Ogden Daily Standard | 1916-11-04 | Page 21 | Is Mme. Nordica's Wonderful Voice Reincarnate in Little Lillian Patison?

IB m ' Ok I 1 a . 'm a m m m m m H ls yu4 Jj -HI ff J I ih lisf iLji vi wjlp wwwi iJki iwi i Child w hose Real Name Is j Kept Secret Per- I forms 'Wonderful I Classic Dances Withr & out Instruction and j Now, Since Death of. f Opera Singer, Shows jj Evidence of Being Guided by Her Un- i seen Hand. N j ! BY CHAHLES ASHTON LOVETT. IB. f - ' S the wonderful volco of Mme,. T rv Lillian Nordlca reincarnate lh little Lillian Patison? Has tho soul of soma forgotten' dancing master, whoso pupll3, J perhaps, danced for Cleopatra B ' "-, by tho green waters of tho I . ""N Nile, been transmitted to a ; child prodigy a mite of a girl of scarce S years? K , It may be, They of tho scientific world arc I L Inclined to tho belief. I Whether thcro Is an interchange of spirit I forms between thl3 piano and that bourne from I which none Is supposed over to return Is ono I of the puzzles which havo perplexed mortals I of many- "ages. All life and literature are full I of a belief In reincarnation, and In all ages I ,j philosophers havo considered tho voyago of H Psycho, tho aoul, from one carnal dwelling to ' another. I '; The younger world lost sight of such specu- I ; Ifttlon In the night of tho Dark Ages which f i descended upon Europe. Yet tho influcnco of Bli tho Invisible powers In shaping the acta of tho Bit human raco was realized for many centuries by Bit the wise men of tho Hast. HL Now students of the supernatural are won- H dorlng at what may be merely a coincidence. BJif They aro wondering If It cannot be something 9fl more than that. Indeed, some fow havo ceased SnM to wonder If eve they did. Thoy have been 'jEjtf convinced that Alio extraordinary wisp of a Ha. 'rt whoso trad Identity they aro concealing " J I' rather Jealously from tho public In general has been guided by the soul of the great opera singer. They aro amazed by tho graco of motion mo-tion and the rhythmic beauty of tho volco of this child prodigy. , Pavlowa to Aid Child. ILLIAN PATISON'S dancing Inclines Mmo. JL Anna Pavlowa to aid her- Lillian Patl-sqn's Patl-sqn's remarlcablo gift of song came upon her with tho force of a now being a few days after the death of tho great diva, on May 10, 1911. So It may bo that tho Inspired gift of the wonderful won-derful lnterprotess of Wagnerian roles has como to make Its earthly habitation In tho body of U1I3 mlto of humanity who seems Instinct In-stinct with strange and unaccounted gifts. No less a personage than David Belasco has seen the girl dance several times and watchod her with keen Interest. Tho famous theatrical manager says, In a letter to Prof. James H. Hyslop, secretary of tho American Society for Psychical Rcsenrch, that Lillian Putlson seems like the reincarnation of some famous dancer of tho past, In her wonderful graco. 'Ho rofor3 to tho Inllucnco which corncB upon her and leaves her In a state of exhaustion at the close of her performance so Instinct with spirit For a number of years Mr. Belasco has taken a dcop Interest In child prodigies, and ho always has associated them with strange psychic Inr lluenccs beyond mortal ken. Tho strands of tho great rope of Karma arc strengthened by tho power of the geniuses of the paBt. So It Is every bit truo t)iat Lllljan Pallson, us the child Is called for the purposes of tho Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, has "brought from tho everywhere into tho hero." a sense of rhythm of body and a richness and melody of volco which would flcem supernormal. These qualities in tho young- child have astonished such a savant as . - ' t Dr. Hyslop, and ho has Just made public the result of investigations which have centered for the last year about this precocious youngster. The first observations mado by Prof. Hyslop concerning this child aro of exceptional interest inter-est to consider. He has set thorn forth in a repor. made after seeing Lillian Patison when sho was 6 years of age. "Some of tho pieces sho must have danced before," be-fore," says Dr. Hyslop. "I learned, Incidentally, that this was tho caso with the Klllma waltz. She is said to interpret the music extemporaneously, extempora-neously, and she shows every sign of it. There is no doubt about the grado and cxcellenco of her dancing and IntcrpretatSn. I know little of dancing, but such as I havo seen of ballet dancing dan-cing has novcr compared favorably with this for gTaco and adaption. No