Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1897-03-10
A GREAT CONTRALTO,
AuTTLE STORY OF MISS COLBY, JEN-
NY LIND AND MENDELsSoHN.

The Composer, Urged Not to Give the So
pranos All the Advantage, Made and
Kept a Promise That Music Lovers the
world over Have Applauded.
Miss Dolby, when Jenny Lind came
10 England in 1S47, was slim WASTED,
tall, dark girl, well proportioned, quite
solid and unethereal, but a most earnest
and conscientious student, gifted with
a superb deep contralto aud a bonhomie
and homely grace of her own that won,
without exactly fascinating the public
ut first. She was equally good at rous.
ing Scotch song or a fireside domestic
ballad (John Hullah. wrote the famous
+.Three Fishers" for her il his later
days. but in oratorio, and in her own
way, Miss Dolby was suprene-not sec
and even to Jenny. Certainly she never
had that extraordinary and weird mag
netism which made unmusical people
like StanleE, afterward the celebrated
dean of Westminster, rave about her
great soprano rival, Jenny. But the
Dolby was better looking than Jenny,
though never downright pretty-very
dark and handsome one might call her,
with a certain embonpoint after 80
which she bore gracefully, but which
did not aud 10 her grace.
Miss Do4by's moment came. When
Jenny Lind retired from the stage, the
Iri1na at once shone out as an oratorio
star of tie 1irst magnitude, She thus
directly Invaded asphere i'll which Clara
Novellc, soprano, and Miss Dolby, con-
traffic reigned supreme. Jenny Lind
did not apparently accept the situation
quite as gracefully as she could well
have afforded to do. Tt was to her a ne
cessity to outshjne every one. Mendels-
sohn was doubtless good deal smitten
with the Swedish nightingale. He not
unnaturally wrote his great soprano
parts with her i'll his eye-or rather his
ear.
Many can remember her enhancing
singing OF Jerusalem" III st, Paul.
and the sera phic way i'll which her divine
voice-spirit, I had almost said-would
soar above the rest IN the great double
quartet il Elijah, - He Shall Give
His Angels Charge Over Thee" But
Miss Dolby was not happy. She felt
quite ag2rieyed at the music Of "St.
Paul That the first contralto singer in
England, who had scored even in Ger
many against Jenny Lind, should have
SO little to do in st. Paul. was too
bad
qhe following episode has, believe,
never been printed. / mad it from the
lips of Miss Dolby's sister, afterward
Nine. Sainton, now in Australia.
|.Dr. Mendelssohn, says Miss Dolby,
then at tie height of her popularity, I
do hope you WON'T treat the contraltos
SO badly in your,next .oratorio !"
Badly" says. Mendelssohn. My |
dear Miss Dolby, what do you mean? I
always treat every one as fairly as pos
aible. -
"Not at all, - says Miss Dolby. I'VE |
have next to nothing to do III EST. |
Paul nothing to show US off to adj
vantage, / mean. Mendelssohn was
then writing his Elijah. .
We'll, Miss Dolby, what do you
wailt?''
Il want two good solos and some nice
little bits. -
Stayp' says the amiable composer,
taking out his notebook. 6 Two good |
solos and some nice little bits, and he
wrote it down, with that we'll known, |
most fascinating smile which, once seen,
could never be forgotten. When Elijah
came out, in addition to the mice little |
bits, % Miss Dolby, to her delight, found |
cloo
asequently made almost her own-''Woe
Woe Unto Them!'' and 'sOh, Rest In |
the Lord''
DR.. Mendelssohn sent for her, and at
Exeter hail. in room down stairs. he
tried over the two songs, accompanying
them himself
When sic had sung "Woe, Woep'
Aende l2scIl turned round and said,
That viii be the favorite contralto
song
Mss Dolby replied: II differ with
you, Dr.. Mendelssohn. 'Oh, Rest In the
Lezd! viii be the favorite 1t will take
the I'll --ic far more than Woe, woer"
She then sang it, Mendelssohn accom-
panying in sort of listening trance,
with his his head on one side, way
he lad, and at the end he seemed quite
oNHrcCEe, as tens of millions have been
since by her rendering Of that inspired
melody. you are right, Miss Dolby.
That will be the success. y And so it
was--Rey. II. R. Haweis, NJ. A., in
Harper's Magazine.
Wolves In Europe.
When they cry Wolff" in the govern
znent of SaratcT, Russia, it means some
thing. During the last two years the
wolves there have devoured, according
TO the official returns, II, 900 horses,
10, 600 horned cattle, $4,000 sheep,
5000 swine, 1000 dogs and $4,000 |
fowl. They have. also during the same
period attacked So persons, devouring
two on the spot and inficting fatal
wounds Gil IL others. In France it is
estimated that 500, 900 of these animals
ezist, and the damage inflicted by them
Is set down at about $4,000, 600 francs
annually. A regular body Of men, num- |