es Hyers into that other walk
of art, the drama, which they have of late been pursuing so
successfully, were such a course within the province of this book;
but, as it is not, we will only briefly state, in concluding this
sketch, that they have lately, with an enlarged company, been acting
in a drama called "Out of Bondage," written expressly for them by Mr.
Joseph B. Bradford of Boston. The drama is in four acts; comprehends
four phases in the life of a freedman, beginning in slavery, and
continuing through to his attainment of education and refinement; and
is full of interesting incidents. Their success in this new field has
already, in the smaller places in New England, been great; and it is
the intention of the troupe to produce the drama ere long on the
Boston stage, and in other of the large cities.

Mr. Hyers still holds to a resolve to take his talented daughters to
Europe, in order to there perfect them in the higher requirements of
their art, and to fit them for the operatic stage.

It is to be hoped that he will not relinquish this ambitious and
creditable resolve; for certainly his gifted children have already
clearly shown such rare musical powers, and, incidentally, so much of
dramatic talent, and have had so much stage experience, as to fully
warrant him and all their friends in firmly believing that these
versatile young ladies may, after a short course of training under the
best masters of Europe, easily attain to the highest distinction on
the operatic stage.

XIII.

FREDERICK ELLIOT LEWIS,

PIANIST, ORGANIST, VIOLINIST, ETC.

Like the honey-making bee,
Passing from flower to flower,
Tasting and gathering the sweets of each.

In musical versatility, in capability for playing upon a great variety
of musical instruments, there may be possibly, among the large number
of talented artists of this country, a few who equal the subject of
the following sketch: the writer, however, confesses, that, if there
be such, he does not know of them. But, be this as it may, such an
instance as I am about to present is one, which, in its showing of
great musical talents and diversity of acquirements in instrumental
performance, will be readily admitted as, to say the least, most
extraordinary.

For Frederick E. Lewis performs with ease and with pleasing finish on
the piano-forte and the organ, on the violin, viola, violoncello,
double-bass, and the guitar, on the clarinet and flute, on