On two occasions I found Madame Goldschmidt in my
brother's room, singing to him in a voice as sweet and spontaneous
as a bird's. My brother was a very highly favoured little mortal,
for Madame Goldschmidt was no other than the world-famous Jenny
Lind, the incomparable songstress who had had all Europe at her
feet. She had then retired from the stage for some years, but her
voice was as sweet as ever. The nineteenth century was fortunate
in having produced two such peerless singers as Adelina Patti and
Jenny Lind, "the Swedish Nightingale." The present generation are
not likely to hear their equals. Both these great singers had that
same curious bird-like quality in their voices; they sang without
any effort in crystal-clear tones, as larks sing.
In 1865 it was announced that there would be a great regatta at
Cannes in the spring of 1866, and that the Emperor Napoleon would
give a special prize for the open rowing (not sculling)
championship of the Mediterranean. We further learnt that the
whole of the French Mediterranean fleet would be at Villefranche
at the time, and that picked oarsmen from the fleet would compete
for the championship.
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