doubt tho stagy ballet has to bo learned and performed by routine, but there was no appearance of routine nor of mechanical character about this. Thcro was remarkable fertility of resource In the spontaneous Interpretation of tho Bohemian dance. I have no such acquaintance with dancing dan-cing as would enable mo to describe or analye the caso for the artist, but no ono with an aesthetic oyo could fall to perceive the remarkable remark-able grace and tho Inventiveness of the child, whether It bo Jovoub or sad music. "After tho performance I saw the mother, and 1 learned that the child began very early to show signs of spontaneous dancing. The girl does not recollect Just when It began, saying, In answer to my question, that It was so long ago that she could not remombcr. I found also that from a very tender age she had played what she called fairies. Sho had not had many playmates. play-mates. Sho sloops well, and, according to her mother, dreams much. Tho mother also told mo that sho shows tendencies to danco whon-over whon-over she sees rhythmic actions anywhere, such as tho movemontfl of the trees. This sho has noticed whon. with tho child out of doors." Name of Child Is Secret. FQU tho present tho real namo of the child Is withhold, for Prof. Hyslop believes that wero It known Its publication would be prejudicial preju-dicial to tho career of tho small artist. Most Interesting as showing the precocity of tho Juvenile dancer and singer Is tho testimony of one of tho witnesses described In tho Paych-.Jcal Paych-.Jcal Research Journul as Helen Freeman. This f-wltnoss had lived In tho samo houso with Lillian and her mother for two years, and constantly was In touch with them. In the parlor there was a phonograph, and Mrs. Freeman drow tho attention of the mother to the fact that, ro-gardlcss ro-gardlcss of what selection was played upon It, from "Thals-Al'mo Fanclullo Ancora" to u Montgomery and Stone "classic," tho baby for Bhc then was about 4 years old, would rlso and danco as though the molody had become part of her. - Without tho slightest suggestion from any source sho would Interpret Mendolssohn'n "Spring Song'." Or she could gather Into tho poslngs and rhythm of the waltz "Tho Humorcsque" of Dvorak, as transmitted into tho golden chords of Fritz Krolslcr. The religious Impulse of such works as "Tho Jewels of tho Madonna" she demonstrated that sho felt, nor did she fall to catch the weird suggestions of tho "Danse Macabre." " Considering that this was tho performance of an Infant scarcely out of arms, the erfect, to put It mildly, was uncanny. "The mother did not seom to pay much attention at-tention to It at first," writes Mrs. Freeman. "Sho simply said: 'Oh, yes, sho always has done that." But so soon as she grew to realize that other children did not always do that sho do-cldcd do-cldcd to take her to an instructor. Sho called upon a ballot master. Ho refused to take tho child, becauso he said that she was too young aud that It would bo a waste of tlmo to attempt to Instruct a girl of her ago, as tho sense of rhythm and her ear wero not dovelopccL "The mother, howovor, asked him to see tho baby dance. He did' so and promptly changed his mind and offorcd' to take her at a ridiculously ridiculous-ly low figure. He was, however, extremely busy at tho time, and after he had shown her a few exercises to prevent the arches of the foot from breaking down, which sho has kept up for practice, prac-tice, Mrs. Patison decided to discontinue any attempt at work with him. Ho tried to give tho baby a dance, which tho child refused to do, saying that sho preferred to feel her own way about the music and to let tho music tell her what to do Instead of tho master. "Lillian spent some tlmo In tho summer In tho country and in tho mountains alone, but dancing' all tho time, both outside and Indoors. When she returned In tho fall tho ballet master saw hor again. Ho said Chat her improvement was ho great that ho would like to exploit hor publicly, which, of course, hor mother would not permit. 