The Portland daily press., 1900-11-16
GREAT ARTISTS WAYS.
The Habits of Jenny Lind and Sims
Reeyes-Personai "Reminiscences Apro-
pose of His Death.
(The London News }


1 send you few tritling "reminiscences
years ago on several occasions. Though
he was most agreeable host IL was not
difficult to discern that the artistic tenn
permanent was strong within him. He
was absorbed In his own personality
and was quivering with nerves and self
consciousness. He was a type OF the su-
preme artist. The first time l saw him
he was engaged to sing In the evening
and found him pacing up and down his
suite of rooms like an animal in the Zoo.
The day was raw and hs was taking
the exercise without which he said he
could not live though he dared not VEN
ture out Of doors. AS he walked he
hummed snatch OF one Of those exquis-
ite old melodies which SO affect the
human heart, and when sung by him
have dimmed the eyes Of SO many or us.
"You see," he said, 81 might be a novice
am so nervous. 1t is true my heart
does not jump to my throat or beat at an
abnormal rate. but a tremor seizes my
limbs-all sheer anxiety to be at my
BEST
Mr.. Reeves cold me he lived the life Of
an anchorite. "You really have no idea,
and the public has no idea, what great
self-denial have to practice. am the
most careful liver in London. Why, L
only take two meals a day-breakfast and
dinner. When sing take the first meal
at IL, and the second at about four.
Then, when the performance Is over, !
take two lightly boiled eggs for supper. !"
Mrs. Reeves, who was present, said that
one day when seeking cook, one of the
race objected TO the "sight OF hot sup
household as the famous tenor 9. But do
we not all think that Aingers and actors
live jolly bohemian life, without care
in the world. 1t is the glamour OF the
footlights. But imagine an Elgardo or
Captain Macheath coming home, still
glowing with passion, to two lightly
boiled eggsl AS to stimulAnts, Mr..
Reeves said he seldom took anything but
nlaret and water. If ne wanted dllip
he took glass OF stout, but very seldom.
/ remember asking him how he was
able to put such pathos and feeling into
his songs, and make . great success.
when others failed. why" he an.
read them and phrase them In every
possible way. ask myself what they
m San, and interpret them according to
my own feeling. walk up and down,
trying this line and that, until feel
that have struck the right idea. But
am never satisfied. Nowadays singers
do not study elocution sufficiently, II at
| all. In reeitative, tor instance, the
| words are sacrificed TO the music. In my
method they are OF equal Importance.
Then ! asked him II applause did not
spur him to fresh efforts. "Ah, yes,n
he said. ~ love it; but all artists live
for 1t. 1t inspires him. IL lifts him to
the seventh heaven. Give me an en-
thusiastic, receptive audiepce, and my
heart and voice 60 out to them. Often
the great sea OF faces has affected me
worde cannot describe enotions-I have
luE forth my greatest efforts. 10 an ar
I st applause Is life. Without 1t he is
tImid, frigid, nerveless, not himself.
assure you with years my nervousness
does not disappear. ! worry and hdgea
lest my voice should not be AZ its best
when evening comes. go to the plano
over and over again, and run over n