Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-07-19

Emma, and said she didn't know what
pretty young girl wanted of her husband.
Just then Miss Abbott spied the piano,
and asked If she might play. In moment
she was warbling sweet song. The old
lady dropped her dishes, wiped her hands
on her apron, and came and looked over
her glasses in establishment. Just then Mr..
Deer entered.
"By Jove, Matilda That's darned nice
singing" he exclaimed, "who's dom it?'
"My namo is Abbot" said our heroine
modcstly, tiny father used TO teach in
your family"
"Thundcr, ycs-but what are you doing
here ?"
"Well, pa and ma are very poor. and We
come here TO give a concert, and l want
you to help me-"
"All right. You're a plucky girl, and
I'll help you. You shall have the Congre-
gational church," said Mr.. Deer.
And she did have it. She got her bills
printed, went around personally and an
nounced the concert, up in the schools, and
the house was crowded. She sang with her
usual sweetness, touching every heart. 1t
out of tune, and the strings broke six
times during the evening. The audience
applauded while she mended them. and
laughed, and called her out dozen times.
| When the concert closed they wanted her
TO repeat it, wi ich she did. She returned
home at the end of a week with sixty dol
| lars in cash, to the establishment of her
poor mother, who held up both hands and
| exclaimed:
80 Emma, hope you havn't been rob-
bling anybodyw
Emma was now seventeen. She started
on concert trip through Illinois, sending
all the money home which she did not
want to use. On the route q Chicago opera
troupe came up behind, saw her bills, and
heard such praises from the people, that
they engaged her to sing with them for
seventy-five nights, through Michigan,
Indiana, Iowa and Wisconsin.
When her engagement was finished, she
star ted out alone again. AT Grand Haven,
Michigan, she got out of money. The au-
| dience came late, but among them rail-
road man who gave her a pass to New
York.
Passing through Canada, little Emma
had bad luck. Many times she walked
hungry from place to place, and once to
raise money, she cut off her hair and sold
| it. Music was her love, and she forgot ev-
cry discomfort in the middle of her beau
tiful songs.
Once she froze her feet, and sang while
they ached with the intense pain that fol-
lows. The applause of the audience over
came hunger sorrow and even the pain of
frozen feet.
Hearing that Parepa was in New York,
she set out with the intense desire to hear
her sing. On she waited towards the big
city. AT Lyons in Wayne county, without
money or friends, she stopped to sing. She
had not eaten anything for hours, and ac-
tually sung when very faint and hungry.
With the proceeds she bought good sup
per and continued her way 10 New York.
Little Emma finally reached New York
alone, and in the night put up at cheap
house, called the Washington House.
The next day she fastened to the opera,
but to her great Disappointment Parepa did
not sing. She finally heard Parepa sing at
Steinway Hall but did not succeed in
meeting her face to face. Her money Civ
ing out, she borrowed fifteen dollars of a
lady at the hotel and started for the West
again. Arriving in Michigan, she adver-
tised three concerts in Monroe. The nights
were bad, the id ca did not take, and she
lost all her money. To pay her debts she
sold her guitar, but went on, and, hungry
and weary, sang in an ice cream saloon in
the next room, making money enough tc
go and buy it back again. At Magnokela
Michigan, poor success attended her again
To pay her bill gentleman lent her mon
ey on her guitar but just then the old Chi
cago opera troupe telegraphed for her, ant
she once more joined them for seventy-siA
con certs, the proceeds of which she sent t.
her mother.
Now another troupe in the West engaged
her to sing in Iowa, Kansas, and among
the Nebraska Indians for seventy nights.
After t!lling these engagements Mis-
Emma sang in Milwaukee and Chicae o
but with poor success. The people hat
never heard of her wonderful voice an'
they would not come TO hear but one lad,
) sing. From the latter place Miss Emm
went to Plymouth, Indiana. Here she ad
verlsed to sing in the pIrlor of the United
States Hotel, but few came, and her none,
: became exhausted. Her hotel bill was 81,
so, and she took her guitar to the must
; store TO pay her bill. She also pawne,
3 her concert dress, her only nice dress, t.
r get money enough to go to Fort Wayne
, Indiana, few miles beyond, where sh
advertised for another concert. Having n
D guitar, she engaged the clerk in the must
store to play accomplishments. The con
: cert was at the Elvin House; the few VIII
came were delighted, and the receipts wer
SIS. With this she went back to Plymouth
D redeemed her dress and bought back he
t guitar and sent S. to her mother.
With bad luck all around her, and know
$ ing that her mother and sister depende,
l on her efforts little Emma determined t.
make one more bold effort in Toledo
: Here she advertised to sing in the Olive
, House. The small audience, though en-
thuastic, did not pay expenses, but tn
t chivalrous landlord refused to take he
a guitar
3 mo, sir ~ said he, forgetting that h
l was addressing young lady, "Georg
e Brown amt going to take no young lady
d guitar, but you can stay and try 1t again.
Things looked dismal enough. He
" splendid courage began to give out. 81
IS hind her she saw nothing but three veal
:. struggle with poverty--her sex and e'
treme youth against her. The future lool
d as blank as midnight. The kindness
George Brown brought tears 10 her eye
II but after 1t came the dreadful thought of
suicide! She owed only the nine dolla
f. which George Brown was willing to gi'
], her, but the thought of failure was drea'
N full. Hope of ultimate success always buo.
ed her up. That day little Emma we
with bursting heart, and looked Off Il
Irnlndn ninr nd ILn IhnLlrrIt Of In