The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-05-11
THE RIVALS WREATH.
A startling scene that Horrifed
nm linIinn Audience.

pies CIOWueu W kub Upcth W uei oAht
brics, the most powerful, the most gifted
the most renowned and dazzling cantai
rice that had ever rayished heart, sense
and breath from the fery.souled inhabi-
tants Of that celebrated city. The enthu
siasm Of the Neapolitans for music undel
any circumstances Is inconceivable 10 lhI
people OF colder climate, but Gambrics
had excited II beyond itself. Her figure
large, symmetrical and commanding, re
called Cleopatra or Juno. Her features
we're sweet and noble. Her eyes, endow
ed with the power Of magic, carried witt
every glance the highest emotions Of poet
~ and music. The public worshipped
her. She was an empress-a goddess. II
was curious 10 witness the tempest OF de-
light which involved the assembly and
overwhelmed the performances In . chao.
Of frantic acclamations.
Gambrica was an Italian. With her
first breath she had inhaled FIRE from the
sun. Had she been born in Nova Fem
bla that bosom had held heart Of pas.
sion. Enthusiasm for good or evil would
have been her leading quality. Had she
been bred in the cell Of . convent hei
yestal veins would still have run fire
Education might have modified her i'm
petuous disposition; It could not have
chilled II utterly. But her education
The air Of the north had never cooled her
blood. She knew not the awful solemnity
OF solitude. She had always lived in the
glare OF public observation and qusffed
the intoxicating draft ofpublic applause
It had become 70 her q necessary aliment
"a yent-a demand OF her nature. With
out 1t she would have faded as the rose
without light. II was her air--her sun
shine. For years she had been the most
potent attraction in her fairy theatrical
world. In infancy she danced as fairy
or foated as an angel amid murmurs OIL
delight. As time ripened her form and
touched 1t with the fascinating graces Of
girlhood she had dazzled mortal eyes a
sylph, naiad or princess; and when al
lenght, year, rolling like summer hours
over the rose had only expanded into 9
greater loyeliness, had only awakened
new and more dangerous power, she had
queened It as II indeed 4 veritable en-
chantreas. Aided by all the magic Of po
etry, painting, music and romance-noW
amid the gorgeous story Of Oriental lands
and leading on the warm dreams Of the
burning South, now spell.bound in the
far.gone days Of Arabian fable-to the
sober inhabitants Of the outward earth che
was only known as the heroine Of those
magnificent phantasmagoria. Adorihe
fame and dwelling amid It's beams as the
eagle near the sun, she had little sym
phsthy with or knowledge OF the common
earth. Wealth was gathered by her Al
though Il floated in the streams. She
scarcely knew ambition, for abe was OF
the "topmost round.
The world was below her, mankind a
her feet, and at the sound OF her yoict
they bent, or rose like the sea beneath thu
trident Of its monarch.
She was the embodied dream Of thu
poet; she became, in turn, each passion
she was the priestess Of Nature-a crea'
ture half earthly, half divine.
He who had not seen Gambrica hat
seen nothing. He who had not heard o
her had not lived.
Il was bright life that she led-hel
simple appearance forever greeted b!
thousands and thousands with tumult'
uous rapture; her rising upon nations lik'
that Of Aurora, whose approach chase
the shadows and overspreads the ak!
with rosy light.
Upon this night, after long absence
abe was to appear in her best part. TIL.
Neapolitans attended, for 4 thousandtl
time, to enjoy the wonders and Witnes
the triumph Of their queen OF song.
The second part Of the peice was en-
trusted to q young girl who bad tremb
| lingly yentured 10 make her debut upol
this evening. Her simple aud sweet taste
the quality, extent and power Of he
voice, had more than once gained q wor,
Of condescending encouragement tror
the despouc mistress Of cong. She di
not come till after the entrance oil Gam
brica, by whom, as we'll as by the audi
ence, her unpretending efforts, her unpro
| nounced name, had been unnoticed. Bu
scarcely had she appeared when 4 muir
muir Of applause ran through the audi
ence. Nothing more unlike Cambria
could be imagined; yet 90 soft, ingenious
modest and sphitssils were her sir, shap
and countenance, and so wonderful va
the impression created by her appearance
confirmed and deepened BY her voice an
grace that, as II BY preconeert, an audibl
and universal whisper Of "Who Ia shel
was heard, and q general stir from a
parts Of the house. As though afraid |
give utterance 10 their emotions in th
usual manner, the audience remained 10
Some moments in = kind Of suspens
looking TO behold = heavenly illusio
diIpelied, and this lovely yisitant ute
some tone or make some motion 70 relinl
her In their minds with their association
| Of earth. She proceeded, however,
her part; she gave the few introductor
passages In the same new and exquisiI
manner, till at the end Of brilliant an
most difficult solo, executed with tastl
ease, simplicity and power not excelle,
NOT equailed by Gambrica herself, star
| lied a Braya!n BravaP uttered In Il
tone Of one carried away by raptur
broke the spell Of silence and shook u
house. The performance was stoppe'
the audience rose in = body handker
chiefs, gloves, hats waved In the air frol
The high dome 10 the feet Of the loyel
being. herself astonished at the tumu
she had raised. Gambriea, from u
green room, heard these ominous sound
and felt the boards tremble under b.
feet, She hastened forth from an unot
served retreat beheld the sight blastir
view Of arrival, potent with all thespel
Of grace, youth, beauty, geniuA-a riyi
eopjured up from no one knew Ehei
raised like Venus, full formed, fro
The deep, mounted upon her pedestal, VI
wing her sacred wand, and WELDING, wit
hand yesterday feeble and unknoL
all her thunders. From the lips OF =
hundreds, too, she heard undii
guised Faptures sanctioning, leatlir
on the triumph Of thisnew and Allresple
dent enemy. Her ears rung with the col
I ~ n 4 =. Ia Al