PROFESSOR ANDERSON (THE WIZARD OF THE NORTH) IN JENNY LIND'S NATIVE CITY (STOCKHOLM).

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 429, 12 September 1849, Page 3

PROFESSOR ANDERSON (THE WIZARD OF THE NORTH) IN JENNY LIND'S NATIVE CITY (STOCKHOLM).

The account given by "Professor Anderson of the circumstances attending upon his sojourn in the capital of the Swedes has so much of the romantic about it, that we doubt not

our readers will excuse us for transcribing tbe entire story into our columns. The wizard, in his notebook, says — " iVhen I arrived in Stockholm I lost no time in waiting upou Sir Thomas Cartwri^ht, the British minister, Mr. Stevens, the well known collector of Scandinavian aniiquities, ar.d other gentlemen to whom I had letters of introduction, alter which I made the necessary preparaions for giving my entertainments. I hired Herr dc la Oroix's salong (saloon), Usued placards in the language of the Swedes, and gave the customary intimation to the authorities. And here I mast not forget to mention, that I stated in my bill of fare that during the evening I would make use of a handkerchief, for the display of some of my experiments, known in England as " the Jenny Lind," a few dozens of which I had in my portmanteau for the purposes of my profession. Not to t!-at circumstance, however, must I attribute the extraordinary run of success which here crowned my exertions. The fact that I was & Briton, and a stranger, and had just arrived from the country in which their illustrious townswoman was achieving such remarkable triumphs, may in some measure account for my enthusiastic reception among them, and the curious incidents that followed. Be this as it may, my arrival in the city, I assure you, caused no little excitement, billets d' entree (tickets) rose to a premium, and the people flocked to the saloon in such numbers that in a few minutes from the time of opening it was completely filled — so much so that each evening the authorities considered it necessary to have a guard of soldiers in attendance to preserve order. Comparisons, it is said, are sometimes odious^ but perhaps I may be pardoned for saying, that if Jenny Lind surprised and delighted the critics, connoiseurs, and musical professors of this country by the simplicity and peculiarity of her song, I no less astonished her townsmen and the majority of tbe scientific professors of Stockholm, amongst whom was the late Berzelius, the chemist, by a few of my feats of natural magic. After the first night's performance, the table of my drawing-room was literally covered with invitation cards from the principal families in the city. I attended party after party and all were delighted with "DenStora Trollkarlenfran Norden." The Swedes vied with each other in entertaining the "Shotlander" as I was called, and for a time I was perfectly astonished at the kindness showered upon me, it was altogether so unprecedented and so overpowering, indeed I could scarcely account for it. At length the mystery was solved, I was invited to dine at a party given by the lord chamberlain of his majesty's household, which I attended. After dinner the lord chamberlain, who speaks English remarkably well, rose and proposed my health, and, in the course of his address he stated that nothing could give the Swedish people greater pleasure than to have such a distinguished personage amongst them. He took the opportunity, he laid, of expressing the gratitude of the Swedes to Professor Anderson as a Briton, for the glorious and hospitable reception which had been given to their countrywoman, Jenny Lind, by the whole British nation. He added, "1 speak the feelings of the Swedish people when 1 say that we are proud of this occasion to return to one Englishman, a portion of the gratitude which we owe to the British nation at large, for their appreciation and admiration of Jenny Lind." To this most unexpected compliment I of course made a suitable reply, and was nowise disappointed to know that for the flattering kindness I had met with at the hands of all classes in Stockholm, I was in a great measure indebted to the mighty queen of song. During my stay, which lasted iully two months I met with unparalleled success, in fact, it appeared to me at the time, that it was the pride of the Swedish people to make my journey create as-great a sensation with them as the tour of Jenny Lind was creating on the other side of the North Sea. I have already observed that I bad along with me two or three dozen of Jenny Lind handkerchiefs. They were just such as were sold in the shops in Glasgow, having a portrait of Jenny in the centre. They were beautiful articles of the kind, the likeness was considered a good one, and although common enough, they were quite a novelty in Stockholm, and with them the Swedes were quite enraptured, so much so that they determined I should take none of the handkerchiefs out of their capital. The truth of the matter is this, these articles, which were to me a source of satisfaction from the attention they attracted, became latterly the cause of considerable annoyance, for it was out of my power to comply with the numerous demands made upon me for a Jenny Lind naisduk (handkerchief)' I bad, I may explain, given away a few in a present to several parties with whom I had formed an acquaintance, with the sight of which they had, no doubt, tempted their neighbours, for in a day or two afterwards visitors called at my residence, fronynorning until night, continually inquiring—" Mine Herr Anderson, yag

