The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-09-24
Young American Girls in Italy.

young American Girls in Italy.
=" presume you found Italy overrun
with young American girls who were
provided with slender purses and di-
aphanous voices, but who expect to as
tonish the world with their operate
brilliancy?"
+" Yes, am Sorry to say that found
hundreds and hundreds there, and
among that number were many, very
many, in the direst distress. NV at
tention was attracted to them by their
piteous letters, asking for assistance,
pecunary and influential, and l sought
them out to see what could be done for
them. The state of affairs | discovered
was something terrible. | can not 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 in
| vestigate 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 mere pittance, that
the best masters teach for little or moth
ing, and that she will breath in musical
genius and dramatic talent by merely
breathing in the balmy air of Italy
She finds when she gets 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 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 mistaken
idea with a fond delusion and ambition
at first, and with dull dread of the
reality and tenacity of despairing
purpose under pinching starvation as
funds run low at the last, that is piteous
to witness. Tears have come and gone,
and she has been the usual round of
the masters, each of whom has taught
her for while and kindly babe her 90
home; that she will never do anything
delusion, and she seeks those who will
buoy up her hopes. She falls into the
hands of less scrupulous masters. So.
she goes on from bad TO worse, till she
finds herself penniless in Milan. Now
comes the worst phase of the whole af-
fair, and what l am about to say.I say
as truth, after the most careful investi-
cation of facts. AS a 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 a GER
tain INSCRIPTIONS 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 de-
stroyed. Even if she has good, but
not great voice, she can probably gain
no public appearance except under two
conditions-she must buy her way in
or she must submit to the demands of
those influential friends of the manage
ment whose word is law at the theaters.
This is plain speaking; but l 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 1
came home. l would say to mothers
whose young daughters are leaving
home with delusive dreams of sunny
days in Italy and an easy path to sue
cess: Keep your daughters at home UNI
less you can give her protection in
watchful friends and an independent
income. l 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
can not 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 en-
tirely unnecessary for their ordinary
musical education. When that is
finished then send them to Italy for
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 a useless undertaking. But do not
think that an average merit will open
the stage doors of Italian opera houses.
1t will not. And say this to you on
the word of mole than one, more than
fifty American girls whom | saw there,
as MANY of whom as l could l sent to
their homes in America. From an
Interview with Mss Kellogg, in Tic New
York Herald.