Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-08-19
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YOung American Girls I'm IiAiy
From an Interview with Miss kellogg in the

YOuna American Girls I'm Italy,
From an Interview with Miss KellOsS in tn'
New York Herald.
"I presume you found Italy overrun
with young American girls who were
provided with slender purses and dia-
phonous voices, but who expect to
astonish the world with their operate
brilliancy2"
"Yes, / am sorry to say that l found
hundreds and hundreds there, and
among that number were many, very
many, in the direst distress, My atten-
ton was attracted to them by their
piteous letters asking for assistance,
pecuniary and influential, and sought
them out to see what could be done
for them. The state of affairs | dis
covered was something terrible. |
cannot 90 into all the details, but l
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 myself further on certain
points. The average American girl
goes to Italy with a 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 balmy 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 practices and battles and starves
along, writing cheerful and encour.
aging letters home for fear friends and
family will recall her. and struggling
for very life ali the while in Milan or
some such city. Injudicious friends
have tsld her that she would be an
other Patti or Nilsson, and she hugs
and cherishes this mistaken idea
with fond delusion and ambition at
first and with a dull dread Of the
reality and a tenaeity of despairing
purpose under pinching starvation as
funds run low at the last that is pitc-
GUS to witness. Years have come and
gone, and she has been the usual
round Of the masters, each of whom
has taught her for a while and then
kindly babe her go home; that sht
will never do anything great! But
Mary is under a tacinating delusiOn
and she seeks those who will buoy up
her hopes. She falls into the hands
of less scrupulous masters. She goes
on, from bad to worse, till she finds
herself penniless in Milan. Now
comes the worst phase of the whole
affair; and, what | am about to say ]
say as truth, after the most careful
investigation of facts. AS rule the
poor girl finds in the end that she has
little hopes of obtaining public sue
cess; and | say that she is too often
set upon by a certain unserupulous set
of men infesting these cities who will
do all in their power, under promise
of engagements, to lead her away
where her associations will be such
that she will be morally destroyed.
Even ifshe has a good, but not 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 theaters
This is plain speaking; but / tell you
my investigations, the stories and
tears of poor girls who came to me in
Italy and told me their sad tales,
made me vow that would open my
mouth and speak Of this through the
land when | came home. l would
say to mothers whose young daugh-
tiers are leaving home with
delusive dreams of sunny days
in Italy, and an easy
path to success: Keep your daughter
at home unless you can give her pro-
lection in watehful friends and an in
dependent 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
Ny investigations in Italy have led
me TO believe that your daughters
need not go abroad; that we have good
masters here. | think it entirely un
necessary for their ordinary musical
education. When that is finished
send them to Italy for short period
to receive the finishing touches, and
TO learn certain roles aud then return.
Before they go you will have discov
cred whether their voices will warrant
that Italian trip. Generally you can
see for yourself that it is useless I'M
dertskiug, But do not think that av-
erage merit will open the stage doors
Of Italian Operahouses. 1t will not
And say this to you on the word Of
more than one, more than fifty, Amer
lean girls whom l saw there, as many
Of whom as | could | sent to their
homes in America"
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The Queen and Carlyle.