New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1878-10-26

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meal impelled her to try to add to the
debt. The landlady shook her head: "pay
up, if you please; think I've trusted you
about as far as you can CO." Theresa, all
sglow with shame and anger, started up
to reach the door, when hand touched
her own and left ten franc piece in the
palm. It was the hand Of Dumaine, the
actor, man still of some celebrity at the
east end of town, "Pay the woman at
once" he said; and when the landlady
began to make excuses he interrupted her
-''not word" Then turning to the
customers, nearly all actors, or actresses,
he proposed that they should place the
establishment "under an interdict" for q
fortnight, and the thing was actually done.
Theresa, of course, dreamed of becom-
ing great actress, Just as Liston aspired
to tragedy. Failing in that, she thought
she might at least turn her talents to
account in serious singing. She was not
without knowledge of the art, thanks to
her fathers teaching, and she labored
steadily to lower her voice and to elevate
her style to the standard of those lyric
platitudes in words and music which pass
for songs of sentiment on the French
stage. The cafes chdRtGRts were coming
in vogue in Paris-growing rapidly, as
the music halls have since grown in our
cities, from back rooms to gilded saloons
Theresa thought she would try her for
tune at one Of them, and she obtained an
engagement at the Alcazar, among a COM
pany whom she describes as ga pitiable
collection Of the unknown" The only
member of importance was g cardboard
| giant, which appeared from time to time
| on the stage and made believe to play the
cornet-s-piston. Her pay was Just five
francs a night, and out of this she had to
| find her toilet-two old silk dresses,
worth fifty francs at the outside, and
bought of q secondhand dealer on credit
at one hundred and fifty 81 could
hardly hope for an increase of salary, for
was detestable. They used to make me
sing sentimental songs, and the reader
will be good enough to believe me when
tell him that 1 have no taste for this sort
of music" The dresses and other things
had yet to be paid for, and by and by the
bailihs came to enforce the creditors
claims. While they were taking their in
ventory of her miserable stock of furni-
ture, Theresa "hummed the air Ia mode"
to keep herself in heart Suddenly one
of them said, you sing very well, madem-
oiselle.'
"'You think So?
Parole dhonneur Do give US that
song again2'
"'Sing to bailifs Never
81" We are not so bad as we seem, and I'll
prove it. Only sing again, and you shall
have delay OF a fortnight
"'No; I wont sing tor anything under
mouth
"'Go on, them"
In the course of her vagabond life in
search of bread she once found herself
very decidedly outside the walls Of Paris
at Lyons. She had accepted an engage
ment at one of the minor theatres of the
city, as usual to sing in the style which
was as distasteful to her as it was TO the
public, but which she did not exactly
know how to change. It was new and
painful experience. She thought Lyons
great city, butt was not Paris She
could not live away from the boulevard.
| At the end Of the month she was on her
way back to the asphalte once more, and
| (though she had very little money by ex-
press train; she came to no immediate
change of fortune; she was little better
| than miserable wanderer from one
cafe chdntdRt to another, singing by the
month for the price of her suppers of
tripe. Her memoirs would be of no in
terest at this point but for her occasional
mention of her companions, one or two of
whom have gone far beyond her in good
fortune by winning splendid positions in
genuine art. Berthelier, she tells us, used
to sing at the cafe Benglaut in the Quar-.
tier Latin; Michot "has played the Wis
count in trio at the cafe of the Rue de
Ia Lune, and Marie Sax-yes, Mile. Marie
Sax, of the opera-ths splendid ''Queen
of Sheba, of Gounod; the. "Africaine" of
Meyerbeer, was my comrade at the cafe
Moka."
She next found an engagement at the
Eldorada, sang a sentimental song, THE
Flower of the Alps" in a sentimental
style and had the usual mediocre success.
Bat the turn of luck was at hand. The
company supped together one New Years
Eve, and Theresa, to amuse her comrades,
hit on the idea of giving her Flower of
the Alps" in burlesque style. The lack
adaisical words and air of the original
were preserved, but the new manner of rem
dering them was admirably calculated to
express Theresa's disgust for both, and to
make her hearers share the feeling. II
was the song of her ''weariness of the
flesh" Her success was prodigious.
She was encored, and this time, having
got the wretched ''Flower of the Alps
down, she proceeded to jump on it, in the
passion of Der anger and disdain. 81 va
RED the performance by adopting the
German accent and TWoliaRisdns the re-
frain." The company (all professionals,
bear in mind) applauded in a frensy OF
delight. One man alone was grave-the
director Of rural cafe concert Il struck
him that the public would be Just as glad
as ''the trade" to see ''the Flower of the
Alps" in trouble, and when Theresa left
the table he stole to her side to offer her
profitable engagement. 'fWillingly; but
what fort" "To sing comic songs,
Nonsense; II is not in my line. 1 shall
never get hearing. (She had as yet no
idea Of the principle Of her own success
Ny line is sentiment you know" 'tOf
course, but will you do what ask you ?"
"Why not? But think you are making
q mistake" In less than year from that
time she was earning almost any sum she
liked to ask for her services and making
the fortune Of every cafe concert in which
she showed her face.
Her success went on increasing, both In
fame and In substantial results, from that
time. Hhe had discovered the lay Of her
own popularity In the willingness Of the
Parisians 10 have mockery made Of the
maudlin pathos which had long ceased to
draw tears. She Knocked It, therefore,
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