esponding in
activity to its own enormous proportions."

Barnum had resorted to daily advertising, a great sensationalism to keep
up interest in the arrival of the singer. We went from our table to the
pier to see her descend from the steamer. Triumphal arches of evergreens
and flowers had been erected over the way she passed. A great crowd had
collected. Bands were playing. Her face came into view. Shouts arose.
She bowed and smiled to the wild throngs about her as she rode with
Barnum to the Astor House. Here the Swedish and American flags floated
in her honor. New York was in a frenzy of delight. But the tickets to
hear her! All this excitement had been worked up for use at the box
office. And Aldington could not afford the price. We wished Abigail and
Aldington to be with us. I therefore submitted to the Barnum extortion
for the whole party.

Jenny Lind sang at Castle Garden, where I had sat nearly twenty years
before, when New York had about half the population. The crowds pressed
around the entrances. Those who could not afford to enter hoped to get a
glimpse of her anyway. It was an enormous audience, and all of
distinguished New York was there. Senator Webster had been one of those
to receive her at the pier, and he was in the audience too. We were all
deeply moved by this wonderful voice. Poor Dorothy was frequently drying
her eyes. And when she sang one of her own national airs, Webster sat
entranced. At its close she courtesied to him. He arose and bowed to her
with the majestic manner of a great monarch. The audience went into a
fury of applause. Every one spoke of her as good of heart, sweet and
natural of manner. She had given her share of the proceeds of this
concert to various charities in New York City. A feeling of uplifted
life spread over the metropolis. She melted the souls of thousands, and
purged the craft of money getting. We came away from her as from a
higher realm. "What," said Abigail, "is anything in the world, money or
statesmanship, what, of all these things of which we have talked to-day
can be compared to an art like that, a divine influence like song?"

After this we started on a round of the theaters. I prevailed upon our
friends to prolong their stay, to be our guests. We saw Burton and Edwin
Booth. We went to the Opera, saw the ballet which Fannie Ellsler had
previously inaugurated. The _Independent_ was denouncing the theater as
an unmitigated evil; the ballet was a shocking exhib