| | 1 | Author: | Child, Lydia Maria Francis, 1802-1880 | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | Letter to John Sullivan Dwight, 1844 April 23  | | | | Published: | 1996 | | | | Description: | It would be uninteresting to recount the
manifold little hindrances, which have delayed my an-
-swer to your refreshing and most welcome letter. Suffice
it to say, that it has not been because I do not always
carry the memory of you in my heart. You are one of
the few whom I want to go into heaven with, and stay
near forever. Your letter exhilerated me like a
shower-bath. It made me feel more cheerful and strong
for weeks after. I am glad my letter about Ole Bulbul
found such an echo in your soul. It is a proof to me that
I struck a chord in the "everlasting chime". If I did
say "the very best thing that was ever said about music",
it must have been Ole Bulbul's violin that told it
to me. You, unfortunately, know so much,
that this Shakespeare of the violin may not delight you
as he did me. I have known nothing like it, in my ex-
-perience of pleasure. Perhaps none but the ignorant
could feel such a rush of uncriticising, overwhelming
joy. Connoisseurs give the palm to Vieux Temps; but
I persist in my belief that France made him, and
Mr. Child is still at Washington, or he would send a
heart full of kind remembrance.
God made Ole Bull. I have certain theories about the
nations, which makes it difficult for me to believe that
France ever goes very deeply into the heart of things,
though her mechanism of all the external of man and
of society is most perfect. The application of this theory
may, of course, be very unjust to individuals. Shall I
confess my weakness ? I am not quite willing to be con-
-vinced that the genius of the French minstrel equals
that of the Norwegian. I can not explain exactly why;
except that my imagination has anointed and crowned
Ole Bull king of the realms of sound, and is willing to
admit no rival. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
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