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life of hon. phineas t. barnum-第47章

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r in Louisville; and various other important and extraordinary items of domestic intelligence were communicated to her。 Mr。 Le Grand Smith was told by a despatch from his father that his native village in Connecticut; was in ashes; including his own homestead; etc。 Several of Barnum's employees had most liberal offers of engagements from banks and other institutions at the North。 Burke; and others of the musical professors; were offered princely salaries by opera managers; and many of them received most tempting inducements to proceed immediately to the World's Fair in London。

One married gentleman received the gratifying intelligence that he had for two days been the father of a pair of bouncing boys (mother and children doing well); an event which he had been anxiously looking for during the week; though on a somewhat more limited scale。 In fact; nearly every person in the party engaged by Barnum received some extraordinary telegraphic intelligence; and; as the great impressario managed to have the despatches delivered simultaneously; each recipient was for some time busily occupied with his own personal news。

By and by each began to tell his neighbor his good or bad tidings; and each was; of course; rejoiced or grieved; according to circumstances。 Several gave Mr。 Barnum notice of their intention to leave him; in consequence of better offers; and a number of them sent off telegraphic despatches and letters by mail; in answer to those received。

The man who had so suddenly become the father of twins; telegraphed to his wife to 〃be of good cheer;〃 and that he would 〃start for home to…morrow。〃 And so cleverly did Barnum manage the whole business that his victims did not discover how they had been fooled until next morning; when they read the whole story in a local newspaper; to which it had been given by Barnum himself。

From Nashville; Jenny Lind and a few of the party went to the Mammoth Cave; and thence to Louisville; the others going directly to the latter point by steamer。 There they were joined by Signor Salvi; whom Barnum had engaged at Havana。 Three concerts were given at Louisville; and they then proceeded to Cincinnati; accompanied by George D。 Prentice; the famous editor of The Louisville Journal。 A stop was made at Madison long enough to give one concert; and they reached Cincinnati the next morning。 There was a tremendous crowd on the wharf; and Barnum was afraid that an attempt to repeat the ruse he had played with his daughter at New Orleans would not work here; as an account of it had been published in the Cincinnati papers; and everyone would be suspecting it。 But he was fertile in expedients; and quickly devised another scheme。

So he took Miss Lind on his arm and boldly started to walk down the gang…plank in the face of the crowd。 As he did so; Le Grand Smith; who was in the plot; called out from the deck of the boat; as if he had been one of the passengers; 〃That's no go; Mr。 Barnum; you can't pass your daughter off for Jenny Lind this time。〃 The remark elicited a peal of merriment from the crowd; several persons calling out; 〃that won't do; Barnum! You may fool the New Orleans folks; but you can't come it over the 'Buckeyes。' We intend to stay here until you bring out Jenny Lind!〃 They readily allowed him to pass with the lady whom they supposed to be his daughter; and in five minutes afterwards the Nightingale was complimenting Mr。 Coleman upon the beautiful and commodious apartments which were devoted to her in the Burnett House。

A concert was given at Wheeling; and another at Pittsburg; and then; early in May; the company returned to New York。 There they gave fourteen concerts; partly at Castle Garden and partly at Metropolitan Hall; making ninety…two of the regular series。

Miss Lind now came within the influence of various legal and other advisers; who seemed intent on creating trouble between her and her manager。 Barnum soon discovered this state of affairs; but was little troubled by it。 Indeed he really hoped that they would persuade her to stop at the hundredth concert; for he was already worn out with the constant excitement and unremitting exertions of the tour。 He thought that perhaps it would be well for Miss Lind to try giving a few concerts on her own account; or under some other manager; in order to disprove what her friends had told her; namely; that Mr。 Barnum had not managed the enterprise as successfully as he might have done。

Accordingly he was much pleased when; after the eighty…fifth concert; she told him that she had decided to pay the forfeit of 25;000; and terminate the concert tour after the one hundredth performance。 After the second series of concerts in New York; they went to Philadelphia; where Barnum had advertised the ninety…third and ninety…fourth concerts。 As he did not care enough for the probable profits of the last seven of the hundred concerts to run the risk of disturbing the very friendly relations which had so far existed between him and Miss Lind; he now offered to relinquish the engagement; if she desired it; at the end of the ninety…third concert。 The only terms he required were that she would allow him 1;000 for each of the remaining seven concerts; besides the 25;000 forfeit already agreed upon。 She accepted this offer; and the engagement was forthwith ended。

After parting with Barnum; Miss Lind gave a number of concerts; with varied success。 Then she went to Niagara Falls for a time; and afterward to Northampton; Massachusetts。 While living at the latter place she visited Boston; and was there married to Otto Goldschmidt。 He was a German composer and pianist; who had studied music with her in Germany; and to whom she had long been much attached。 He had; indeed; travelled with her and Barnum during a portion of their tour; and had played at several of the concerts。

After the end of their engagement; Barnum and Miss Lind met on several occasions; always in the friendliest manner。 Once; at Bridgeport; she complained rather bitterly to him of the unpleasant experiences she had had since leaving him。 〃People cheat me and swindle me very much;〃 said she; 〃and I find it very annoying to give concerts on my own account。〃

〃I was always;〃 said Mr。 Barnum; sometime afterward; 〃supplied with complimentary tickets when she gave concerts in New York; and on the occasion of her last appearance in America I visited her in her room back of the stage; and bade her and her husband adieu; with my best wishes。 She expressed the same feeling to me in return。 She told me she should never sing much; if any more; in public; but I reminded her that a good Providence had endowed her with a voice which enabled her to contribute in an eminent degree to the enjoyment of her fellow beings; and if she no longer needed the large sums of money which they were willing to pay for this elevating and delightful entertainment; she knew by experience what a genuine pleasure she would receive by devoting the money to the alleviation of the wants and sorrows of those who needed it。〃

〃Ah! Mr。 Barnum;〃 she replied; 〃that is very true; and it would be ungrateful in me to not continue to use; for the benefit of the poor and lowly; that gift which our kind Heavenly Father ha
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