oratorio, and I recall her rendering of the soprano solos in
Handel's "Messiah" as somewhat mannered, but on the whole quite
impressive.

A higher grade of talent came to us in the person of Mrs. Wood, famous
before her marriage as Miss Paton. I heard great things of her
performance in "La Sonnambula," which I was not allowed to see. I did
hear her, however, at concerts and in oratorios, and I particularly
remember her rendering of the famous soprano song, "To mighty kings he
gave his acts." Her voice was beautiful in quality and of considerable
extent. It possessed a liquid and fluent flexibility, quite unlike the
curious staccato and tremolo effects so much in favor to-day.

My father's views of religious duty became much more stringent after my
mother's death. I had been twice taken to the opera during the Garcia
performances, when I was scarcely more than seven years of age, and had
seen and heard the Diva Malibran, then known as Signorina Garcia, in the
roles of Cenerentola (Cinderella) and Rosina in the "Barbiere di
Seviglia." Soon after this time the doors were shut, and I knew of
theatrical matters only by hearsay. The religious people of that period
had set their faces against the drama in every form. I remember the
destruction by fire of the first Bowery Theatre, and how this was spoken
of as a "judgment" upon the wickedness of the stage and of its patrons.
A well-known theatre in Richmond, Va., took fire while a performance was
going on, and the result was a deplorable loss of life. The pulpits of
the time "improved" this event by sermons which reflected severely upon
the frequenters of such places of amusement, and the "judgment" was long
spoken of with holy horror.

My musical education, in spite of the limitations of opportunity just
mentioned, was the best that the time could afford. I had my first
lessons from a very irritable French artist, of whom I stood in such
fear that I could remember nothing that he taught me. A second teacher,
Mr. Boocock, had more patience, and soon brought me forward in my
studies. He had been a pupil of Cramer, and his taste had been formed by
hearing the best music in London, which then, as now, commanded all the
great musical talent of Europe. He gave me lessons for many years, and I
learned from him to appreciate the works of the great composers,
Beethoven, Handel, and Mozart. When I grew old enough for the training
of my voice, Mr. Boocock recommended to my father Signo