The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1869-08-18

a hieI Jpn idn0scuxhsannu unaDxsz1., ne Mia
nase; for long had the battle ragged. and des-
pefaie, between the triple operate powers
Of Rome, Naples. and Milan, ere the palm
ofvictory had been awarded to the latter.
My professional duties had detained me
late. & was young, struggling N. D. in
Milan al the fime;) aud entered the thea
ire but as the air shook With the wondrous
applause elected by Sontag's rendering Of
"Al. non cfedea. in lhe Sonnsmbuia.
was especially disappointed TO have missed
,hat aria--to me, the gem OF the entire ope-
ia. But who could jecin himself ill-.used.
il in time Tor the Gidnger So, mentally
thankful il was no worse. made my way
to my seat--one, fortunately. very near the
stage; and had tskenit, and was bOwing TO
some English friends seated in the boxes
adjacent, ere the Wild lumuit Of applause
had ceased to deafen my Fars. or the floral
tributes TO be enthusiastically shUwered at
The lady's feet.
| One wreath. remarkable for its singular
beauty, | remember, cdmp0sed OF some
deftly-woyen, strange, red exutics, caught
my gaze as | turned toward the stage, IN
the act Of its descent. An instant more,
il caught nv hand as we'll; for. oninten-
lionally, in the sc, of turning. hat in hand,
the latter struck il, thereby swersing il
from iis original destination. directly into
my own grasp. A moment more. stood
The centre OF attraction III my immediate
sphere, bending forward with what grace
might. Offering il TO Sontag. The kind
Iiy, gracious smile with which she received
ii will probably dwell in my memory as
long as aught earthly. Verify. its remem-
brance thrills me with strange sense oi
pleasure. even upon City years recall.
The graceful figure, iu It's slender beauty,
vet bent before me, the crimson wreath
lightly resting against her breast. when !
second one, accurately dropped from above
Literally crowned Amins a. she stood. Il
was deil trick. and one which immediate,
; lly called lorlh the delighted appreciation o
The audience.
The building absolutely rocked with Ii,
vibration caused by the second burst Of sud
den ecsialic acclsmation.
One odd feature OF the incident imme,lI
lately struck me. namely, that The secon.
wreath on the prima dOnna's head was Al
exact duplicate Of tie blood-red crown up
on her bosom, and which had presented
not an instant before. had scarcely ha,
time to note this coincidence, aud the lady
casting her hurried eyes spprecIalively 10
my direction. was in the act OF bosing
second graceful obrisance TO the compll'
lmenl-wfeath, raising II as she did go 10 bel
lips, when The beautiful lace paled sud
denly, the limbs contracted sharply, aud
she fell writing in conyulsions. almost in.
to the very foOt-Iights al my IeeI.
In en- hunr The mystery was cut. and al
Milan knew that both wreaths scere moi
sened To this day. The music. mad ali
lanese remember the dresry horror of thal
night. A week later. all Europe learned
lit and at this day il is the property Of the
world. The facts were these; A jeslou,
rival, distanced alike 10 love as lame by III,
lpeerlsss iasorile. inlerpoIated the role Of the
Borgia into the opera. Prosidenlially
with partial success.
A week la.er. Sonlag; perfectly recover.
led, sang az the San Carlo and q month had
barely elapsed ere the echoes Oi La Scala
again awake TO hei divine forgiveness.
A sudden case oi suicide called me from
my bed. Immediately upon my retirement
The night OF the .'Fl.rsl Murder as we q
Milan dubbed the abUrli,e catastrophe. N,
patient was Young ana heauufui woa,a.
Ia singer--oue of MiIan's layorites prior I,
the arrival OF The present idol. lts cause. /
dual one--env, aud malice. rooted 10 mad.
denIng jealousy.
by marvellous interposition, death wa,
not the immediate result; my patient lin
! gefed an Tor hours, nay days--three and
even Ionr. in rumber--actuall passed IL
life for a woman literally stabbed through
the heart
| had. OF course, forbidden The slighies
possible excitement. i.ile. Of course, wa,
utterly hapeIess; but lie should be saved
as long. determined. as human skill could
ian the vital spark. All Milan. profession
al, was in attendance; but |, having receiv,
ed the earliest call, wss considered the rul
ing medical authority. II was on the after
noon Of The fourth day, and was hurryiny
from other calls back into this wondrous pa,
/ TENTS room. when was arrested by sucl
slrains Of enhancing melody. that Nth r,,
hand upen the door Knob. In the &C, ui
= ryiug ont, paused 10 listen.
"Ohl Is the glorious se-s
E first thought.