AN AMERICAN ARTISTE ABROAD.—Miss Adelaide Phillips, of Boston, has lately made a very successful débût at Brescia (Italy), in the character of Arsace in Rossini's Semiramide. "The public were lavish of well-merited applause," says the Italian critic. Miss Phillips first sang, as a child, at the Boston Museum. She went, about two years since, to Italy, to complete her musical education. Biscaccianti sang for her benefit, and Jenny Lind, though she refused to sing for her, it is understood, gave her $1,000, and letters of recommendation to her old teacher, Garcia. Miss Phillips is the fifth American who has, within the last few years, succeeded on the Italian stage.
TRUE HAPPINESS IN A PALACE.—Frederick William III., King of Prussia, married, in 1793, Louisa, daughter of the Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The union was one of elevated love and perfect confidence, the character of the wife presenting a combination of excellencies that dignify her sex and ennoble humanity. Among her graces, that of doing good to the poor was always in exercise. The king allowed her a certain sum for her charities, which she often exceeded, and when the treasurer informed the king of this, he had a way of gradually replenishing the drawer in her desk.
She would say, "What angel has filled that drawer for me again?" To which the king—that the angels were legion, although he knew only one; and then repeated the beautiful verse—
"He gives his favors to his favorites while sleeping."
This high and tender appreciation of the queen's graces and virtues appeared at all times. Himself grave, often morose, silent, and somewhat sarcastic, he knew well how to make use of and shelter himself behind the serene smiles and ever-genial, gracious demeanor of the queen, to whom he used to say, when assailed by the plaudits of their subjects: "Now, Louisa, you must salute them for me; you can do it better than I; but how you can hold out so long, I cannot think."
Much is said of her sly playfulness and ready repartee, one anecdote of which we cannot resist giving. The king, who was extremely careful and judicious in his expenditure, and whose maxim it was that the secret of dollars lies in groschen—exactly similar to our saying about pennies and pounds—on entering the queen's apartments one morning, espied a pretty new headdress, of which he jestingly inquired the price.
The queen replied in the same tone: "It is not always right that men should know the price of women's dress; they don't understand it, and think everything too dear."
"Well, but do tell me the price for this cap, for I should like to know."