National Republican., 1883-03-07
A STRANGE ROMANCE.
From the operate Stage to n Bowery
Museum.

Museum.
Speaking of the vicissitudes of professional
people," said DIR. Arthur Cole, manager Of one
of the Bowery museums, to the writer, 3" let
me narIato to you touching experience that
came under my observation recently, and
which l know to be true.
"a respectfully attired lady, about 80 years
of age, clad in thin, faded garments that had
once been fashionable, applied to me for an
engagement rs vocalist. My list being full,
was compelled to decline her services. But
noticing that the lady was better educated
than the generality of people who come tous, /
held her in conversation fora few moments,and
elected the fact that child of hers was lying
dead at No. , Clinton place, and that she
had no means of burying IT, She told me Il
pitiful tale of being in arrears for rent, and
confessed she had just pawned her <hawl in
in order TO buy food. She oXpectcdeo bc dis
| POSSESSED, and saw no way to meet her press
| ing needs save by IN engagement Hence her
| visit to me. We see 40 many beats in our line
| that have come to be habitually suspicious
of all agony yarns, hut there was something
in her manner that convinced me she was not
n fraud.
She pleaded so earnestly that gave her per-
mission to sit down at the pianoand try what
she could do. She eagerly complied, and
much To the astonshmcut of every one present
sang in n sweet, cultured voice Il selection from
Traviata" in Italian. She then gave In "a
most bcwitching manner the German song,
Her Wasscrfal" Her voice was thin, but
remarkably full in its quality, and far superior
! to anything we have ever had in this museum.
She was given an engagement and remained
with us three weeks,
Day after day other facts in connection
with her history came to light and now
will tell you the story Of her life:
Madame II was born in London.
| Her father is well to do merchant. She
was highly educated and received her carly
musical training in the conservatoiro at
| Milan. She became passionatcly fond of
| music and, according TO her urgent request,
her parents permitted her to accept an engage
mcnt under the direction of Col. Mapleson in
| 1879. Her voice developed into rich and
| ilorid soprano. and TO her was assigned the
| duty disappearing Nilsson, Patti, aud Gerster
| Hor contracts were renewed, and she came to
| America and made her debut Mt the academy
| of music in this city not 80 very long ago
| For the first three years she got along eX-
cecdingly well, and at the expiration of her
engagement with Col. Mapleson accepted
another under Max Strakosch, and went
| South.
"This venture was not so successful. She
consequently returned to New York, where
| she made the acquaintance of II handsome,
| accomplished man, who turned out TO be the
villain in her life's melodrama. He is Ger
man by birth, for he is still living, and II
baron in his own right, although he has not
| adopted tho title. She married him, and from
the date of her marriage her woes commenced.
They lived happily at first, but with her de-
clining fortunes he grew careless and indif-
| fercnt to her needs. With her savings she
organized an opera boutle company, which
proved failure in one of the eastern cities.
Her luggage was seized and her COM
pany broke out. Then her husband fled.
81 She again returned to New York, and
commenced an action for divorce against her
husband for cruelty and abandonment, and
although tho court awarded her $50 u week
alimony not one cent of it has yet been paid.
Being capital singer of the German yOdelS
she readily found employment in one or two
OF the better class of summer beer gardens.
I The constant dread of meeting those who had
| known her in better times caused her TO re-
linquish this means Of support. She next
procured an engagement in the choir of an
| uptown Roman Catholic church. Then worn
| down by cold, worry, and exposure she was
taken seriously i'll for several weeks.
Matters grew desperate, until finally want
of food compelled her to come to me. At the
close of her engagement with us she obtained
other turns in similar establishments whore
her history was unknown and she was safe
from discovery. Since then she has been for
tunate enough to obtain another regular en-
gagcmcnt in a Catholic choir, where she
sings on Sundays and high festivals. Her
earnest wish is to obtain few pupils to en-
able her to mete out sufficient for the support
of herself and her child.
In addition to her musical accomplish
mcnts she speaks Italian, German, and French
huently. She is thoroughly well bred and
powerfully realizes that she can never fill her
old position on the operate stage. If any one
desires to satisfy themselves Of the genuine
ness of this story, and will come and see me
at 2lO Bowery, shall be most happy TO an
swer further inquiries. And now whatll you
| haye?n