The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1881-11-11

Coutts looked and acted when she fol-
lowed the glorious singer and Apollo
Mario to this country, She was not
even then young woman, nor was she
even handsome. She looked from 30 t1,
81 years of age. Her features were thick
and irregular, her complexion muddy
and Of thick texture. She was of medi-
UNI height and most exquisitely nodded,
having especially fine, rounded, sloplng
shoulders, over which she invariably
wore a truly regal camel's-hair shawl
She was always dressed plainly in dark
silk or cashmere dress, and every night
that Mario sang, Miss Coutts sat in the
stage-box entirely alone. She was
dressed so simply, her manners and APP
pearance being so unassumlng and the
reverse of striking, that opera-goers of
that day took little notice of her beyond
an occasional surmise as to who the lone
lady in the box was, for it was before
the era of the matinees and ladies going
to places of amusement unaccompanled
by gentlemen. She would sit half con-
cealed by the curtains the whole per-
tormance through with rapt expression
on her face, as if she were fairly en-
chanted by the tones of the heavenly
tenor. The performance over, she would
stand few moments as il waiting the
recall, and as Mario would near the
stage-box she would bend on him look
full of admiration, which he returned.
while Crisis black eyes flashed fire ON
them both. Then Miss Coutts would
glide away to her carriage.
''To those behind the scenes in those
days his romantic story was wellknown-
the ties that kept Mario chainedto Grisi,
even when he had wearied of her and
would gladly have exchanged his lyric
honors to become the husband of the
rich Englishwoman who had come so
far not to lose one note of that Heaven
given voice. Apart from his divine gift
of song, Mario was one of the handsOm-
est men ever born, although he was
trife understood. IGrisi, too, was per-
feet type of lovely Italian, eyes and
hair like his dark as midnight, and in
person beautifully formed, although at
this time she was stout and somewhat
passe. Although the trio were SEEM
ingly on the most friendly footing, Miss
Coutts' admiration for the great singer
being supposed to be merely that which
she might feel for any wonderful artist,
such as she has lately shown for Irving,
the actor, Grisi was terribly jealous, and
it was said at the time nothing but the
fear of losing Mario altogether caused
her to put restraint upon herself. L
remember, however, one night there
had been a domestic scene between the
singers, and Grisi came to the theater
in state of pent-up fury. The opera
was Norma" Grisi and Mario were in
splendid voice, and seemed as if trying
to outdo each other. At length Grisi re-
proaches her betrayer. Stretching forth
her arm to its fullest extent she pointed
directly to the box in which the lone
lady sat, and Numbered forth: Thou
vet shall feel the anguish which has
broken this heart Mario turned his
back on Grisi, and Miss Coutts drew
further behind the curtain. The words
being in Italian were not generally I'M
derstood by the audience, but the YER
dict was that more splendid piece of
acting had never before been given by
any lyric artist.