Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1895-03-27

as singer. She, however, was ambitious
to become a prima donna, and the fact
led to considerable trouble between
them.
At this opportune moment the real
life Svengali, M. Boscha, appeared on
the scene. He was Bohemian by birth.
his talent as q musician was as marked
as that of Svengali, and an aversion to
soap and water and a strange German
French English dialect were two more
Of his marked characteristics The harp
was his pet instrument, and by the adj
dition of pedals he had so perfected it
that they could play in many keys there
tofore beyond the reach of harpists The
moment he met Anna Bishop heobtain-
ed great influence over her, and under
his instruction and management she be-
came q world famous singer whose re-
nown at the time was second only to
that Of Jenny Lind.
She left her husband and started ON
a tour of the world under the direction
Of Boscha. Their relations were purely
platonic and professional, it is said, but
so far as her artistic career was con-
cerned she was a mere puppet in his
hands. She could do nothing without
him, and seemed to sing m erely because
he desired her to. When he was COM
PEELED to relinquish the leadership Of
the orchestra, her singing lacked force
and sweetness and lost its style, tone
and fidelity of execution. She did not
break down as completely, it is true, as
Trilby did the night Svengali's hypnot-
10 eyes were robbed of their power by
death, but she showed plainly to the
members of the orchestra that her in
SEPARATION all came from Boscha. When
the maestro was i'll, the members of
the orchestra were wont jokingly to re-
mark that Bishops brains were sick
abed "
Frederick Lyster, the we'll known
author, composer and operatic manager.
who was Boscha's assistant conductor
and chorus manager during Nine.
Bishops tour Of America. is confident
that the character of Trilby. so far as
the musical phase of it is concerned,
was drawn from the career of Anna
Bishop, and that Svengali was some
what colored picture of Boscha. Dos
cha. I" he says, taught her all her songs
and taught her strictly in private.
Even ! was never admitted to these
mysterious lessons She was a sweet,
amiable woman without strong feelings
Of any kind, and she sang as if in q
dream. Even when Boscha was pitting
her against Jenny Lind. in New York,
she seemed to take little interest in the
rivalry and allowed Boscha to do all the
fighting. Boscha was q tall, portly,
handsome man with somewhat the cast
of countenance attributed to Svengali,
except that he was better looking.
Like Svengali, he spoke many lam
guages, but none correctly, and he used
to say: 81 vos porn IN Prague, und
cannot spik Cherman lif many years
IN London, und cannot spik AnglischeI
In Paris pass, oh ferry long taime, und
/ cannot spik Vrentchi / haf no lang
witch. cannot spik nozzing at all but
une. deux, dhree, Tower und dam. -
Like Svengali, too. he was very eccen-
trio and usually got the best of every
one in money matters.
So much for the prototypes Of Trilby
and Svengali. and now for Du Maurier's
connection with them. The young artist
was friend and protege Of Sir Henry
R. Bishop md knew both Nine. Bishop
and Bosoha. He heard tie stories Of
Boscha's strange influence over Mmc.
Bishop and was always the woman's
champion. claiming that Boscha's infiu-
ence was spiritual and not Of character
debasing - the singer. 1t is said that
he often remarked that the career Of the
strange pair would furnish the ground
work for al excellent plot for novel
That nc:1ai Percentages We're described
in the book i proved By tho row James
MacNeill Whistler made over the CHAR
acter and picture Of Joe Sibley. the
idle apprentice