The times., 1898-05-22
Charmed, But Slightly mistaken,

(From the Detroit Free Press)
The great auditorium was filed witt
people. They were packed around th{
doors and at the back of the gallery, ant
before the concert began ushers placet
| chairs in the aisles. 1t was an audienc(
of the highest cuIture-the faces showed
that. for they were tinted with color ol
expectancy and enthusiasm. Fans wavet
weirdly, rhythmically, an over the hall
and to one looking down from the bal
eony the men and women on the floor ber
low appeared to be a great black ant
white ocean that moved An eager buzz
OF whispered conversation ffoated through
the air and was waited out of the opes
windows into the night, where II rniucIeS
with the clatter OF the horses hoofs on
the asphalt.
A famous singer-a baritone OF greaf
fame-was to appear half way through
the program. 1t was to hear him that th(
crowd had come. Those singers who cams
before him received their mite OF applauss
from the great concourse Of people. blrt
muscles were not strained for them and
nerves dld not culver with any excitement
attendant upon their appearance.
Simply for one man that great crovS
waited, and impatientIy. for people would
twitch with the nervousness that alwayI
goes before any expected great event.
Finally the singer appeared-a short. in.
significant man, with long strine-y black
hair that looked as though it had been
dyed Thunders OF applause greeted him
as ne stepped 10 the front Of the platform
and bowed stiff1y. Handkerchiefs were
waved and many people stood up that theJ
might better see the man.
Down in frontf' shouted those behind.
An observer remarked: This crowd
must know music from Alpha to Omega,
l never saw such excitement over a sinp,
er's appearance"
Yes" said another, ''these people have
all been educated in music and tbe(
know what it is"
Then. at the wave of the leaders baton.
the orchestra burst forth in a stream III
melody. Softly at first, the musicians
seemed to be gathering strength for the
magnificent eruption Of sound that ended
the prelude.
Then, above the reeds and brass and
strings fioated a human voice clear as a.
mite, true as a violin The fnsignifcant
man with the stringy black hair was sing
ing. from that throat floated an ocean
OF harmony. The audience held fts
breath. Then slowly the voice died away
and almost before the people knew what
haa happened the little man bowed and
retired. ''-'N
-" -'fS tLoUSetut people rose to their
feet and cried, Bravo. Encorer'' and on
the other words in the vocabulary OF ap-
Inc little man returned He signaIed
the leader of the orchestra.
Inc instruments blended in a roar OF
music. 1t was the glorious Tereador
song The little man sang with the fire
OF bull fight in a Spanish ring. But
he seemed no longer little. He was as
great as the building.
When the singer had bowed again and
retired and it was all over an intellectual
looking girl in the balcony sighed. All
she said. ''how sublime that wasi How
grand. how beautiful, How I adore nu-
sucrr
He is indeed a splendid singer" re-
marked her companion.
Yes. but the song.'' the intellectual
girl sighed again. II think il one of the
loyeliest songs ever writ1en. Nothing
else in Robin Hood compares with it,
And then when the back of her chais
gave way nobody blamed It.