Page:The Strand Magazine (Volume 3).djvu/563

 by those fortunate enough to be present.

A little dog with a bright yellow coat and mischievous dark eyes, given by a Mexican friend, is the prima donna's constant companion, and appears to watch her every movement with profound admiration. Nor must I forget her other pets. The parrots she brought with her from New York some seasons ago, the smaller of which, named "Cookie," accompanies her songs and imitates her roulades, further embellished with quite remarkable fioriture of his own. Then there is a "Jumbo," a strange bird; who refused to utter a single word until one day when a doctor appeared on the scene to attend to a sore throa of his mistress, he exclaimed: "Oh! doctor, I'm so sick!"

At our request Patti was quite willing to produce the famous book of autographs of which we had heard so much, and with mingled thoughts, indeed, did we turn the pages of this precious volume, on which so many valued lines had been traced by friends who have now passed away. Meyerbeer, Bellini, Rossini, Auber, Berlioz, Mario, Tietjens, have all left their record, and among those who are fortunately still in our midst, to cheer and delight us, and who, at their friend's request, have inscribed their names in her treasured book, are Hans Richter, Capoul, Albani, Trebelli, Scalchi, Ravelli, and many others. Niemann, the great German tenor, whose never-to-be-forgotten performances of "Lohengrin" and "Tannhäuser" made all Europe ring with his praise, in an eloquent little poem incites Patti to appear in one of Wagner's operas, and concludes his lines with "Elsa-Patti! Ich liebe Dich!" Hans Richter, too, calls her his "Meister Sängerin," and Christine Nilsson, in a burst of friendship,