The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-03-26
MARIO AND GRISI.
Their Eccentric Habits and Devotion 70
Each Other.

MARIO AND GRISi.
Their Eccentric Habits and Devotion 70
Each Other.
Mario. Marquis of Gambia. one of the
greatest tenors of his own. or, indeed,
of any age, married in 1886 Guilia Grfsi,
who was, perhaps. the greatest dra-
matte singer of this century. She died
in 1869. lie, after making and losing
an enormous fortune. died in 1883 at the
age of scventy-five. Both were re-
markable people, not merely as artists,
and the lives of both will, no doubt,
some day be written.
But it is already high time for tho
serious biographer to take up his pen.
While he is delaying. writer's who have
but fragmentary facts at their disposal
are investing the careers OF the two
singers with legends and myths which,
unless soon contradicted, will eventu-
ally be accepted as history.
According to- sketch by one OF these
writer's. recently published in Paris,
and which contains statements that,
although they are probably not all true.
are sufficiently curious to deserve no
tice, Mario was the most extravaganza
individual that ever lived. Not satisfied
with possessing houses in Paris and in
London. he had villa at Brighton and
palace at Florence: and at each of these
establishments he kept large perma-
nent staff of servants. Everywhere
money ran like water. After his mar
riage with Grisi he never permitted her
to spend farthing of her own income,
and she was thus enabled to save some
thing for her daughters from the ulti-
mate wreck of Mario's fortu es.
When he was not singing Mario dined
in great state at nine o'clock. An invi-
tation to his banquets. we are assured,
was much sought after: but the host
seems to have made little or no distinc-
ton between kings and peasants. His
mditre d Intel informed him when dinner
was served. and it was not an uncom-
mon thing thing for Mario to enter his
dining room with princess on his arm.
Grisi, nevertheless, always sat on his
right: and after the soup her devoted
husband invariably turned toward her
and, with pretty speech, empticd his
first glass in her honor.
He usually slept by day and seldom
awole until about five o'clock in the
afternoon. Meantime the newspapers
were placed by his bedside: but he never
looked at them, and so great was his
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 MOTH
ing of the affair until several weeks
had elapsed. Even then he only heard
of the business by accident
Grisi. on the other hand. was most
method;cal. She arose early and per-
sonally looked after the comfort of her
children and household. Her weakness
was an mo dinate love of jewelry, 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 powder.
and by bathing her face, neck and arms
in crushed Strawberries, of which she
consumed fabulous quantities, both in
and out of season. She also drank
milk Of almonds, beverage which.
in the belief of some. indirectly caused
her death. She had three maids.
whose sole employment was to 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 custom never to wear anything but
white before 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 large collec-
ton of valuable trinlxets and curiosities.
Although he was always most devoted
husband, Grisi was not above jealousy.
and once, when he was singing in St
Petersburg and a rumor reached her
that Russian princess was showing
him attentions. she left Florence with
the intention of facing and confounding
her supposed rival. 1t was her last
journey. She fell i'll ut Vienna. whence
she telegraphed to Mario. who came al
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 bc
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 to Rome, when he en-
tirely changed his habits of life.
"a year before his DEATH" concludes
the writer, Il had the pleasure of pas
sing the evening with him. We sat to-
gether until far into the night, SO COM
pletcly did he enthrall me with his rem
iniscenccs. The singer had become a
philosopher As far as l was able to
judge. he accepted his modest position.
and was even happy in it, Ills favorite
occupation at that time was the reseat-
ing of cane-bottomed chairs!''
He was then poor, and, of course. too
old to attempt to retrieve his fortunes.
During one of his previous residences in
England he lived at Kingston-on-the-
Thames, where many strange stories Of
his princely liberality, his kindness Of
heart. his curious nocturnal habits, and
his commanding appearance, are still
current A good 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.-Cassell's
Saturday Journal.
A CATS WONDERFUL LEAP.
Jumping From the Top OF tho Washing
ton Mopxment.
In the latter part of 1880, at a time
when the Washington monument had
reached a height of leo feet. an adyen-
turous and patriotic cat assembled the in.
terror of the shaft by means of the rnnes