The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-10-23
RoMANCE OF, Il PRIMA DONNA.
FROM THE pAaLoR To'THE STAGE

ROMANCE OF. Il PRIMA DONNA.
FROM THE PARLoR TO THE STAGE.
"Lct ns be Strangers"
< "A speciality Of certain clique of "Bohe-
miansp in Paris, is the fabrication OF romantic
biographies for sensational actresses and sing
ers; and these Ingenious romances are some
times copied by the minor English press when
their fair subjects are about to appear in Lon
DON. Seldom, however, does the British news
paper originate fictitious stage-story for an
Enolelil deoutdnte; and, upon this cousidera-
ton, some readers may conclude that there is
rs much fact as fancy in the following curious
biographical "reminiscences of an English sing
ar not altogether unknown to the American
public:
:, In April, 1860, while the young and lovely
daughter OF the Earl Of D-was enjoying
her usual afterpoon airing along the "Ladys
Mile.n her fan dropped nom her hand over the
side OF the carriage, and she ordered her
coachmanI to stop and recover It, Coachy
cIirbed his 1igh-steppers to malt as quickly
as possible but, before he could descend from
his perch, o gentleman of respondent black
whiskers and Immaculate costume appeared OF
the side of the vehicle, and, with courtly
bow, presented the fan. Ablushed THANK
YOU, sir,p rewarded the act, and the coachman
was directed to head his horses for Belgrave
square but the Earls daughter carried home
in her bosom vivid mental photograph OF the
knight af the fan, and could not help iancying
that q something in the expression ofshis tne
black eyes had silently pleaded for further
acouaintance. To employ the term best
understood by her sex, she was, in
fact, q struck . with his distinguished ar.
pearanee,, and couldn't get him out OF
her head. 1t was one of those cases
quite as common with the gentler as with the
sterner sex. The young lady drove IN the
park, at the same hour, on every succeeding
afternoon Of the week, for the particular pur
nose OF catching another glimpse OF the Gle
CANT STRANGER; All her eM9rts 1 10 eyaa;ns sai e7
the Royal Italian Opera, where she acciuentaE
ly dropped her lorgnette from her box. upon
that exciting occasion severa. wkite-cravated
gentlemen sprang to pick up the peartand
gold bijou; but there was quicker one peiore
them al, and the lorgnette was presented py
the whiskered unknown of Hyde Park. Opr
susceptible heroine blushed celestial rosy-red
"a she received It. and the dark-eged cayalier
gave her such look of homage in the act
that her own; eyes dropped prettily under the
ardent glance. Bowling gracefully, the un-
known retired to station at the hack OF the
box, and there vorshipped Win MS look uhtii
the performance was over.
For month after this several silent inter-
views of the kind took place, until al leDStn
the peers daughter felt her right hane slightly
grasped one evening, as she was stepping into
q carriage from the opera house, ana, on re-
covering from her alarm, found sealed note
in the hand thus abused. In moment she
had guessed who the writer was, and had
scarcely patience to gain the privacy OF her
own room before ascertainipg its contents. Inc
1nissive was written In fine Italian hand, and
the writer avowed his honorable passion in
the exaggerated style natural to afellow-coun-
trymen Of the Cencis. He called her his IDOL,
the light of bis soul, the star to be wor-
shipped from afar by the idolatrous wretch
who dared not draw nearer. The Eng
lish Of the wording was just execraDiy pad
enough to helghten the romance and Suggest
anglicised marble villas beside the murmur-
ing Po. He should skill himself" said the
KNIGHT. if miladi did not conceal ''leetle
nota" for him in the folds OF her fan, on Ger
rain night, and manage to drop 1t for him as
she entered her box at the opera. She did
so; and thus began secret correspondence
which ended in her promise to elope with the
man. She had repeatedly endeayored to gain
some information respecting his rank, though
not until 1t was too late to save herself ana
when he assured her that peculiar but not dis
honorable circumstances rendered an open
.courtship impossible,n she could only give him
his own way. Another month passed on, and,
upona certain afternoon, the young ladys car
sFiage returned to Belgrayia without her. For
better, for worse, she had joined her adorer at
q railway station, and gone with him to the
nearest Gretna Green. They knew each other
very intimately In sentiment, but now the fond
foreigner had such hard facts to disclose as
came near throwing his lovely captive into
swoon. Sinking upon his knees In the
inn Of the village to which they had fed,
organs to the more needy OF his countrymen
about London. In horrible English, he abused
himself unstintedly for daring to pretend to
so fair and noble q hand, and offered to escort
his victim back to London, IL she desired, and
then cast himself headlong from the top Of the
monument in Trafalgar square. The Earl's
daughter was shocked, but had gone too far to
.recant; so she gave him absolution from his
sins against her, and went with him to cler-
pyman. Next day there was sensation
In fashionable circles, because the Earl OF
D-s daughter 'shad run off with an Italian
count, whose membership IN the Roman
Catholic Church had made him distastefnl to
her noble parents.n Such was the Court Jour-
nails neat way of putting the case. After writing
friendly account of her mesaliance to her
family, the young wife made hasty sail with her
doting husband to ITALY, She found that her new
relatives there were not all patricians, by any
means; but they received her with great res
pect; and, as the ex-organizer was the ten
derest Of liege lords, she managed to pass
Joyous honeymoon. Before SETTLING down for
good, n however, she wrote another letter to
her father for forgiveness, and thereby threw
that noble lord into fresh paroxysms of wrath.
de sent a crushing answer, refusing to longer
recognize her as child of his, and heapfng
curses upon her and her Italian. Like asen-
sible English girl, our heroine took this all
very philosophically, and sang merrily, ira, la,
la, to the music Of guitar, until the peculiar
purity and freshness Of her voice attracted the
critical attention of her husband. He called
in celebrated maestro to hear her sing, and
was rejoiced to learn that his wife had voice
worth a :ortune to her. A good master was at
once secured for the lively lady, she studied the
Italian language and q tlstic method with avidi-.
ty, and, at the request Of her lord, consented to-
sing In public. AS result, the whole city
went wild with enthusiasm over new
diud, and she received an invitation to be-
come second chanteuse at La Scala. Accept
ing, she gained such series Of trlumphs that
her husband was frantic with mingled pride
and Joy. On the occasion of her benefit he
evincnd this snirit nv oivinp a GRAND simmer to