Page:The Lady’s Magazine Vol. 2(january)1821 (IA in.ernet.dli.2015.515653).pdf/232

1821.]  as uniform in their march and habits as a corps of well-drilled soldiers. Life becomes a monotonous and dreary waste; the adventures of one day are the adventures of every day, and men become the mere automatons of education. We do not now mean to judge between the two systems of life; we simply mean to state the fact as it is, that our readers may not be led away by unseasonable expectations.

Mary Anne Wilson was born in the year 1803, April the 10th, in the parish of Hutton, Berwickshire. Her father was a substantial farmer, who either by inheritance, or by his own exertions, was placed in a state of comparative affluence; but that restless spirit of adventure, which drove Candide from the delights of Eldorado, invited Mr. Wilson to quit the health and happiness of the country for the narrowness of a life in London. This, however, was a fortunate change for the young Mary Anne, whose talents never could have been fully developed any where but in the metropolis. Friends would have been wanted to discover, and masters to perfect her abilities: the love of music amongst rustics is not the love of musical science. Miss Wilson must have partaken of the feelings of those about her, or if her natural good taste had not broken through the bonds of education and habit, she still must have languished in obscurity.

Having left the country, they now took up their abode in the London Road, at which time Miss Wilson was only in her ninth year. How the subsequent period was occupied up to Mr. Lanza’s hearing and admiring her voice, we know not; but judging from her present advantages, we have a right to suppose that it was not spent in unprofitable idleness.

Mr. Wilson now wished to place his daughter under Mr. T. Welsh; but this gentleman, who had long ceased to take pupils, at first declined the offer. Being induced to hear the lady sing, he was so much pleased with her voice and taste, that he offered to give her lessons gratuitously, reserving to himself, however, the right of discontinuing them whenever he thought proper. This proposal was too advantageous to be refused; Miss Wilson attended regularly and diligently, till at last Mr. Welsh being satisfied of her talents and disposition, agreed to take her as an articled pupil; and having previously given her the requisite instruction, brought her out at Drury-lane theatre, in the arduous character of Mandane, on Thursday, January the 18th, 1821. Never, perhaps, was an aspirant after theatrical fame received with more general applause.

This is not the place to discuss Miss Wilson’s talents; for if we praise, it would show like the praise of partizans, and if we censure, it would seem the prejudice of an enemy; yet we cannot forbear expressing our surprise at her first appearance. Her graceful utterance and dignified action were such as to impress us with high esteem for the teachers as well as the pupil; the first, we know, she acquired from Mr. Alvey, a teacher of elocution; but while paying this testimony of respect to his talents, we are sorry we cannot name the master who has so ably initiated her in the school of D’Egville.





peasant, by name Kibitz, lived with his wife in a little village, and his days were happy and contented. Once, as he was ploughing his field with his two oxen, he heard his name called out suddenly, and, looking round, perceived a bird, which repeated the call without cessation. This was the bird kibitz, that, like the cuckoo, is notorious for calling out its own name; but the peasant thought the bird was mocking him: he therefore took up a stone to fling at it, but the kibitz flew away, and the stone, instead of hitting it, fell upon Rh