The record-union., 1897-01-17

things she sang were very sweet and
pretty, for example "Das krauke
Kind / never dreamed her voice was
/ half so powerful as it was Tuesday
night in Wagner. She could act fairly
WELL too. Anyhow, she didn't seem all
arms, as most of the German women
/ do.
| Widekind, one of Dresden's pets. was
| simply perfect Wednesday night in
"HanSel and Gretel" She did act the
small Gretel most successfully. and her
voice is exactly suited TO such a part,
! but l cannot imagine her as good i'll
| Wagner opera. The people here, how
| ever, think she is a great success in
| it. but her voice is not rich or powerful
enough to come up to my idea of a
| Wagner singer. We hoped TO hear her
| tonight in "Mignon," but when we
went for seats to-day, every place in
the house was gone.
Dot and 1 are regular curiosities here.
Studying in a German university! Wo-
men studying in a German university!
/ And expecting or rather hoping 20 be
a professor later! Mrs. NJ. worries
over the idea continually. She thinks
the thing for a girl to do is to get mar
ried and keep house or go in the kitchen
and cook. She cannot imagine a woman
delivering lectures or teaching in a uni
versity. She is old-fashoned and truly
German in every respect, but neverthe-
less a delightful character.
After talking a long time with me over
it she began with Dot and when Dot
said that of course there was a chance
of her getting married instead Mrs NJ >
20, .I.,f
poffe so,' q hope so) This same Mrs.
| NJ thinks that because the students
from the German gymnasiums can rat
+, tie off Latin by heart that the German
gymnasium is better than our universi-
ties. And she is so set in her ideas.
l don't know much yet about the Ger
man gymnasiums, but I know their
methods through some German men
have met, who have prepared for the
university in them, and i proceeded to
compare our superior methods with the
| German. l cannot be sure that she was
convinced, but whenever 1 meet a per-
son who considers facts learned out Of
| books better than a trained mind, l
take a huge delight in expressing my
| youthful ideas on the subject.
| To-day we received our first letter
| from Miss B., written mostly in Ger
man, but with one English sentence,
| one French and one Romanish express
| sion. How is that for mixture? She
| told us all about the celebrations in the
| B. pension at Leipsic. But our usual
home letter hasn't come yet. 1t should
| take only a day at most, usually only a
| few hours, TO have it forwarded from
! Leipsic, so perhaps these holidays have
delayed it's coming. To-day is hOlt-
day here, too. / was surprised. But
here in Germany the day after Christ
mas Day is always kept, too. Why,
| do not know yet.
| Yesterday morning at IL 1 went with
DR.. and Mrs. B. to the Roman Catholic
Court Church to hear the music. 1t
was grand, but could not compare with
| the Thomas Kirche and it's music in
| Leipsic But I never expect to hear
such church music anywhere else in
the world. This Court Church here is
| a great, hollow, ugly building Gnside
I mean; it is grand outside), and the
music did not really fill it well. Beside
that it re-echoed and that spoiled ii for
me-
| The Thomas Kirche takes the music
| so much better and is so much more
beautiful. rich and artistic inside
suppose the court musicians and Royal
| Opera singers would resent this depre-
citation of their genius, but give me the
Thomas choir and the Thomas Kirche
every Sunday, if you please.
| This morning we spent again in the
gallery. 1t is remarkable the way pic
lures grow on one. The Murilo MadOn-
ra, for instance. I didn't like it at all
the first time 1 looked at it, but each
day 1 liked it better. How 1 do wish
could take the gallery back with me 10
Leipsic. I'm sure 1 shall be homesick
! for it.
This will probably reach you about
the 10th of January, and if greetings o.
another description do not reach you on
that day from your two Dutch daugh-
ters, their love and dearest wishes go
| with this.
Sunday Evening-This is the last, 1
promise you faithfully, and you may
have faith in my word, because If [
write much more I will have to put on
another stamp and that would never
do. My little sixty pfennig Q5-cenO
letter scales go with me everywhere SO
can keep close track of weight.
1 forgot to tell you that here for the
first time we sleep under feather beds
Such a nuisance, the way they keep
rolling off in the night, but it is a new
experience and we accept it joyfully.
| We called on Mr.. and Mrs. w to-
night They are such pleasant people,
but are being simply walked over in
this land of sharp practices" They
informed us of another extension in the
realm of fees. Here, they say. it is
customary to fee the street car con-
ductors Imagine! Good night Sweet
dreams. LAURA.
| Dresden. Dec 81, 1896.
w. Colfax Jones, optician. Eyes ex-