The National tribune., 1882-12-07

~sufnose Won try and find out?" thcnovclf,'
suggested. aggravated beyond endurance hy hls
,ngiogs Interruptions.
Eot Shat" said the tenor grvycly. Loving
asitiyc women are thcaawoad grtho world
.u5 YOUR wife would doUhIsssl03 yourmoncT
.a. ). just as mincd;L WI. one day met with
misfortune. A severe cold, which kept m"
ID he'd for many weeks. left my voice thick and
uncertain. Ny MANAGER was kind, and the
U'Iic in3ul-ent, but after while it began t.
.a noise. about that ~ignor Del Sante had los
lis voice. Ny cucmies-I had but q few, bu
-1rv made mp in f2rocty what they lacked lt
-umhors-set about to ruin me. The hig'
-o-s7. those that had chiefly made my roput"
..au IN fact. were for long time quite rnat-
s.ualIo Hy physician assured nae that tho
SLIGHTEST effort 20 sing would bc disastrous, &
know it would he the death of my reputation
10 sing in public and so 7 kept on making eE-
.u-.s uutil The time arrived when must either
.;ug or slnridca my position. One day my
manager sad to me. 'p,l ~anto. You must take
~our place right away, or shall be obliged to
aad some one to fiji IT. I svmpathiGe with you
fully. bat the fact is, your long illness has
almost ruined me. Suppose We have private
+ schCar-al. and let me see how YOU make out !
rc'asoa his. hut agreed toarnoar the following
. wn.k ] had SO far recovered that could man
/ @gc most OF The music as we'll rs ever Indeed
! : did not know but forced rest would enable
me to do better with the Part than ever had
done. But the high notes. ! dared not prac
ticc for fear Of making things worse. The"
was one song which had always been received
with the greatest enthusiasm. In fact, it seemed
as iGtho audiences could mover got enough OF II.
/ There we've several od lbHn3 passages, and 5"
had accustomed tha people to considerable
elaboration. The .faa'r had always taxed my
voice to the utmost. and such is the inconsist-
cucv and ignorance of even cultured audiences,
that a better performance than usual in all the
rest of my part, would not have compensated
for the omission of a single rocket in the last
display The night came at last, and ap-
pcarcd according 70 announcement. My vel
/ come was somewhat Questionable, but after
. the second act was called before the curtain.
/ This would have been comforting if it had not
/ been for the hi-ses that | knew were waiting
/ for me in the last act. Nothing could avert
( them. ! was sure. There was nothing to do
+ but 10 alter the closing part. and take the con-
seq,tnccs. As I left my drcssng-room, all
ready for the sacrifice the prompter handed
me a little note This is what it said appear
+ 10 take f. and trust the rest to Rosa
"ITows that for high?" Dick exclaimed,
/ with singular appropriateness.
All comrades if l could describe to you
my feelings at this moment! was in ecstasy.
I was in despair I was warm to suIocation.
was cold as ice I was a saint in Paradise.
/ was sinner in lowest hell. l was all things.
was nothing. Something Of nay state Of feel
ing must have communicated itself TO the
house fJrbytore | opened my mouth, the pc0-
/ pie were with ME. 1t was fully five minutes
before they would allow me 10 commence the
favoritc song.
"Ah! if had failed at the last, what stu
pcndous failure it would have been, after such
enthusiasm. But. comrades, l did not sing to
those people. l sang to Rosa. Her jt,le note
was next my heart, and the fragrance Of it
made everything sweet about me. We had
practiccd together so much III this very way,
that knew exactly What wonid bo her mcthCd
. Of attack. and She did net Gisappoint me.
appeared to take as / was told. After the
. supreme effort of tlle evening, could not have
touched Il even. Oh! how her voice rang out!
How clear and brave was the touc, | have had
many oyatyns in my life, bat never such an
one. returned 10 The stage dozen times at
least, but ! did not dare repeat the song for
fear the ruse might possibly be discovered. So
the manager went ola. ami asked the Indulgence
of The house for Signov Del Sautc, whose luthu-
.rasm for his art, and devotion to his audiences,
had already led him to make more effort than
person in the house beside myself who knew
what had been done. and he was The prompter,
whose place Rosa had occupied during the
song ] was alone on the stage, and stood
exactly in front Of the promptcr's box
Didn't You sing the next ni@ht?" the re
porter inquired, after moments pause.
NO, nor for many weeks attcrward. I had
convinced the people Of my continued ability,
and could easily have been excused until was
perfectly vrccoygrcd. Rosa. you see, had not only
saved mc, lut she had saved the manager also.
IS long rs his tenor had proved that his voice
WAS not impaired, why, the public would ac-
cgpt some other opera in which lie was not
cast Rut-'
8" Bus what?' Dick inquired, impaticnty.
"lYL... is your wife now Del Sante?"
ILs-lttIl. my lllt!lu. one alCd IN my
arms. two weeks after this memorable evening;
and. IIaIbrcth, l have the incXpTes,ble misery
cf knowing that I killed her by nay cruelty
and Incauucss. l tried to transform the sweet
est and most loving woman that ever lived
into lukcwaun everyday creature, whom, if
7 had been successful, could never have cared
about. The women who weep, and are lonely
without their husbands, are not necessarily
weak or babyish. Oh! no. Ny Rosa WAS
stronger and better than /, but I did not know
I how to value her until she was gone from me
forever
! You had time to make some explanations,
ai6u. you, Signor?' Dick inquired in chok-
in@ tone.
/ Yes shc knew at last that loved her" Del
. Gantc replied; ana that knowledge she told
me- would make her happy until we were
again united. If l did not believe that this
was the truth, I should curse myself night and
aav Comrades, l have imagined all the time
! have been talking, that Rosa was listening to
me- If nay experience could do any of you
good, an sure she would wish Ile to relate ii,
ior she was noble unselfsh, and true; and II
am a rcpcntant, hcart-aching man, the lonely
tenor of the Rival Opera Company whose
popularity is due to the wife he scorned aud
deserted"
/ Dick IIalbrcth started for town early the
next morning, and telegraphed his wife that he
( ,ypuid start at once for home if she said the