Evening star., 1923-06-24
When Webster Sang
With Jenny Lind

be astonished that anything should
attempt to rival it, and as Jenny's
voice ceased, swelled its throat out
and sent forth such melody of sweet
sounds as to cause the singer raptur-
ously to applaud. This rivals concert
was kept up for some little time.
But now for the story of the occa-
sion when Jenny and the great Web
ster Joined together in song. Jenny
gave two concerts in Washington.
On the night of the first, the Rus
sian minister, Mr.. Bodisco. gave
dinner at which the members of the
cabinet were among the guests. Mr.
Bodisco was famous for giving good
dinners, his wines being of the
choicest, and on this evening the
dinner party was a little late in
breaking up. This made the cabinet
members late in getting to the con-
cert. Seats had been reserved for
them about the middle of the audi
torium. Some of the cabinet ladies
were already In their seats. among
them Mrs. Webster, when the late
comers arrived. They all appeared
rather fiurried. either from the ef-
fects of the wine at the dinner or
the hasts In which they had made
their way to the theater.
OF course, their entry was greeted
with applause by the audience, but
as 1T was in the intermission be-
tween the first and second parts of
the concert 1t did not disturb the
famous singer.
Jenny opened the second part by
singing Hail, Columbia" This
awakened the patriotism OF the great
Daniel. and he arose TO his feet, and
as Jenny reached the chorus he add
ed his deep, full bass voice to that of
the Nightingale" to tho delight of
all the audience except to Mrs. Web
ster, who kept tagging at the tail
of his long coat, but all Intellectually
At the close of each verse Mr.. Web
ster Joined in the chorus, and it was
evident from her actions that Jenny
was equally delighted with the audi
ence at this addition to the program
AS the final chorus was ended Mr..
Webster. with his hat in hand, made
on the platform, and Jenny returned
not to be outdone in politeness and
bowed again and Jenny recurtsied, to
the applause of the whole house.
These bows and curtsies were repeat
ed several times. the audience be-
coming more and more boisterous in
their applause, until Mrs. webster
finally got her lord to sit down and
permit the concert to proceed in an
orderly manner.
At the second concert another
"A scene was enacted, but of a diff
ferent character. Just as the
overture was being completed a loud
murmur was heard close to the door,
and all eyes turned in that direc-
tion. The tall figure of an aged man
was seen feebly making his way
down the aisle to his seat. 1t was
the venerable Henry Clay, then ap-
preaching the end of his life. AS he
was recognized the entire audience
rose to it's feet, breaking into loud
applause. This was continued until
he reached his seat. when he bowed
in turn to each part of the house,
and once more laundering roar of
applause broke forth, men waving
their hats and the women their
handkerchiefs.
At a much later day many start
lingly funny things occurred in the
old theater, in some of which the
Iever-present and irrepressible gal
llery gods played important and lead
ing parts. In one of them it was a
gallery god who smoothed down the
ruff1ed plumage of a discontented
and surly audience and created a
lgood-humored tolerance in the seats,
and at the same time put some life.
vigor and vim into what had been a
wretchediy poor set of performers.
The play was "The Octoroon." 1t
was too soon after the civil war for
an anti-slavery play to be greeted
with much favor in Washington.
where by far the major part of the
population had been born and reared
in slavery days. The play itself was
a poor one and the acting atrociously
weak.
At one point, just after Miss
Evergreen" had dramatically made
her bid of twenty thousand" all her
fortune, for the octoroon at the
sheriff's sale. there was a pause. as
lif the actors were waiting for some
applause from a cold and inattentive
audience, when gallery god cried
out in anything but a musical voice,
"All quiet on the Potomac tonight"
CONTINUED on Fourth PaSsD