vil! ha Jeftny Lind naisduk." *' Mine pood Professor gea meg a Jenny Lind naisduk." This naisiuk mania spread to the court itself, to one or iwo of the members of which I had given a handkerchief. Latterly, when my stock was nearly exhausted, a message came from the Queen requesting my presence along with a Jenny Lind naisduk. Of this invitation, I was nece:»sarily not a little proud, and resolved, before goinjr, to make the most of it in the way of exhibiting a little of my cabalistic skill, if a convenient opportunity presented itself. And such an opportunity I was privileged to enjoy. On proceeding to the slott (palac**) I was at once introduced to her majes y, who in the most affable manner received me, and then observed that she understood I had been making presents to some of her courtiers of my Jenny Lind naisduks, and she would teel greatly obliged if I had any left with which I couid favour her. I expressed, regret that they were all gone, when her Majesty good humouredly said, " Notwithstanding that they are all gone, Professor Anderson, if I am to give credence to all that I hear, it is very easy for you to produce one." Now, tr ought I, is my opportunity. Having approached her majesty's j>erson, I requested permission to examine her majesty's handkerchief which she held in her hand. The favour was no sooner granted, than in a moment — " change" — her majesty's handkerchief I changed to a veritable Jenny Lind naisduk. Her majesty and the court were astonished, and the report having gone abroad that I could change handkerchiefs of any kind into real " Jennys," 1 was more annoyed than before, many of the peasantry waiting upon me, and gravely proposing that I should transform their coarse cottons into fine, silk " Jenny Lind n&isduks.' 1 Her majesty, I may observe, was so delighted with the magical production of the portrait of the great nightingale, that, as a quid pro quo, she sent me a dozen Swedish lawn handkerchiefs, beautifully embroidered with the royal arnus of Sweden, which I have carefully preserved. But, in reference to the topic of the handkerchiefs, a circumstance occurred which I had nearly overlooked, and which was to me of far more interest than all the rest. A few days before I left the Swedish capital, my servant informed me that an old lady wished to speak with me. I at once waited upon my visitor. She was habited in the simple Swedish costume, and on one of her arms carried a small basket, as if she had been at market. There was something about the serene, melancholy, yet graceful fading features of the old lady, which at once prepossessed me in her behalf, and when in the most plaintive tones she enquired — "Can yeg tella Swenska ?" the favourable impression was nowise effaced. To her query I at once rejoined " Ya" when after making the usual apologies for intruding, she said in Swedish, " Have you a Jenny Lind handkerchief to dispose of?" I replied that they were all gone. On this the old lady seemed greatly disappointed, and informed me that she had seen one of the handkerchiefs, and had come to purchase a portrait of her dear daughter. This turned out to be Jenny Lind's mother, whom I had mistaken for one of the peasants from the suburbs. I knew I had only one of the handkerchiefs left, but how to get over the difficulty of having declared 1 had none, and then to produce one ? I reflected a moment, told her I would see if there was one left, and after being absent a few minutes, returned and asked the old lady to look into her basket. She did so, and to her great astonishment, discovered a beautiful silk Jenny Lind naisduk. The parent of the illustrious Swede gazed on the portrait of her daughter with delight, an i after pi offering money for the article (which I accepted, in order that I might still more puzzle my visitc by enabling her to find the cash safe in her basket when she got home), she took her leave with a profusion of thanks and compliments. " These," adds Mr. Anderson, " are a few of the reminiscences of my visit to the birth place of Jenny Lind."