Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-03-07
CONNEHIL CAUGHT
In the lIeshes OF LOVe-A Fond and
Foolish Lover whose Case Is Hope
Iess-FOr Alice Oates Cannot Re
ciDrOcute-H0W She Took
Him by the Hand

st. LOUIS Star: But Few VINO visited the
Olympic theater during the Oates engage
ment failed to notice the marked attention
paid the sprightly Alice by the baritone of
the company, Mr.. Edward Council, and the
following facts will serve to set Alright all
suggestions that may have arisen as regards
the relation between that queen of comic
opera and the gifted pupil OF Sims Reeves.
Rumor has had the parties engaged score
of times, has even gone so far as TO name the
day set for their nuptials, and last January it
was said that there had been a very quiet
marriage at the Grand Hotel, San Francisco,
where Mrs. Alice Oates was the
bride and Mr.. Edward Council the groom.
The last rumor was false to the core,
AMI 8id the Wedding 7 Would at the present time
have been forgone conclusion had it not
been for one of those little Incidents which
are so likely TO transpire at any moment,
and which so often illustrate the adage that
true love never does run smoothly" On
last Wednesday afternoon Mr.. Connell called
at the Office of the Star, and IN the course of
MS conversation with reporter made the re-
mark that she was thirty-six years old and
still unmarried" The ''stIll' was empha-
sized so strongly that Mr.. CoDnell was deli
cately approached on the snhject OF the ru-
mOred marriage between himself and Mrs.
Oates, and after a great deal OF
ARDUOUs QUESTIONING,
CelEDTdJEu
over the vexed rumors, waxed confidential,
and told the following story in his best style.
and with only an occasional pause for mo-
mentary reflection in the tenderest passages:
Eyes, Edward Cornell is th1rty-slx years of
age and still unmarried. 1t Is strange, is
it not2" and then continued before an answer
could be made to his question, 81 made my
first appearance on the stage twenty-six
years ago, sang IN all of the principal the
aters and operas of London, such as the Hay
market. Princess and Opera Comique as lead
ing baritone, travelled a season through Eng
land with Pyne and Harrison s comic opera
combination, and then came over to this
blarsted country to lose my heart. It beats
the devil, by Jove it does. l have been used
to woman worship ever since the day first
stood before the toothghts and piped forth in
my childish voice my little arias. When |
was eleven years old Charlotte Cushman took
me in her arms, kissed me and told me that |
would be one day great In the profession that
l had chosen, and that if ! ever
came to America to be sure and call on her,
as she would ever be my friend, As the years
went on apace, and | grew up to be a man,
L received notes by the hundreds from ladies
OF nigh estate, craving my photograph, but |
never met woman that | cared a straw for
until | met Mrs. Oates six or seven months |
ago. At first sight of her | said to myself: |
Edward, old boy, that is a decided fine
HCIdus ltOh Jul lOI uCI JOuE6Sl. w ell, L |
was introduced to Mrs. Oates, and she took !
my hand with the first show Of courtesy that
l had received since leaving London, and |
looked into my eyes with the soft grace that |
bespeaks the perfect lady, and IN spite of all |
that | could do | trembled like bashful |
lover, and-pshaw! by Jove, l am talking |
like one. Let US go out and take SMILE as |
you fellows say in this blarsted country" The |
proposed ''smile" was taken, and Mr.. Con- |
nell resumed: ION the eleventh of last Sep |
tember we opened at the Bush street theater, |
San Francisco, and as we met every day |
for rehearsal, and were quactered at the |
Grand hotel, it Is to be supposed that | was |
thrown into Mrs. Oates s company quite fire. |
guently. Two weeks went by, and | found |
myself desperately IN love with her, and be- |
gan wondering where, when and how it |
would all end, until a little incident took |
place that drew her nearer to me. One night |
a low, mean fellow about town, with for |
tune, but not an ounce Of brains, applied an |
insulting remark to Mrs. Oates as she was |
playing the character of LA Marjolaine" IN |
La MdIJOldine. He occupied char in the /
parquette near the orchestra, and l overheard |
he remark and took good look at him so |
hat l would know him if | ever CHANGED to |
meet him again. At the close of the opera l |
changed my costume and went out on the |
street and into saloon, and the first fellow |
Jaw there was the backyard who had
lIm, told him he was a scoundre, knocked |
llm down and gave him
A SOUND THRAsGING.
His name was Thompson, and the matter got
INTO the paper, and Mrs. Oates thanked me
or what had done. From that day be-
yan pressing my suit, and finally, one night,
While waiting to go or in Pinafore, | spoke
o Mrs. Oates like q man, and told her Of my
Election fer her. She looked at me for mo-
nent, as If doubling what l had Just said,
md then gave me her hand with the same
rankness that she did on our first meeting,
My that it was her hand that trembied then
instead of mine. How l played that night!
Inc newspapers spoke loud in my praise
he next day. | was too happy then for a
,rief time, and too dictatorial toward Mrs.
1ates, and then ensued our first quarrel, and
he dId not speak to me for weeks, not until
broke my left arm. You must know that
ccident happened at Virginia City. 1t was
light, and had inst stepped out of the the
ter, followed by Mrs. Oates and Dick Bev-
rly, and as 1t was so icy fell down and ishe
ell upon me, and when managed to regain
ly feet L found my arm broken. She was
nen apparently more panied than |, and
and great deal that felt thankful for, but
l grew better she again became reserved,
ut 1t was not the same reserve that cut me |
n haAIr fbat pba |