the Courier.
l
!$
TV-
s
5
MtC '
e1
&-
characters out of the way, an excuse to
stop. It would have been more frank
in Mr. Hawkins to have stopped without
an excuse. But the book as a whole
rings true and Philip Hale, the Journal
ist, who acts as a sort of Greelc chorus
between the book and reader never dis
appoints one. The dialogue is of course
unusually fino. sometimes clever, some
times still cleverer by reason of its
stupidity, the kind of talk one likes to
hear and the talk ono is compelled to
hear. It is the dialogue that mikes
Mr. Hawkins' characters seem so alive,
for it is talk with which reasonable and
reasoning beings might address each
other. Then his characters are able to
hold sweet converse upon other subjects
than the grand passion, which is an
unusual accomplishment in characters.
Tho book is full of that delicate
cynicism that we met in "The Prisoner
of Zenda" and the "Dolly Dialogues,"
and there is thesjme quiet gentlemanly
way of telling the sad truth, as when
Philip Hale tells Torn, "One can't oven
be kind in the way ono likes best." No,
that's the curse of it all, one can't. Its
when wo most want to give bread that
we must give tho stone and the serpent.
Life would be much easier if it were
otherwise.
It was whispered about Tuesday that
Misses Ethel and Alice Dovey, the two
wonderful little daughters of Mrs.
George Dovey of Plattsmouth were in
town. They have recently returned
from Madame Cellini's school of music
in London where they will take up
their musical studies again next year.
Through the kindness of several persons
I had an opportunity to go and hear
them Tuesday afternoon, and I went.
Not that I expected to be entertained,
O, dear no! 1 have no weakness for
prodigies. I had never heard a child
who could sing and I never expected to
hear one. The misguided infants with
white dresses and blue sashes and
golden curls who sing at Sunday school
concerts were never dear unto my soul,
and their curls never atoned for their
sharp rigid little voices. When I saw
the little Dovey girls I was still more
discouraged, not but that they were
pretty enough, but they were so little.
I had heard they were young, but here
were two tiny little things, ten and
twelve years old, and small for their
age. They were both charming
' little people, but there are so many
charming people who are not
great. Ethel has the real tragic
eyes, tho big gray eyes set deep and
shaded by long lashes. That was the
only ray of hope I saw. After a while
the little girls quietly took their place
by the piano and began to sing. It was
some old English song that begins "I
know a bank where wild thyme grows."
It was simply wonderful. That is all I
can say. It was the singing of chil
dren, and yet not of children. It was
the child idea glorified, like the music
of young composers and the songs of
young poets. So far as I could see.
though so little, they were both almost
perfect in method. The little soprano,
the youngest of the two, has a voice of
wonderful flexibility.and sang beautifully
in a spirit wholly childish. But the
little alto is not a child in musical
feeling. It was beautiful, the way she
would take up her sisterand strengthen
and sustain her with those deep true
tones. Then they took up from the
pile of music that time honored duo
"Home to Our Mountains" from 77 Trov
atore. I was scarcely ready for that even
then. One has a natural horror of
trusting music of sentiment in the
hands df children, no matter how gifted,
and that duo has suffered enough
abuse, bpaven knows. The other was
only a child's song, suited to children,
but this was one of Verdi's most beauti
ful arias. But that little alto did not
disappo nt us. Under tho childish
accents thero were tho deep full tones,
and thero was feeling, real musical
feeling, the thing that cannot be madu
or acquired, ihat gold dust and star
dust can not buy. That littlo voice
rang full of yearning and thoso big gry
eyes looked with dreamy intensity away
from tho music, away from us, beyond
us all somewhero 1 wondored at wha.
Thero was in. doubt about it any
longer. Sho had it, the thing, the thing
of things, as much as a child could have
it. Then came a boIo, a lullaby, and
then that old duo, "Hear me," Norma,'
all sung with that indefinable sympa
thetic and imaginative quality that is
great in a woman, but is glorious in a
child. Oldor people try their strength
and make their mark, and wo know
their limit, but for a child we may plan
so much, hopo so much.
The following is a letter written to
Mrs. Dovey by Sec. J. Sterling
Morton, shortly after tho littlo girls
returned from England.
