The Bossier banner., 1893-11-30
JENNY LIND'S ROMANCE.
The Love Affair in the Life Of the
Nightingale.

No one could see Jenny Lind and not
fall under the charm of her perfect
naturalness, freshness and originality.
Although her features were irregular,
she was anything but plain; her COM
plexion was fair; she had abundant
flaxen hair and the most wonderful
gray eyes, a beautiful figure and hands
and arms and graceful movements. Hers
was not the Slow, sinuous grace, which
has it's own charm; her movements
were light, decided and expressive
She always seemed to do everything
more quickly than anyone else At
this time she was studying the part of
Susanna "a ''sweet part" she SAID it
was, and had the partition of the
''Nozze" always on the knee. In the
evening she sang her Swedish songs,
and then we all went out to listen to
the nightingale's singing under the
magnificent old beeches. She had a
passion for the song of these ''little
sisters" of hers, and used to mimic them
and excite their rivalry, so that the air
was filed with music.
1t was strange that it should have
been the fate of my father, writes C.
M. Simpson in the New Review" who
was entirely destitute of musical sense,
to be of use to the most celebr
singer of the day. 1t was in 1S49 she
had resolved to give up the stage and
had afhanced herself to Mr. Claudius
Harris, young Indian officer, brother
to Mrs Joseph Grote, whom she met at
the Palace, Norwich. My mother and
had just returned from our drive one
cold afternoon in April, and l found in
the hall a note from Miss Lind for my
mother, asking her to beg my father to
call on her next day.to meet her trustees
abouG her marriage settlements, either
atthree, or, if that were not possible, at
nine, p. m. 1t so happened that he was
not free at three, SO he went to her at
nine She did not expect him, and was
quite alone. They entered at once
upon business, and my father soon
found out that she was very half
hearted about the matter altogether
Indeed, she could scarcely have found
partner less suited to her. Mr.. Har-
ris and his family were intensely low
church, and they thought that the re-
mainder of the great prima donna's life
could not be more appropriately spent
than in atoning for her theatrical
career. The attraction to Jenny was in
her lovers goodness. She said he had
such pure mind"
But when she was first introduced to
him she said to Mrs. Stanley: What
dull young man. Nothing could be
more true, He was heavy and stupid,
but tall, fair and good looking. The
Stanleys supported Jenny in her reso-
luton to give up the stage, and so in
deed did Mrs. Grote from different
reason, for, in spite of her intense sym
pathy with her young friends artistic
al career, she saw that the strain was
too great. Jenny was worn out by
fatigue and emotion. She threw her
self into every part as if she herself
were suffering the woes of the hero
Inc, unlike other great actors and
actresses, who succeed in making their
representation to a certain degree me-
chanlcal. But her essentially truthful
spirit could not do this. The tears she
Wept in La Sonnambula" came from
her heart. We had more than once the
stage box, and could see that she was
almost overpowered by her feelings.
She had led this trying life for upward
OF ten years, and she longed for rest
and the peace and regularity of domes-
tic life The manager of Her Majesty's
theater, Mr.. Lumley, was in despair.
1t was almost ruin to him to lose her.
and he urged for at least few fare
we'll performances; she offered instead
series of dramatic concerts. Only one
took place.
Although the 'Flauto Magico. which
was chosen for the first performance,
would seem to be independent of act
ing, the hbretto is so eminently stupid
and undramatic, yet, in spite of Jenny
Llnds splendid singing, the whole af-
1alr fell fiat, to her great disappoint-
ment Never before had she met
with cold reception. Mrs. Grote and
Lumley entreated her to give the oper-
atlc performances but she would not
yield. At length my father succeeded
where they failed They suggested that