Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-07-01
FRAU WILT.
A Sketch OF the Austrian PrIma
Donna.

Vienna Cor. Chicago Times.
Frau Wilt, the Austrian prima
donna, has a voice that is heavenly
and the most dreadful appearance
of any artist lever saw. Frau Wilt
has many peculiarities, and one of
them is her great avarice. When
she dimes at a restaurant, if in good
humor, she gives the waiter pour
boire drink money! of one kreutzer
about a cent of our money-and
when she is in one of her tempers
she not only gives him nothing, but
wants to take back the cent she
gave him the day before. She is
now grandmother, and yet this
magnificent organ remains young
and agreeable. She sings up to
the upper f and G, and in the
"Hymn to st. Cecilia, by Handel,
she makes a trill on the high @ and
d that is the most wonderful and
beautiful ever heard. 1t never
ends, and goes on swelling out into
the harmony of a thousand musical
throats all singing in one voice.
But never look at her, as even
the charm Of so perfect an organ is
lost when realizing that it comes
from so ugly woman. Her face
is coarse and red, and her eyes re-
semble those of an enraged bull
when almost starting out of their
sockets. She weighs nearly or
quite 800 pounds, and has the
muscular strength Of a prize.fghter.
She does all her own work, and one
day the impressario Merelli called
to engage the well-known soprano
for season of concerts. After
climbing five flights of stairs he
found the giantess of a woman
scrubbing the sixth flight, and
when she was interrupted she
turned on him in perfect fury.
"What do you want?" she said to
the oily impressario, whose gentle
voice begged to pass.
:" wish to see Frau Wilt" re-
sponded the director, "and would
thank you to"
"Not if l know it," cried the
soprano, putting her arms akimbo
and glowering down on Morelli.
"First, what do you want of her?"
My good woman, l don't know
that it is any of your business"
said Mr.. Morelli, "but if you will
let me pass | don't mind telling you
that | have come so see Nine Wilt
on business, and -
The creature smiled grimly, seized
her pail and mop.cloth, fourished
her red, brawny arms in Morelli's
face, and with a simple Follow
mel, mounted the stairs. She
threw open the door, entered, Mo-
relli at her heels. Then, after 90
ing through the preliminaries of
furiously blowing her nose, she
wiped a great drop Of perSpiration
from her face, and said again,
"What do you want? l am Frau
Wilt"
HYou% said tho astonished
director, used to the vision of the
popular prima donna in robes of
silk, dressed u Ia mode and be-
jeweled. "Youl ! beg pardon; |
must have interrupted your work,
| wanted to speak to You about
ah, yes; my partner is down stairs.
Good morning. Mile pardons,
nest ce pas. will come again"
And off he went like a shot, drag
ging his long legs down all the six
flights, while the astonished singer
of st. Cecilian hymns yelled out
that her scrubbings had been inter.
rupted for nothing, and that she
had been visited by n mailman.
Morelli never returned, and to this
day she remains a mystifed woman
rs to the cause Of his sudden visit
and complete disappearance. How
ever, such slight episode has not
changed her mode of life, and she
never imagined for moment that
her standing " deshabille" of per-
son, with mop-cloth and slop.p