The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-12-08


Lansdowne sometimes joined us ami
also came to meet them at dinner, but
we did not venture to invite anyone
else, except the Grotes and one or two
others of Jcnuy's intimate friends. All
seemed To be going on swimmingly, and
Mrs Grote went OFF To Paris, followed
soon after by my father, but before ne
went hc said To Jenny Lind: Some
thing tells me that your IN arriage will
not take place. If it should be broken
off again, write no letters and have no
farewell interviews, but join Mrs
Grote in Paris immediately"
Affairs had not been going on so
smoothly as appeared. Mr.. Harris had
asked Jenny To insert in the settlements
a promise that she would never act
again. To this my father objected. and
he also insisted that Jenny was to have
uncontrolled power over her earnings
Mr.. Harris said this was unscriptural,
and the engagement was nearly broken
off, but renewed in consequence of the
despair MIR. Harris exhibited lie also
terrified her 10y threats of torment here
after if she broke her word; and last of
all, when in the JOY of reconciliation
she was singing to him, she turned
round and saw that he had gone 10
Paris there was a tap at the door of
Mrs Grote's apartment one evening
about seven o'clock, and in came Jenny.
The ill-assorted marriage was finally
broken off
The emotions of the last few mon tbs
had told heavily upon Jenny Lind, but
with the sense of freedom the power of
enjoyment soon returned, and she rode
in the Bois de Houlognc and walked on
the bOuievarls and in the Tuilcries, and
listened To the uightiugaleS. One day
she took my father TO a house in the
place dOrleanS, near the RHe St L2z-
are. II WAS built round Il courtyard,
with a fountain in the middle. Jenny
gazed ut it without speaking. After
ward she said: II was 50 miserable in
shat house; l envied the fountain be-
cause it was not Obliged to sing"
The house had been the residence Of
Manuel Garcia, the most celebrated
master of singing in Europe, and she
alluded to the time when. in despair
at the loss of her voice from fatigue
and bad management, she slowly re
gained il by means, first OF rest. and
then of slillful practice under Garcila's
teaching.
The domestic happiness for which she
had SO long sighed was soon To uc hers.
After singing in concerts and oratorios
in Germany, Sweden and Liverpool. she
sailed for the United States on August
p, ISIU. Her success in the New World
was as brilliant as ii had been in the
ord, and her charities GS muniticeut
Her company was joined in I55I 10y lin.
O-to Goidsvhmidt, " no succeeded Brnc-
diet rs pianist. y deep ana true attach
rncnt ~Pran- up between the two youn2g
artists. and they were married on Feb
ruary, >, ISL
Her horror Of being Gonizcd led her
sometimes to reject ovcrturCs which
were made in perfectly good faith 20
cxprc s. the respect and admiration felt
for her; hence she was not always pop
ulur. She delighted in giving chiI-
,Ir.u's partje5. 1 re-ucmbrr one IL lSis
at her house in Wimbledon. and her
Joyous participation in the amusement
She had provided, and again in More
tons gardens, when she waltzcd like n
girl with her eldest son. The last time
heard her sing was at concert she
gave at her own house in 1SS0 for the
prince of Sweden. She had become
very nervous about her voice, and it
was not certain whether in the end
She would summon up courage. AT
last she yielded To the persuasion of her
friends and sang the splendid caututa,
with violin accompaniment, from Mo-
zart's Re Pastore." 1t WAS u thing to
remember for the rest of ones life.
In her later years She took 4 little
house called Windspoint, which she ar
ranged and improved till il rcsemblcd a
Swiss cottage on the top of the hills
above Malvern Wells. We had, in the
summer of 1854, Il house just below
hers. and we saw her much more fire.
quently than was possible in the tur-
moil of London. We often used To sit
with her in the garden enjoying the
magnificent view. She was always un-
easy lest she should be stared at, and If
any preSumptuous wight pcepcd in at
the rate, she would instantly shoot up
4 large red umbrella and shelter her
self beneath it. My elder daughter,
who is devoted to music, frequently
went to see her alone. and one day
ventured 10 ask her to write her name
in her birthday book. They were in
the drawing-room- Jenny Lind rose
up, saying: well. / did not think you
had been Il commonplace person" and
walked through the window into the
garden, leaving my daughter To repent
hcr. indiscretion. Presently her hostess
came back and gave her beautiful
rose, and went on talking rs if nothing
had happened, and when Gaynor was
taking leave, Mrs. GoldschmidJ said
chcerfully: Now, where Is your birth
day booll?' and wrote her name in it.
1t must have cost her more than many
an apparently greater sacrifice.
/ like to think of her as she stood in
the hanging balcony of her cottage
waving good-by, the sun setting be-
hind her picturesque figure. 1t was at
Windspoint that she died in 1881 At
the very close of her life, as she lay on
her death bed at Malvern, in weakness
and misery, once, as her daughter
opened the shutters ana let in the
morning sun, she Just let her lips shape
the first bars of the old song she loved:
''An den Sonnenschein. They were the
last notes she sang on earth