The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-02-23
The Woes Of Oliycttc.

HOW CATHERINE LEWIS WAS CUT OFF FROM
FLORAL PRESENTATIONS ACROSS THE FOOT
IIGHTs-sHE TELLS THE STORY OF HER
TROUBLES.
The lot Of the rollicking and exuberant
sonestress Of comic opera, who appears so
merry and joyful on the stage, is not always
n happy one. There Is Miss catherine
Lewis. for instance. Who would ever have
thought. after seeing her dance the tdrdn-
dole i'm "Olivette," that her life on the
stage was one beset with tears and tborns
And yet thus, according Ia her own story,
il Is. What is the troubley the sympathiz-
ing reader will ask. First OF all, Miss
Lewis il not allowed to have iiowers
presented 10 her across the loot
iialfS. Shocking. isn't il. Who has not
marvelcd ut the absurdIty OF great, elabo-
rately-pfepared baskets, crowns, ana mlD-
iature towers Of flowers being pompously
carried down the aisles Of the opera-hotise
or theatre by paid usher and formally
presented to the "star" by the conductor
Of the orchestra! And yet, il seems, singers
like the custom-at all events, Miss Lewis,
rs will be seen from her story, considers
herself fairly slaughtered by her managers,
who refuse TO allow any longer the enact
ment of the time-honored farce. But she
saws tbev do il from "spite" against her
and not from superior sense OF the rldlcu-
lousness or "ridiculosity" OF the proceed
ing
oLIyETTE's OWN STORY.
II appears that an ardent admrer OF
Miss Lewis, a young lady entirely I'M
known TO her, wanted TO send her bou-
n1l-. al gf fba nshpTS IN OlXp m
TO the orchestra leader, that the latter
might make the usual presentation. She
waited. according to her own story, till the
curtain had twice fallen. and then in
quired of the usher why her bouquet had
not been presented. That functionary
replied, "Thc management will moi
permit flowers to be sent to Miss
Lewis from the audience, but the bouquet
has been sent around to her. Miss Lewis
on receiving the bouquet behind the scenes
was by no means contentcd. She was de-
termincd not to he robbed OF her little
compliment, despite the managementS
orders, and gave some one S1.j0 to pur-
chase a seat and pass up the bouquet to
her. "Thcy cannot refuse money al The
door" said she 10 the messenger, but the
cmploye, acting under the orders OF the
management. defeated the design, declaring
peremptorily that the bouquet could not be-
tolerated. Miss Lewis had her own story
10 tell. and it will be seen that the Hover
less condition to which she is doomed on
the stage is Il source OF great suffering 10
her.
"Why will your managers not allow
flowers to be handed to you!" Miss Lewis
was asked Yesterday.
IL can't tell; | suppose they don't know
enough. They are not managers, properly
speaking. YOU know. at all. They are now
saying that am asking to be recngagcd
for the next season, while as a matter OF
fact would not sing again with them Tor
all the money in the world. They have
made my life so wretched that | can hardly
bear it,"
"Why did you pay any one $50 to pur-
chase a seat for presenting you the bou-
quct?"
because" said Miss Lewis, with hon
est Indignation flashing from those big blue
eyes, II did not see why the spite OF my
managers should deprive me OF the plea
sure OF receiving the flowers before the
public. You know that il is a great plea
sure to an artist. try 80 hard to please
the public-Go my best; and why should |
be treated so meanly?"
"STICRING NEEDLES INTO ME
did your managers send You bouquets
before this little difference arose."
"My managers-ha, la, IN :" Miss
Lewis laughed. ~ have heard OF such
things. but Eve always regarded them -
fairy tales-as fiction. | have never met
with such generous managers. Why, il "a
manager were to send mo bouquet |
wouldn't know what TO do, I'd be so over
come"
but you received bouquets from the
audience i'm the usual way
Certainly, until the late New York en-
gagement, since which | have been sub
iected to every imaginable insult and hut
initiation by these managers"
"Then Oliyette is not 50 haTpy aS She
looks 2"
~ wish they would only let me. !
should like to be happy so much, but they
won't let me. They are sticking needles
into me all the time
Remembering this, 10 her, evidently very
painful incident. Miss Lewis had what wo-
men so aptly describe rs "a good cry,
and her ewes looked quite red and swollen.
Ne,c York Herdld.