The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-12-08
JENNY LIND'S ROMANCE.
The Love Affair in the Life of the
Nigh tingale.

No one could see Jenny Lind and not
fail under the charm of her perfect
naturalness, freshness and originality
Although her features We're irregular,
she was anything hut plain; her com
pleXion was fair; she had abundant
flaNeu hair and the most wonderful
gray eyes, beautiful figure and hands
and arms and graceful movements. Hers
was not the slow, sinuOus grace, which
has its own charm; her movements
We're 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 sand it
was, and had the partition of the
'EOzZc' always on the knee. In the
evening she sang her Swedish songs,
ana then we all went out TO listen TO
the nightiugalc's singing under the
magnificent old bcechcs She had n
passion for the song of these "little
sisters OF hers, and used TO mimic them
and excite their rivalry, so that the ain.
was filed with music
IT was strange that it should have
been the fate of my father writes c.
NJ. Simpson in the New Review" who
was entirely destitute of musical sense.
80 he Of use to the most celcbra ted
singer of the day. II was in 1919 she
had resolved to give up the stage and
had ahianced herself TO Mr. Claudius
Harris. a young Indian officer. brother
10 Mrs Joseph Grotc, whom she met at
the Palace, Norwich. My mother and
Z had just returned from our drive one
cold afternoon in April. and found in
t.. l..
mother, asking her to beg my father To
cali on her next DAY 10 meet ncr trustees
about her marriage settlements, either
at three, or, if that were not possible, at
nine. p. IN. 1t so happened that he was
not free ut three, so lie 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
a partner less suited to her. Mr.. llar-
ria and his family were intensely low
church, and they thought that the re-
maiRder of the great prima donna's lie
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 a
dull young mani" Nothing could be
more true. He was heavy and stupid,
but tall, fair and good looking. The
Stanleys supported Jenny in her rcso-
luton TO give up the stage, and So in
deed did Mrs. Grote from a 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 il she herself
were suffering the woes of the hero
inc, unlike other great actors and
actresses, who succeed in making their
representation To- certain degree me
chanical. But her essentially truthful
spirit could not do this. The tears she
wcpt in La Sonnambula' came from
her heart. We had more than once the
stage box, and could see that she was
almost overpowercd 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 domcs-
tic life. The manager of Her Majesty 5
theatcr, Mr.. Lumley, was in despair.
1t was almost ruin to him TO lose her.
and he urged for at least a few fare
well performances; she offered instead
n 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 libretto is SO eminently stupid
and undramatic, yet, in spite of Jenny
Lind's splendid singing, the whole af-
far fell fiat, to her great disappoint-
mCnt. Never before had she met
with cold reception. Mrs. Grote and
Lumley cutreated her TO give the opcr-
attic performances but she would not
yield. At length my father succeeded
where they failed. They suggested that
Harms could not object If he really
loved her; he urged the unfairncss OF
disappointing Lumlcy, and finally the
unsatisfactory termination which n
failurc would put to her whole career.
- she promised TO give six farewell
nights. Lumley was overjoyed, and
sent us boxes for all six. The enthu-
siusm OF the audience knew no bounds ;.
Yet no one could believe that the sing
er in the very plenitude OF her powers
lshc was only IWenJy-elSht), rediiy IN
tended these 10 be the last of her tri-
umphs. But it was SO, and after the
curtain fell on the last of the six she
never appeared again on any stage
Mr.. Harris had consented to th"~"
performances, and he and Jenny were
once more on good terms.
She lived at this time in "A little house
very near US IL was called Ciairville
cottage; it was covered with roses and
creePers; il had a pretty garden, and
was thoroughly rural. The backs of
the houses in Brechin place now oc-
cupy the ground. She and C.audius
Harris often Joined our country r. les.