Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-10-11

Tribune. 80 e..
son last Friday at the representation Of
Adrienne Lecouyreur, the FIRST box on the left
hand side Of the stage was occupied By the
star ct our Italian Opera Madame La Grange,
accompanied by party of her friends. Du-
ring the fifth act, at the moment in which
Adrienne arises to her lips the flowers she had
| given Maurice of Saxony as an emblem Of her
love, and which the Duchess of Bouillon had
sent back laden with death-poison, if tho
audience could for an instant have seen aught
but Rachael or heard ought but the impas
stoned quiverings of her voice. they might
have noticed strange movement in the box of
which We speak. Madame LA Grange seeing
| the poisoned bouquet grew pale as If she her
| self had drunk in its deadly perfume, and IN
vain endeayored to conceal painful emotion,
which those around her who alone could have
| OWNED its occasion, endeavored in some gen.
! Tie words spoken In a low tone, to soOthe her.
| "This sudden and violent sensation, which
| did not subside until the close Of the act and
drama, was awakened in the great songstress
| by terrible remembrance which the analogy
| between this particular situation of Adriel n
and an incident in her own life called up 1t
Is romantic story, which, ut the time of its
| occurrence, created considerable noise over
| Italy, and indeed throughout Europe We
have obtained permission to narrate it.
C. Madame La Grange, after accomplishing
|
room, had made, but a short time previous to
our story, her debut on the stage with an eclat
which gave ample promise Of the rich renOwn
her name has since borne. The second en-
gagement she ever made, in her lyric career,
was at Payia, where her youthful talent COM
| pletely eclipsed the reputation of rival songs
| tress, engaged al the same time. Each repre-
sentatron WIS at once a new triumph to her,
and a new defeat to the lady who shared with
her the personation of the leading parts. This
overwhelming superiority against which there
was no remedy, Lit up in the soul of the van
quished artistic one of those jealOusies, which,
as 1t proceeds, increases in bitterness, and is
transformed into furious thirst for ven
sc ince, 10 matter at what price or by what
| means.
There are still furious passions in those
Italian brains on which the sun casts its hot
| glance, as ON the Shulamite Of sacred song.
The prima donna, whose name we refrain from
giving is proof Of their existence.
She was one of those dangerous syrens
whose well gOt-up charms dazzle and fascinate
| the Imaginatlons Of youths IF beauty. Now,
Pavia, as we know, is the seat of university,
| and 1t was not a matter of much difficulty TO
| Ind among the students, ardent and ready for
| every daring folly, blind instrument to asso-
ciate in her dark designs. The youth whom
she liked on to carry out her project was ma
tive OF Venice, city celebrated for its mys-
|
Al the point Of the dagger. He was Of high
birth and considerable fortune, allied by name
and blood not only TO the nobility, who are but
| memory, but to the church, which is power
In the Nenitian Lombard provinces
| On, she was clever woman, this! She
knew how to choose her man, and having
chosen him, knew how to make him fulfil her
purpose. The young Venitian, enveIoped in
her plot, lost ali conscience. He ended in hav-
| Ing neither sight nor sensation except what
came through her, and by degrees reached
tlSat point of madness in which his passion
would stay al no crime. The moment for ac-
tion had come. ..
NOW every evening representation, Mad
alne La Grange reapcd her harvest of flowers
and Wreaths, and among the boquets which
tell at her feet was one Of small dimensions,
but composed Of moss roses, whose fragrance
was to her an especial joy. The faithful trib-
ute was invariably rendered to her after the
. audante of the grand cayatina Of Nabucco.
! an opera which then set the crown, In all the
absorbing interest of novelty, upon the grow
| ing fame of Verdi Ordinarily, Madame La
Orange liked the boquet in her girdle, after
| having drawn from ats perfume q new inspi-
ration on which to sweep away all opposings
| feelings.
"Oae night it happened the bouquet was
| more yolumlnous thar usual. The moss roses.
( arranged IN circle, formed the ring around a
knot OF green leaves which occupied the heart.
This unusual bulk rendering it difficult TO
place the flowers in their accustomed spot in
| her girdle, Madame La Grange held them for
! an instant In her hand, bowed her acknoHl-
| ments, and passed the bouquet to one Of the at
tendsnts, begging her to carry it to her dress
ing room-the act ended.
! AT the fall Of the curtain the triumphant
prlma donna descended TO her little chamber,
| rather astonished not to find ker maid in wait
| ing behind the scene. She opens the door,
| she utters cry Of terror Stretched on the
floor lay the maid, to all appearance corpse.
son hearing the cry of Madame La Grange,
| twenty persons ran at once to the room, raised
| up the poor girl, who exhibited scarce any
| sign of life, and not knowing how to render as
sistanee began to discuss the possible cause Of
such an accident. No one dreamed of attrib-
uting 1t to the bouquet which lay almost broken
| under foot In a corner Of the room, where it
had rolled without any one caring about it.
"They all continued to hang for FIVE or six
minutes round the unfortunate girl, already
| attacked by the insensibility which precedes
death, when n man rushed into the little
| chamber, his features stern and his voice
commanding, and his gestures irresistible
| The boquet the boquetn he cried, sGffoca-
| ted with emotion. Those around at once
made way for him, and perceived DR.. Maroz.
u, the regular physician Of the prima donna
| 1t is heaven which has sent you here, dear
| uoSeoi'- sne cIieu, Bee lne state -. But
without attending to aught else, Marozzi con-
tlnued to call out, The boquet, the boquetn
The m3ment he saw that Madam LaGrangc
4 had sustained no injury beyond the terror nat
urally created by the condition of her attend
ant, he FASTENED to give his attention to the
dying girl, but still repeating, The boquct
boquet, This exclamation, so mysteriously
persevered in, and the meaning Of which no
one present could understand, at last attracted
notice to the boquet which, up to this, lad
been forgotten. Some one took il up and
handed it to him. He seized il with strange
eagerness. What possible significance, De
tor, said Madame LaGrange, 'can you attach
to this bouquet" Alas" he answered, 1t is
| poisoned
"a sensation of terror at once ran rouud,
and Madame LaGrange, escaped by miracle
| from death which had been intended for
her, bad scarcely time fully comprehend tie
4 horrible truth, when the signal for her APP