The Van Buren press., 1874-04-07
PAREPA AS A WIFE.
The Noble Aspirations Of Great Singer
Unfulflled.

Cameo in the Chicago Times, gives
an account of an interview with Parepa
at private entertainment in New York
many years ago, in which she said
"My life makes an Arab Of me, fe.
male troubadour, singing vagabond
but when | am rich enough shall marry
some good man for love, build me a
home and fill my house with little chill.
dren, all my own. love little children.
DO you know that Norma nearly break S
my heart? They tell me that | am too
young to sing in Norma, that only
those who have been mothers and sor-
rowed deeply know anything about that
wonderful opera. can imagine that is
a''mysterious composition to heartless,
selfish women, who love no one but them
selves, and to whom children are bur
den and a torture. do not sorrow.
have been brokcn.hcarted, aud | know
the wretchedness Of an unhappy wife ;
but God is good, He permits me to for
get, and feel now when | am singing as
il there were no such thing rs years, and
no coldness in age. ] am wild with hope
to night. Don't you see it in my face ~
q" Perhaps you will love some Ameri-
can gentleman, and live with us always /"
IL don't know. My next %psband
must be a devo,ee OF music, and >ajoy
it as intensely as | do. When a MA
loves me truly, and is possessed Of that
one sentiment in common with me, he
may be rich or poor, giant or pigmy,
an Apollo or o Caliban, | shall marry
him all the same, and be happy with him
without asking where he was born.
BY and by she married, and people
smiled at her choice, simply because of
the inequality Of their size but rcmem-
Der what she told me when first we met,
and | believed in her womaniness more
entirely than ever. She married an artist,
and as time has proven, she married him
from motives that cannot be questioned
by the skeptic, in downright, unselfsh
affection.
That their pcrs )nal appearance when
together was somewhat comical she well
knew, and laughed at it more heartily
than any one else. If he did not care
because her unusual size made him ap-
pear smaller than he really is, neither did
she feel sensitive because his little figure
gave her the appearance of a beautiful
young giantess. One night saw them
together at the Leilerkranz ball Every
body who is familiar with the grotesquc.
ness Of this grand affair knows that no
opportunity Of burlcsqulng notable peo
pie is permitted to pass without proper
attention. Parepa had become Nine.
Rosa little while before, and many per-
srns had not vet smoothed the smile out
OF their faces that the difference in their
height would call mp.
An immensely tall Teuton dressed
himself for the ball as bride in white
robes, lady's wig and flowers, aad .
small lad was arrayel in the full dress Of
gcn'l"mau. The tall masked bride lei
the litlls man abou, by one hand, while
in the tiny husbands other hand was ear
ried small ladder Now and then he
wished to converse with his wife, and
with pull Of her hand or snatch at her
drapery she was made to understand that
an interview was desired. The wife
halted The ladder was placed agains;
her breast and the little husband ruA up
until his face was on level with his com
panion when most social occasion
occurred When the chat was over the
little man ran down, took his ladder IN
his hand again and the pair promenaded
through the Academy. Carl Rosa and
parepa, his handsome bride, saw the in
tention Of the burlesque, and whatever
unpleasantness Rosa might have felt, he
smiled very pleasantly about it, while his
wife laughed like merry child, until the
tears rolled over her handsome dimpled
face. Round and round the handsom,
hall room the great artists followed this
travestyne ofthemselves, so that no on,
shopld fail to comprehend the practica
joke.
at is disrcspectful, and l don't lik,
it.. said to her as she came to my box
20, but do, she answered. 81 IT.
sich fun for everybody I've gotta littl'
hasba I'd, no bigger than my thumb, II
put him in pint cup and there I'll max
him drum, won't Carl Rpsa7'