her with a lady who would be kind to her. The simple little maid
replied that she could not break her contract with the ventriloquist,
but the judge agreed to satisfy him. So she sent her brother home to
tell the story and ask advice. He returned with a message from her
parents saying that she was to go, but not to come home first, as they
could not bear to part with her if she did.

Accordingly Christine went with Judge Toernerheljm, who placed her with
the Baroness Leuhusen, formerly a vocal teacher, from whom the young
singer received her first lessons, and, at the same time, attended
school in Halmstadt. In due time she went to Stockholm, where she took
lessons under Franz Berwald, and in six months' time she sang at Court.

The young singer now went to Paris accompanied by Baroness Leuhusen, and
began a course of lessons under Wartel. She so profited by his
instruction, that she made her debut at the Theatre Lyrique on October
27, 1864, as Violetta in "La Traviata," and afterwards appeared as Lady
Henrietta, Astrofiammante, Elvira ("Don Giovanni"), etc. She remained at
the Theatre Lyrique nearly three years, after which she went to England
and sang at Her Majesty's, making her first appearance as Violetta, on
June 8, 1867. Notwithstanding that Patti had the world at her feet, the
success of Nilsson was extremely brilliant, her impersonation of
Marguerite in "Faust" calling forth unstinted praise, and it is the
opinion of many that in that part she has never been excelled. Her
representation of Marguerite was that of a quiet, simple girl, full of
maidenly reserve during the first three acts, a deep-natured young girl,
restrained from the full expression of her feelings by every instinct of
her better nature, and every rule of her daily life. This very
forbearance of style made her final surrender a thousand times more
impressive than is usual. It was accomplished in one wild, unlooked-for
rush of sudden emotion, caused by the unexpected return of her lover.
The picture which Nilsson gave of this tender, gentle girl, in the
pensive, anxious joy of her first love, and in the despair and misery of
her darkened life, was one over which painters and poets might well go
wild with enthusiasm.

Nilsson had a voice of wonderful sweetness and beauty, and possessed the
most thorough skill in vocalization. She could reach with ease F in alt,
and showed to advantage in such operas as "Zauberfloete." Her singing was
cold, cleve