Later when Frau Lind was compelled to go out as a governess, Jenny was cared for by her grandmother in the Home for Widows of Stockholm Burghers. Thus her religious instruction was continued. Jenny used to sit at the window in the Home for Widows of Stockholm Burghers and sing to a cat “with a blue ribbon round its neck.” On one morning the maid of a dancer at the Royal Opera House heard the child singing and reported the discovery of a phenomenal voice to her mistress, who sent for Jenny. Her mother took her to the Royal Opera House, and when the dancer heard the child’s voice she immediately pronounced her a genius and advised the parents to have her educated for the stage. But both Jenny’s mother and grandmother believed fiercely that the stage was immoral. Her mother, however, agreed to allow the child to be taught singing, and she accepted a letter from Mademoiselle Lundberg, the dancer, to Herr Croelius, Court-Secretary and Singing-Master of the Royal Theater. Jenny sang for Herr Croelius, who took her to Count Puke, the head of the Royal Theater. He asked how old she was, and when he was told that she was nine years old said irritably, “But this is not a _crèche_.” With great difficulty he was persuaded to listen to the child. Jenny herself explained later that she was “a small, ugly, broad-nosed, shy, gauche, under-grown girl.” But as Count Puke listened to her sing, he was moved to tears, and he made arrangements to have her taught singing and brought up at the expense of the government. Frau Lind felt that she was “sacrificing her child to the stage,” but her financial condition was such that she could not afford the luxury of allowing one of the world’s greatest voices to go uncultivated. A contract was signed with Frau Lind, by which it was provided that the Royal Theater would supply the child with food, clothes, and lodging, tuition in singing, elocution, and dancing, while Frau Lind was to teach her daughter “the Piano, Religion, French, History, Geography, Writing, Arithmetic, and Drawing.” After the child was educated, the Royal Theater was to have her services at a salary.