The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-03

ables her to conceal the fact, for it
seemed last evening as pure as ever,
especially In the upper notes.
In appearance she has changed but
slightly, is much the Nevada OF old. a
little more mature, little more wo-
manly; but If not quite so girlish as
she was, she has a greater ease of man
ner, SAVIOR faire, that serves to I'M
press her audience better than before.
In short, Mime. Nevada's added years
Rave added graceful charm to her
singing and her bearing, bettered her
voice and her personality.
I'm its flexibility, her voice is thor
oughly up to it's old standard and in
the Lucia seene-the mad scsne. as it
is familiarity called-she showed abun
dant vocal dexterity, the difficulties of
the intricate embellishments being sur
mounted brilliantly. Nor was mere vo-
cal agility the sum total of merit IN the
scene-there was sweetness Of tone and
sentiment of phrasing noticeable as
well. The exacting professional critic,
the sharp detective, on the lookout not
for merit, but for the slightest error,
could find flaws in this or that passage
perhaps, but the question Is whether
he Is competent judge or mere
Beckmesser.
Nine: Nevada was not singing for
this small critical minority, but for the
great majority-the pubhc-and the
verdict of the latter is that which a
newspaper should set down. I beg to
say, therefore, that the audience was
abundantly satified, and testified to
that fact by hearty applause, and by
having the lady out again to do so
some more. Perhaps 1 am Beckmes
ser myself, and wagged my head know
ingly now and then and mentally pick
ed flaws in beautifully sung aria, but
that is neither here nor there. If you
want to know what an audience at
large said their answer was that 1T
was first rate
"They received her with great
warmth and made her feel that she
was among her own people again be-
fore she had sung a note. And after
she was through they clappel their
hands, and those who had canes and
umbrellas pounded the floor and some
of them ungrammaticallya shouted
'Bravo! with a fine disregard of the
masculine termination of the word
And in the bell song from 'Lakme' and
her other selections of the evening she
was quite as successful. Altogether
Nine Nevada made a good start on
her concert season of 1899 in America
and showed that singer is not with
out profit in her own country to par
aphrase familiar quotation.
Enthusiastic encores brought her
out after her principal numbers to sing
the Shadow song from 'Dinorah, which
she did with rare skill and. to her
own accompaniment on the piano var
ia tons on that hackneyed old song,
The Mocking Bird
Probably no actor in America has
more interesting or better selected Ii
brary than James Neill of the Neill
. company that Is to be seen in this city.
In Sol Smith Russells play. "A
Bachelors Romance" Mr.. NELL ap-
pears as David Holmes, a literary stu
dent and book worm, but in reality that
interesting character was no greater
lover of books than is the distinguished
actor who impersonated him.
Mr.. Neill recently purchased from
William Georges Sons, the well-known
aptiquarians of Bristol, England, near
IS 200 rare prints to add to his already
large collection.
Among Mr.. Neill's collection are some