and then illusted by manuscripts, auto-
graphs and engravings until the work was
swollen to sixty-fve volumes. A description
OF these and other whims Of illustrators would
MI volume. When once . man OF means Ii
cumulation has complete control Of him and
ne stops at no expense in its indulgence.
ORIGIN OF KATHLEEN MAvoURNEtS.
There was raised some time ago in musical
and literary circles q question about the au-
thorship OF that beautiful song, SO universally
sung and admired, kathleen Mayoufneen."
Attention Is again called to it by the charge
made in q Boston journal that the author Of
Beau Brummell has been guilty Of an anachron-
song of kathleen Mavourneen," when, as he
says, the song was written q hundred years
or so after the famous Beau had been claimed
by death, and by man who is still living, or
was until recently" This writer says: "That
New Workers went for months to see the play
without noticing this incongruity." Mr..
Crouch. l believe, is still living, or was
few years ago, and the song was claimed
to have been written by him, or : his
publisher described it as "Ballad
composed by +. N. Crouch" Mr.. Crouch GER
tainly did not compose the words. They have
been ascribed to the Hon. Mrs. Norton, the
daughter Of Richard Brinsley Sheridan, who
was born in 1908. II this were correct the
song might have been popular in the days
when Beau Brummell reigned supreme among
w nnv,af tint Tod
OF the First gentleman in Europe" for the
Beau did not die until 1910. This astute critic
Is very far behind in the facts which would
constitute an anachronism and the ''incon-
grulty' was not SO noticeable as he suggests.
The song, however. was written before
Mrs. Norton was born. The author of it WAS
Mrs. Annie Crawford, who was born in 1874
and died in 1901. She was an actress and
famous one in her day.
Now, about the music, il it was sung at the
period when Mrs. Crawford lived, or Mrs. Nor
ton, or Beau Brummell, then Mr. Crouch did
not compose the air. Who did? On the return
OF Mrs. Coyie from Europe some years ago she
told me she had found In library in Munich
In volume Of musical compositions certainly
Two centuries old. the very air Of kathleen
naVourneen, almost note for note. She
thought 1t remarkable instance of the melo-
dlous trend OF thought and it passed from my
memory until this recently revived question of
VINO wrote Kathleen Mavourneen" recalled it.
TWO OTHER OLD SONGS.
L saw not very long since OH the program of
a concert'' Last Rose of Summer, attributed
to Flotow. Flotow introduced it in his opera
Of Martha and hence that mistake. Mr..
Payne said the refrain only of "Home, Sweet
Home was composed by Sir Henry Bishop,
who introduced the air and song in the opera
of ''Clairi the Maid Of Milan Robin
Adalr, written century before the production
OF the opera of La Dame Blanche is intro
d1ced most effectively and is the theme of that
opera, but the composer never claimed it as his
composition. How beautifully that gem was sung
by Hablemann, when Leonard Grover gave US
the German opera with Fredericha. Johenson,
Herman, Hablemann and others of merit.
Faust" Martha" THE Magic Flute Eli
delio" and ''Robert" were sung admirably.
Grover made a fortune here. and was a most
liberal manager, and from the little theater at
Carusi's saloon Humphrey Bland retired with
a competence. Those were palmy days for the
theater. The crowd left here by the war and
the large sums of money in circulation rem
dered this city an attractive place. Most of
those congre9ated here were glad to avail
themselves OF any amusement offered. 1t is
always so at such periods. The terrors of war
demand some relief and the need was felt here
where the seat OF war was for SO long a time in
our immediate ncighborhood.
GEORGE PEABoDY's BENEFAcTIoSs.
All the great benefactions of our age have
come from bachelors. The list of them dis
closes this fact-Girard. Johns Hopkins, Nc
Donald, Lenox, Tilden, Peabody, John Crerar.
Samuel Wood and James Lick. None of them
had entered the married life and hence their
sympathy seems to have embraced the whole
world.
The name of Peabody is to washingtonians a
household word, for here he began his mercan-
tile career as the partner of the father of the
late George W. Riggs in the firm of Peabody,
Riggs d Co. in Georgetown, which so sue
cessful that it enabled him tc become the
worlds greatest benefactOr. His first great
work. which as years roll on will cause his name
to be remembered in all ages. was the contri-
button of some millions for the model lodging
houses of London. Ibis plan of beneficence
emanated from the mind of Mr.. Peabody who
designed it should be perpetual benefit 20
coming generations. Today those who enjoy
this most muniticent endowment numbers
fully $4,000 persons, and the increase of
those benefits year by year will be extended
perpetually. His muniicence to Baltimore
his second home, as he called it, was imperial
The first instance was when Maryland sent her
bonds to London during panic. Mr.. Peabody
placed 81, 100000 OF them at PR and donated
his commission. 500 coo. to the poor of Balsi-
more. 10 found the Peabody Institute he gave
over s3.0c0,000. and that monument to his
memory augmen.s daily the benefits ii bestows
upon those who enjoy, in increased and increas-
ing numbers, the nigh educational advantages
provided by his munificence. His be1uest to
the south for educational purposes amounts to
So. 0C0 600, and the admirable manner in
which the great trust is administered by the
distinguished trustees to whom he committed
this be1uest insures untold benefits in the fu-
ture. Nearly all these princely donations were
made during Mr.. PeabOdy's life and he had the
pleasure of witnessing the effect of the benefits
they conferred.
APPRECIATED DURING HIS LIFE.
II ever u man was made to feel how highly
his benefactions were appreciated it was George
Peabody. HOnors were heaped upon him. The
Queen OF England rendered him every honor
which she and the nation could bestow
He declined them all. Decorations. titles Of
nobility and every mark of distinction within
her power to grant he refused with grateful
thanks, and at last the queen sent to ask him
what he would accept from her as a testimonial
of her appreciation and Of that of the British
nation OF his great benevolence. Mr.. Peabody
in reply, said he would be pleased to receive an
autograph letter from her majesty that he
might take it home to America and treasure it
as one of her majesty's most loyal sons. The
queen sent the letter, and with it her portrait
by one Of the most eminent British artists
The letter and portrait are in the Peabody
Institute. at Peabody, Mass. The death Of Mr.
Peabody cast gloom over the face of Europe
and America. for his great charities had made
his name familiar the world over. Again the
British government desired to confer its highest
honors on the departed philanthrOpist. They
desired that his remains should be inferred in