Mrs, Margaret A. Dovey,
Plattsmouth, Neb.
My Dear Madam:
I hasten to acknowledge the receipt
of. your communication of August 31,
recounting the agreeable manner in
which Embassador Thos. P. Bayard
received you and tho little girls in
London. It is just what I expected of
him, because he is one of tho most
tender-hearted, genial, and at the same
time, courtly men, whom I have ever
known, and I read of their triumph
with a great deal of state and personal
pride.
It is impossible for me to say when
I will bo at Arbor Lodge, and therofore
Tcaii give you no probablo dato as to
my presence in Nebraska City.
Hoping that tho little gii Is may con
tinue in health and prosperity I remain
Very Respectfully yours,
J. Sterling Morton.
4 Arundel Gardens, V.
Friday night.
Dear Mrs. Dawson:
Your children are simply wonderful.
I could not tell you so as they were
present, for I think it a bad plan to
praise children in their presonce. I
really believe they will bo tho talk of
tho world in a few years to come. Let
me have them next year and I will do
my utmost for them. No true artist
will praise themselves, as you can, with
your clever brain, fully realize. But
you can gleantrom tho vast assemblage
of the nobility at ray concert last night,
that they do appreciate m as a Pro
fessor of Singing and as a friend.
Please let tho children coaie to me at
Brook St. to-morrow morning (Satur
day) at 11, and I will give them a lesson
and try their capabilities. I cannot, I
cannot help thinking that Ethel will be
a Tiejtens and littlo Alice a Patti, I
was delighted with them to day in their
impersonation of "Romeo and Juliet."
Teir dear little Lillian, with my love,
that I will go and 6ee her on Monday if
she will let me know her address. And
now good night. I am very tired for I
have worked so very hard the last 2
months. With love to all.
Your'' affectly,
Louise Cellini.
The Princess of Wales sent me a
Special Messenger yesterday to say
that as she had promised to go to the
Marquis of Northampton's and as she
was feeling far from well she felt she
could not go to both my concert and
Lord Northampton's. I forgot to tell
you this when we met to-day.
I have "followed copy closely," as
the printers say, in reproducing that
letter, and I think you will find it
interesting for more reasons that its
information. Could anything be more
prima donna like than that underlining?
Could anything bo more pungently
English than that entirely purposeless
and supertluous postscript? Now how
under tho sun would tho Princess of
WaleB excuse her absenco unless by a
"Special JttMenjer." Would she bo
likely to issuo a general proclamation?
However in spite of her little peculiar
ities in form and composition Mme,
Cellini is one of tho first authorities on
vocal culture and possibilities to day in
England, and on that her word goes.
Tho littlo Dovey girls will return to her
school next year. It is this magnificent
training, begun so early, that makes me
so hopeful for these children. Most
singers spend yoars of their lives un
learning the things they have learned
wrong. There is talent enough in tho
world, and there is training enough too,
but talent dies unknown and unrecog
nized by the wayside every day, and
training is wasted upon lay figures and
creatures of wood. They so seldom
meet, but when they do they shako the
stars sometimes. There is an explosion
somewhere when thos two get together.
Of course even Mme. Cellini's word can
not insuro Mr. Dovey'p little girls or
anybody else's little girls a future. They
have the great hope, the rest depneds
on many things.
Mrs. Georgo Dovey, tho moi er of tho
inspired youngsters from Plat 'mouth,
is tho daughter of Mr. Charles 'iwson
for fifteen or twenty years store k ""per
for the Burlington road at Plattsmd 'h.
Mr. Dawson is an Englishman of tl.
rotund, clean shaven, Pickwickian type.
The children got much of their love of
Shakespear from their grandfather. He
has been a student of tho master all his
life. The man is an artist to the ends
of his tapeting delicate fingers. Ho
understood from the first that these
children were not as other children are
and insisted that they be put under the
best teachers. Their grandmother took
them to London. In an American den
tist's otnee, where the children's teeth
were being treated, Mrs. DawBon met a
wealthy lady who was the manager or
the American booth in a charity fair
managed by Society. The lady was be
wailing her lack of two littlo girls to
sing American airs in front of her booth.
