The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-10-20
FOR THE LADIES.
Fascinated by Opera Singers.

Fhscluuteu ny OperH S1ugerss
A correspondent OF the Chicago Inter-
Ocean, referring to the fascination opera
singers in their stage makeup have for
susceptible and silly young women, and
the unpleasant consequences often the
result says
"It is fact, with one or two excep-
tions, all the best known singers are
married men with families, and / do not
know one of them who, in private life,
could be called handsome; yet they all,
even going outside the ranks of singers, to
that gross fellow-Levy-to Campanini,
red-faced, fat and with five children,
are inundated with love letters, bou-
quets and presents. The men who have
the most common sense and the most
principle laugh at these epistles and de-
stroy them-a good thing for the writer's
but there are others, less honorable,
who do not hesitate to take advantage
in various ways of these pretty little
ninnies."
The correspondent then cites num-
ber of instances, among them the fol-
lowing:
"The seventeen-year. old daughter of
DIR. W, of this city, fell, or imag-
ined she did, wildly in love with a mel
low-voiced baritone in the Mapleson
company. Under an assumed name she
wrote him gushing and romantic notes,
and finally sent her photograph. The
face was so lovely that it piqued the
singers curiosity, but it was in vain he
pleaded for an opportunity to see it.
Miss W could only enjoy her esca-
pade as long as she maintained her in
cognito. Finally the baritone, noting
the name of the photographer, visited
his parlor and ascertained his CORE
spondent's name. Then he wrote to
her under her real address, saying he
had identified her, and she could take
the choice of having her picture and
notes back and giving him 5000 in cash,
or he would tell reporter of the Police
Gazette the story and have the picture
published. There is little likelihood
such q threat would have been carried
out, but the girl was so terribly fright
ened that she sent him all the money
she could scrape together, and the rest
Of the sum in jewelry."
GA case of basso infatuation was that
of daughter Of an ex-senator, still
prominent in Washington circles, who
used to spend all her pin money in buy
ing presents and baskets of flowers
which she sent Conley. In some mys-
te1ious way her father received a hint
of it, and the young lady was sent to
the Georgia convent, where she was
educated for couple of years by way
of punishment. Castle, though neither
so young nor so charming as he once
was, still receives loads of gushing
epistles which Mrs. Castle demurely
twists into cigar-lighters, and Brignoli
says: l haf teached misself re 1nglis
language with these fiddle lettres.' In
Chicago your correspondent is told
there resides wealthy and charming g
young married lady who entertains
handsomely and is we'll known in So
ciety, but who distracts her elderly
husband by q mania for making the ac-
quaintance of every new male singer OF
note, and entertaining him with the
greatest elegance and expense"
Sometimes the giddy things are taught
needed lessons by sensible singers, as
witness this:
"Another case with better ending was
that of a young lady whose father is
we'll known on the stock exchange. She
was violently smitten with Campanini,
and used to send him no end of beauti
fully written missives, and every night
q bouquet of red roses. The letters
especially attracted the attention of the
tenor, because they were written in
smoothly flowing italian, and evidently
by some one who was more romantic
than fast or wild. There was little
trouble in finding out the fair CORE
spondent, and Nine. Campanini, who
has good and lovely soul, sent note
to the young lady and asked her to call.
1t is needless to say the latter's delight
tul delusions were quickly dispelled
before the domestic life of the silver
toned tenor and the kindly advice OF
his good wife"