'From that time on she continued to dance, giving her own Interpretation of vhat tho music mu-sic Inspired hor to do. Hor mother is not a dancer, and, therefore, had no idea whatever about giving hor instructions or suggestions. The baby has seen Pavlowa and Isadora Duncan Dun-can dance. Pavlowa ."is amazed at tho child's dancing, and advised that she should have no Instruction whatsoever, but bo allowed to follow fol-low her own Instincts. Isadora Duncan has never seen the baby dance. From both of these dancers little Lillian has, of course, assimilated assimi-lated something, although sho expressed herself her-self In the Greek way before sho saw Isadora Duncan. , "In her Hawaiian dancing she has caught perfectly the spirit of the music and she never nas soen any one nance in any way similar to the way that she herself docs. To the experienced experi-enced eye. that which Is artificial In her work easily can be discerned from that which is spontaneous and her own conception. That which was her own was tho true and beautiful expression. She always has had an accurate sense of rhythm, and has given to tho mood of the composition a perfect response. "Enosco, in Europe, improvised for her hours, trying to catch her with unexpected and Intricate rhythms, but she uncannily seemed to anticipate everything that ho was about to do and perfectlj- followed him." w Pavlowa More Than Impressed. A FEW days since at the New York Hippodrome, Hippo-drome, Mme. Pavlowa told the writer that the wus more tnan Impressed by tho dancing of the young prodigy. ' ' The dancing of Lillian Patison, as she is called, Is the embodiment of natural grace," said-rho famous danscusc. "I first saw her at tho home of Mrs. Otto II. Kahn, throilgh an arrangement which was made by Miss Malvlna Hoffman, tho sculptress. sculp-tress. Tho child thon was only 6 or 7 years old, a slight figure of a girl, fairylike In her prr.co and appearance. "Slender and very graceful were her limbs and well proportioned, nor medium-light hair. In curls, clustered about a baby face, for sho eeemcu younger oven than hor years. Blue wero her eyes and she had In them a sparkling expression. Sho gave a danco of the fairies according to her own Interpretation, u flowor dance and then a barbaric danco In which she brandished n cimltar. "That sho bo permitted to continue dancing according to her owi Ideas until she was 10 or 11 years old, or even older, was my advice to her mother and' the prominent women who have taken a great Interest In tho remarkable youngster. After sho is 10 or 12, I think sho could profit from regular Instruction, possibly abroad, provided sho developed symmetrically In form. Frequently theso prococlous dancers get enlarged feet or weakened muscles which unfit them for a career. "1 now am endeavoring to get In touch with tho child again and possibly I may sco my way clear to aid her in getting- sultablo Instruction. As sho is an American, I would especially like to do this, because I have boon so cordially received re-ceived by the people of the United States, and, In my fooble way, I should Uko to show my appreciation of that cordiality." To all who havo soen her, tho girl has been "positively uncanny and most fascinating," to uso tho words of Belasco. Thus wc urrivo at tho consideration of tho strango psychic Influences which seem to have rested upon Lillian Patison Blnco the date of tho death In Java of Mmo. Lillian Nordlca. About six days after tho passing1 out of tho famous operatic singer, tho gift of volco developed de-veloped with, It would seem, an almost supernatural super-natural force. Soon nftor this manifestation had fully developed, Prof. Hyslop, so ho tolls U3, took Lillian to tho houso of a medium, a Mrs. Chenoweth of Boston, through whom he has conducted many of his experiments, Tho girl was taken in through tho Back door of tho house where the medium lived and In the sittings sit-tings that followed, six In all, tho presence of tho child In person' was 'not Known" to the 'in- ' r-x, terprctess of the world beyond. There were UH various messages which wero traced to efforts RH on the part of deceased relatives of tho child to communicate. IH Prof. Hyslop tells In detail of the coming of fH a deep trance at the end of the fourth sitting. Tho references to family matters ceased en-lirely en-lirely and Into the circle there, entered a strong personality.- As to the valuo of tho manifesto.-Hons manifesto.