Daily Kennebec journal., 1881-08-25
Young American Girls In Italy

Il presume YOU found Italy overrun with
young American girls who were provided with
slender purses and diaphonous voices, but
who expect to astonish the world with their
operate brilliancy?'
''les, am sorry to say that l found hun
dreds and hundreds there, and among that
number were many. very many, in the direst
distress. My attention was attracted to them
by their pteous letters asking for assistance,
pecuniary and influential, and sought them
out to see what could be done for them. The
state of affairs | discovered was something
terrible. / cannot go into all the details, but
| | will tell you so much as | can Of the true
state of affairs in musical circles in Italy into
which American girls penetrate. / made it
my business to talk with them, to investigate
the truth of what they said. and then made
an investigation of the musical schools and
theatrical agencies of Italy to enlighten my
| self further on certain points. The average
American girl goes to Italy with small sum
of money, being under the impression that
| she can live on a mere pittance; that the best
masters teach for little or nothing, and that
she will breathe in musical genius and dra-
| matte talent by merely breathing in the
| balmv air of Italy. She finds when she goes
there that it costs much money and more
| time to get even decent musical education
than her purse will allow, but she studies and
practises and battles and starvcs along, writ
ing cheerful and encouraging letters home
for fear friends and family will recall her,
| and struggling for very life all the while in
Milan or some such city. Injudicious friends
have told her that she will be another Patti or
Nilsson. and she hugs and cherishes this mis-
| aiken idea with a fond delus'on and ambition
at first and with full dread of the reality and
, tenacty of despairing purpose under pinch
| ing starvation as funds run low at the last
| hat is piteous to witness. Years have
come and gone, and she has been the usual
| round of the masters. each of whom has
taught her for while and then kindly badc
| her 90 home; that she will never do ANYTHING
| rreat, But Mary is under a fascinating de.
| usion and she seeks those who will buoy
| M her hopes She falls into the hands of
| less scrupnlons masters. So she goes on,
| from bad to worse. till she finds herself pen
| niless in Milan. Now comes the worst phase
| of the whole affair: and, what an: about tn
| say say as truth. after the most careful in
vestigation of facts. Asa rule the poor girl
| finds in the end that she has little hopes of
| obtaining public success and ! say that she
| is too often set upon by n certain unscrupu-
|
will do all in their power, under promise Of
engagements TO lead her away where her
associations will be snch that she will be
| morally DESTROYED. Even if she has n good
but great voice, she can probably gain no
public appearance except under two cOndi-
| tions--she must buy her way in or she must
| submit to the demands of those influential
| friends Of the management whose word is law
at the theatres. This is plain speaking; but
I tell you nv investigations. the stories and
| tears of poor girls who came to me in Italy
and told me their sad tales. made me vow
| that I would open my mouth and speak Of
this through the land when came home. |
would say to mothers whose young daughters
are leaving home with delusive dreams Of
sunny davs in Italy. and an easy path to sue
cess Keep your daughter at home unless
YOU can give her protection in watchful
friends and an Independent income. | say to
you, mothers, that YOU are sending your
daughters into temptation that you do not
appreciate They will be tried and tempted
as you cannot imagine. My Investigations
in Italy have led me to believe your daugh-
ters need not go abroad that have good
masters here. / think it entirely unnecessary
for their ordinary musical education. When
that is finished then send them to Italy for a
short period to receive the finishing touches,
and to learn certain roles and then to return.
Before they go you will have discovered
whether their voices will warrant that italian
trip. Generally you can see for yourself that
it is useless undertaking. But do not think
that average merit will open the doors Of
Italian opera houses. 1t will not. And
saw this to you on the word of more than one,
more than fifty, American girls whom saw
there, as many of whom as l could I sent to
their homes in America. Prom an inter
riew rih Mss Kellogg in the Nev York
| Heraid.