The Portland daily press., 1883-03-05

The season of music was closing. Satiated
with praise Parepa Rosa drew her fur wrap
around her shoulders, and, stepping from
the private entrance of the "Grand." was
about to enter her carriage when 'sPlease,
mi ladi," in low pleading accents, arrested
her attention. 1t was only the shrunken
misshapen form of little Elfn, the Italian
street singer, with his old violin under his
arm; but the face upturned in the gaslight,
though pale and pinched, was as delicately
cut as cameo, while the eager, wstful
light in the great brilliant eyes, the culver
of entreaty in the soft Italian voice held her
for moment against her escorts endeavor
to save her the annoyance of hearing beg
gars plea.
"Wellp' said the great singer, half impa-
tent, yet full of pity.
"Would mi ladi please" in sweet broken
English, and the slender brown hands of
the dwarf held up fragrant white lily, with
crystal drop in its golden heart.
''Do you mean this lovely flower for me?'
a passionate gesture was her answer. TAX
ing the flower, Parepa Rosa bent her state
ly head. "You heard me sing?''
mi ladi, hid under the stair. Twas
yesterday heard the voice. Oh. mi ladi,
mi ladi, could dep The words came brok-
emily from quivering lips, passonately in
earnest. The loud voice of the world she
had just left had never shown Parrpa Rosa
the power of her grand voice as she saw it
now In these soft, dark eyes aaame and in
the sobbing, broken words, mi ladi, oh! mi
ladi-I could de-"
sChild,'' and her voice trembled, "meet
| me here to morrow at s." and holding the
| lily caressingly to her cheek, she stepped
into her carriage and was driven away,
| 1t was Parepa Rosa's last night. In box
near the stage sat little Elin, like one en-
tranced. Grandly the clear voice sWelled
its triumphant chords and rang amid the
arches with unearthly power and sweetness.
The slight frame of the boy swayed and
shook and a look so wrapt, so intense, came
| on his face, you knew his very heart
was stilled. Then the wondrous voice trilled
/ softly, like the faint sound of bugles in the
| early nom; again its sweetness stole over
you like the distant chimes of vesptr bells.
| Encore after encore followed. The curtain
rolled up for the last time, and as simply as
possible the manager told the audience of
last nights incident and announced that
| Parepa Rosa's farewell to them would be the
simple ballad warbled many a bitter day
| through the city streets by little Elfin, the
Italian musician.
Long and prolonged was the applause,
and at the first pause, sweeping in with roy
al grace, came our queen of song. At her
breast was the fragrant lily. Queen, too by
risht of her beautiful, unstained woman
hood, as well as by the power of her sublime
voice, she stood moment, then sang clearly
and softly the ballad with its refrain of
Farewell, sweet land" Accompanying her
came the low, sweet wall of little Efin's vio-
| lin. There was silence in that great house
at the close, then shout went up that shook
the mighty pillars.
A whisper being heard that Parepa Rosa
meant to educate the boy unsteady, the gen.
erous hearts of few had opened the gatea
of fortune for little Elfn. To-day he is
great and famous, and they call him to play
| before princes.
Parepa Rosal God called thee in thy per-
| feet womanlood, but thy voice lives in our
hearts, and at the last great day it shall be
written in shining letters on thy name: SIN
asmuch as We did it unto the least of these,
| We did it unto me"