The dentist told her he knew of two
little American girls who sang like
larks. He brought them in. They
sang for her. She was enraptured.
Henceforth they sang to the oldest and
noblest of the English nobility.
Madame Cellini, who occupies the same
place in London that Marchesi does in
Paris, offered to teach them for nothing.
Their reception in England was a trib
ute to their powers. When the child
ren arrived in Plattsmouth they were
met by "the band" and the people took
the horses out of the carriage and drag
ged it themselves. Little Ethel, the
twelve year old has been requested by
the St. Nicholas people to write
them an article called "A Doll's Tour of
England." It will appear in that maga
zine with illustrations. A small num
ber of Mrs. David A. Campbell's friends
will have an opportunity to see and
hear these children in opera. Mrs.
Campbell's little sou has wrftten out tho
parts of Faust from memory, wired the
barn for electric lights, and in October
sometime Ethel will take the part of
Marguerite, the younger one, Martha,
and the three boys, Mephisto, Faust,
and Conrad. It will be an unusually
interesting little show and I hope by
fair means or foul to get in.
tho only positive euro now known to
tho medical fraternity. Catarrh being
a constitutional disease, requires a
constitutional treatement. Hall's
Catarrh Curo is taken internally,
acting directly upon tho blood and
mucous surfaces of the tnctem, thereby
destroying the foundation of the disea
se, and giving the patient strength
by building up tho constitution and
assisting naturu in doing its work.
Tho proprietors have so much faith in
its curative powers, that they offer
One Hundred Dollars for anycaso that
it fails to cure. Send for list of Testi
monals. Address, F.J. Chknky it Co., Toledo
Ohio. Sold by druggists, 75 cents.
Tho G. A. R. ollicial route special
train for Louisville. Ky., will leave by
the Burlington at 1:20 p. m., September
D, Grand Commander Adams, his staff,
Womon's Relief corps and veterans, will
go on this train. The route will be by
St. Louis, Mo., and the Baltimore
,fc Ohio Railway from there via
Indianapolis. The special will arrive in
Louisville at liiO p. m., twenty-seven
hours and ten minutes out of Lincoln.
Through sleepers and chair cars on this
train. Kate from Lincoln 818.'J0. For
further information apply at 15. AM.
depot or city ticket office,- corner Tenth
and O streets.
G. W. Bo.n.nell, C. P. A. T. A.
If ou wish to visit Boston this sum
mer a splendid opportunity will bo
afforded on the occasion of the Knights
Templar Conclave in August. Tickets
will be on salo via tho Lake Shore it
Michigan Ry, Aug. 19th to 25th at ono
fare for the round trip. Full particulars
on application. B.P.Humphrey, T. P.
A., Kansas City, Mo. C. K. Wilber, W.
P. A., Chicago.
BURLINGTON PLAYING CARDS
Those elegant cards of the very
best quality, only 15 cents per deck.
For sale at B. & M. depot or city tickot
office.cornerTenth and O streets.
When the ice man comes be sure
LINCOLN ICE CO'S
name is on the wagon. 10)00 street
They have no pond ice.
THE LINCOLN GOAL GO-
Is offering the best Pennsylvania
Hard Coal at 88.10, delivered to any part
of the city. They are taking special
pains to please their customers and will
guarantee prompt and efficient service.
Hunter Printing
COMPANY . .
GENERAL PRINTERS
South ha I ... .
CALL BUlL-LNJ
Having secured from the Courier
Publishing Co. all copper plates here
tofore controlled by them, we shall
be pleased to fill orders for Engraved
Cards and Wedding Stationery on
short notice and in a satisfactory man
ner. too CARDS AND PLA IE $1.30
too CARDS WITHOUT PLATE 1.50
Litest Styles
Elegant Work
8100 DOLLARS REWAKD 8100
The readers of this paper will be
pleased to learn that there is at least hitntPD DDINTIMf Cf
one dreaded disease that science has IHJIN I CK "KIi I IfNU CUM
been able to cure in all its stages and
that is catarrh. Hall's Catarrh Cure is
223 No. nth Street.
