Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-09-24
Life for q Song.

age lne NORTHWESTERN lur company are |
the great undertakcrs of the coon family, /
Life for Song.
Fifty years ago the "Divine Sontag' |
stood upon the boards of La Scala. TWAS |
night of wondrous triumph for the |
Milanese; for long had the battle ragged, |
and desperate, between the triple operate |
powers of Rome, Naples and Milan, the |
palm of victory had been awarded to the |
latter
My professional duties had detained me |
late Il was a young, struggling Nj, ID. in |
Milan at the time), and entered the thea
tire Just rs the air shook with the wondrous
applause elicted by Sontags rendering of
"Ahl non creda,' IN the Somnambula. | |
was especially disappointed to have missed |
the aria--to me, the gem of the entire
opera. But who could deem himself i'll
used, if in time for the Giunge? So, men
tally thankful that it was no worse, made
my way to my scat-onc, fortunately, very
near the stage and had taken il, and was
bOwing to some English friends seated in
the boxes adjacent, ere the wild tumult of
applause had ceased to deafen my ears, OF
| the floral tributes to be enthusiastically
showered at the lady's feet.
One wreath, remarkable for its singular
| beauty, l remember, composed of some
dettly-woven, strange, red eXotics, caught
my gaze as turned toward the stage, in
the act of its descent An instant more, it
caught my hand rs well for, unintention-
ally, in the act of turning, hat in hand, the |
latter struck it, thereby swerving it from
its original destination, directly into my
| own grasp. "A moment more, stood the
| centre of attraction in my immediate
sphere, bending forward with what grace
might, offering il to Sontag The kindly,
gracious smile with which she received it
will probably dwell in my memory as long
as aught earthly Verify, its remembrance
| thrills me with II strange sense OF pleasure,
even upon fifty years recall.
The graceful figure, in its slender beau
| ty, yet bent before me, the crimson wreath
lightly resting against her breast, when a
second one, accurately dropped from above,
| literally crowned Amina us she Stood 1t
| was u dcft trick, and one which called
forth the delighted appreciation of the au-
dience.
The building absolutely rocked with the
vibration. caused by the second burst of
sudden acclamation.
One odd feature of the incident imme-
diately struck me, namely, that the second
wreath on the prima donna's head was
an exact duplicate of the blood red crown
upon her bosom, and which l had pre-
sentcd not an instant before. had scarce
ly had time to note this coincidence, and
the lady, casting her hurried eyes appre-
ciatiVely in my direction, was in the act
of bowling a second graceful obeisance to
the compliment-wr wreath, raising it as she
did so to her lips when the beautiful face
palcd suddenly, the limbs contracted
sharply, and she fell writhing in convul-
sions almost in the very foot-lghts at my
feet. n
In an hour the mystery was out, and all
Milan knew that both wreaths were poi
soned TO this day, the music-mad Mi
lanese remember the dreary horror of that
night A week later, all Europe learned
it and at this day it is the property of the
world. The facts were these: A jealous
rival, distanced alike in love as in fame by
the peerless tavorite, interpolated the role
of the Borgia in the opera. Providen-
TALLY, with but partial success
A week later, Sontag, perfectly re-
covered, sang at the San Carlo; and, a
month had barely lapsed erc the echoes Of
La Scala again awoke TO her divine for
givenesss.
A sudden case of suicide called me from
my bed Immediately upon my retirement,
the night of the "Floral Murder" as we
of Milan dubbed the abortive catastrophe.
My patient was young and beautiful
woman--a singer-one of Milan's favor
ties prior to the arrival Of the present idol
Its cause, dual one-envy and malice,
rooted in maddened jealousy
BY marvellous interpolation, death was
not the immediate result my patient lin
gered on for hours; nay, days-three and
even four, in number-actually passed in
life for woman literally stabbed through
the heart
had, of course, forbidden the slightest
possible excitement Life, Of course, was
utterly hopeless; but life should be saved
as long, l determined, as human skill
could fan the vital spark. All Milan, pro-
fessiOnal was in attendance; but /, having
received the earliest call, was considered
the ruling medical authority. II was on
the afternoon of the fourth day, and was
hurrying from other calls back into this
wondrous patients room, when l was ar
rested by such strains of enchanting melo-
dy, that with my hand upon the door knob,
in the act Of hurrying out, paused to lis
ten.
ooh 1t is the glorious Sontag," was
my first thought.
A friend passing at the moment Qor
, lodged in the same hotel with both prima
donnas), drawn from his sofa like myself
into the corridor by the concord of these
wondrous sweet sounds, nodded back ap-
| probation, recognition.
"Of course, il is Sontag?" / said.
"Noi that is the strangest part of il,
, Signora Sontag is listening with the rest,
utterly entranced, within the corridor"
WHAT" amazedly answered-and
with the word sprang into the passage,
Once out there, one glance told me all ;
, the crowd were gathered around the door
of my dying patients room, and it was
from that door that this world of melody
was pouring In an instant was beside
her about TO forcibly prevent the certain
death, If possible, but l saw that it was
/ already too late A strange smile lit up
her wasted face, and the large eyes kindled
2 into an unearthly transient glare Of life
! as they met mine; then pointing 10 tiny
? envelope upon the table beside her, with
, one loud triumphant burst of inexpressibly
|, sad melody she raised herself suddenly Ii
her full height in bed, stretched forth heI
4 arms widely, and with choking, gurgling
/ rattle of the throat, fell forward upon mel
face, literally deluged in her own life
9 blood.
b The note, directed simply to me, con-
e tanned these words, in a slender Italian
: hand:
/ Doctor, you say / cannot live, and
! know it, My prayer is for one more song
In life, and that she may hear IL. | pay
+ the price knowingly, and only too willing
4 ly. Life for a single song" 80
She had verify paid il. An examination