-Hons which followed. It is largely a matter of BH opinion. That tho chljd'.was now 7 years and 6 months of age, that sho had so progressed jJ that she. was singing music from tho grand operas, accompanying her singing with motions Eftifl of the hands and foot which resombled the business of great artistes whom she had novor IH seeu all these things must be borne In mind. Automatic Wirting Used. j jJ THE medium resorted to"a3itomatlc writing. j This revealed the letter "L" and then tho jH word. Madame. Finally came a word of advice to tho mother of the child regarding breathing exercises which required tho use of certain Ital-lan Ital-lan words, all Intended for tho benefit of tho child to whom tho communicator was now refer-ring refer-ring as "my protego." Then from tne sublimal was flashed this message: "A lady. 1 don't know who ahe is. She Is rather large. I think that her eyes aro dark. Sho seems to be In a shadow and Is very im- The name Lillian Norton, wh(ch was the mald-r en name of the singer, was revealed and tho syllable "Nord" followed. Here the control broke down. Prof. Hyslop perceived at once that the I syllable was Intended for Mme. Lillian Nordlca. I hut ho did not know that the original namo of IH the diva was Norton. llH Thon the personality, or spirit, believed to ftiifl have been that of Mme! Nordlca, which was lliifl endeavoring to communicate, remarked: "It Is ( DH hard to tell which Is natural endowment and fliifl where Inspiration begins." The observation, j Uilil "There Is a congenital foundation which makes , it impossible for me to use the organs," foi- ! V'H lowed shortly. To Jewels and furs and other liH luxuries, which she declared no longer interested fliH her, tbo communicator from the other shore re- jiil ferred, and, also, rather Irrelevantly, mentlonod fliH "Annie Laurie" and her love for that simple old ikifl song. Prof. Hyslop attempts an explanation of H these remarks by tho spirit. i "The mothor told me," ho says, "that sho liH (Lillian) onco had seen Mme. Nordlca in her UH box at the theater, richly ornamented with RH Jewels. The reference to furs means nothing cither to myself or tho mother, but the recent fashions In furs make it probablo that the allu-slon allu-slon is quite pertinent. ' "About tho relevance of tho rcfcrcnco to jH 'Annio Laurie' I knew nothing, but 1 learned from a friend that 'Annio Laurie' was a favorite encore of Mme. Nordlca's. I also learned that laH Mrs. Chenoweth did not know this fact, having never seen Mmo. Nordlca nor heard her sing. jH "A curious automatism followed In . the sub- , HlH llmal recovery of the normal state. It evidently was associated In the memory of the commu- iJJB nlcator with somo moment when she must a'p- illlj pear on the stage. It was 'The orchestra is illlj playing.' Mrs. Chenoweth Immediately recovered consciousness." . Supposed Spirit In Earnest. oUPP0SEDLY tho spirit of Mmo. Nordlca talked long and earnestly about her earth protego on whom had fallen her lyric mantle, , iiH but this wis In a later sitting. Tho lnforma- I1H tlon that somo one olse, not a relative and long, , gono from this earthly sphere, was socking to iiH Influence tho child, now was volunteered by tho flH communicator. ' jf Let us quote the spirit message: illlj " "Tho woman to whom I refer so uses hor In- fluenco on tho mind of the child as to make her iiH seem maturo and wlso beyond her years, not , simply in ono form of expression; but in tins IH general modo of living, Uko a Sappho or a jilH Margaret Fuller, say. fH Many of those who know Lillian Patison con- iH aider her In tho light of a reincarnation. Still , others bellovev that sho Is simply a prodigy. It IH chances that one of tho most striking charac- t MH tcrlstlcs of tho child Is her maturity of conduct und of tastes.' It often has been obsorved by y those who know hor 'well that sho Is an adult i in point of dignity of behavior and calm of mariner. J Theories being taken for what they arc worth, BH tho broad human fact remains that in Lillian j Patison wo have a child of abnormal powers j BH whoso gifts, properly developed and providing that she is not exploited beforo her talents ! IH havo matured, may bo a revolatlon to tho pub- ( lie from which sho now Is so carefully with- I jfH Jicld. Tho laws restricting tho appearance of J J&TaTJ children on tho stago will sorve well the won- j JPjH derful child who comes from a small town in f the South, and who Is hedged about by all that makes for prim convention, Theso latter facts jH make It tho more strango that she should havo jlBJBJJ thc.se gifts that amount to genius. lll Of course, years of training are necessary. BJBJ oven admitting all that has boon said about BH her gifts. Thero Is no flowcr-strown road to BH great success, and only by careful 1"'" H can eho bo fitted for a career. It may never H develop, but ours will bo a pleasing anticlpa- tlon of tho coming In future of a dancer a H great as Pavlowa or a singer as marvelous as H was Nordlcav ' bb!