Omaha daily bee., 1883-06-09
A MINsTREL's BRIDE.
The Wedding Of BillylWest and Miss
Fay Templeton.
Detroit News

Detroit News.
The fact that "Bllly" West, the
minstrel, went from Detroit to Ten
nesseo and married Fay ITempleton
last Sunday wss noted In The News
yesterday, There Wa a dash Of ro-
nance about the love affair Of the
merry minstrel and plquant boufer,
and the gossips Of the profession have
had a great deal to say about it durirg
the past year.
Miss Templeton has been on the
stsge since she was five or ak years
old, and became an enormous favoritc
in the south, She was a beautiful and
p~reco9ious eaild. An old-tashioned
photograph, which hangs In the green
room of the theatre at Little Rock,
Arkansas, shows her to have been
slender and delicate, with great earn.
est black eyes, exquisite features and
head crowned with roguish little cuslN.
Hor fsthe-, John Templeton, u typical
~sortherner, with long black hslr and
sallow features, sad her mother, Alice
Vane, q sparkling little Eouthern
brunette, who, now at 40, Is as sspple
and w!Agome as tho daUghter, were for
a TING the only support Of the infant
phenomenon. When affairs becars
very prosperous, Ellis Ryss, the Big
basso, ard a contralto singer were
secured. But FAY was the grand
attraction, as she sang and danced IN
little far,ss and operettas, and many
were her tsiumphal tours through the
southern circuit, and even away down
into the West Indies.
The ch'l3iprodjgy developed into a
charming young women. The thin
limbs grow round and symmetrical;
the big eyes blacker and eaucler, and
the crisp little ourls became u wealth
of raven r.ngletg, which, when IN.
confined, as in 'The Mascot" tum.
blsd In bewi5iering profuslon about
plump shoulders and a trim little
waist. Her voice was q, rich and
mellow contrusso, not very,welI culti.-
vated, but good enough sor the re.
4uirements of the light opera. In
short, Fay at eighteen was q sumner,
aud when Mr.. Ally West frat saw her
head reclining on "Pippo'a' breast,
and heard her softly join, In tho
"Gobble, gobble" duet, he. was, to
use the comprehensive profeslio nal
phrase, ''paralygsi."
When Miss Templeton went TO the
minstrel's matinee, and Mr.. West, |
with his partner, Mr.. Ft,rnrose, |
triSped lightly forth and began their
geateel song and dance, she knew that
the hour had CONS. The red velvet
coas, the knee breeches, which re.
veaied the gentle ,urves of Mr.. Vests
sbapely calves, and The big diamond
which sparkled on the expansive shirt
front, made him simply r~avishipg In
her'eyes. Her infatuation Yves COM
plete when Mr.. West, shaved very
smosth, dressed very sprucsly, and
with the burnt cork carefully washed
out OF his ears, obtained an introduo-
tion through a member of her. COM
pany.
II was a mutual mash, and the elder
Templetons soon took alarm. Yheir
love for the girl was almost idolatry.
Nothing was too good for her, and no
deprivation was too severe If, 1t could
add to her comfort. They had dc.
prived themselves all their lives, and
lavished everything upon the girl.
They had bent all their energies to her
professional Advancement, and had
placad her at the head Of the we'll
balanced comic opera company.
She was becoming a tremendous
~favorite everywhere, and her pros.
pects were very bright. It was evi.
dent that the time was close at hand
when there should come a golden re-
ward for the years of anxious waiting
and severe privation. The girl was
young, beautiful, accomplished, and
would soon be rich. There was no
limit to the brillisncy of the future
which they pictured for her.
But 1t has been the old story over
again. The prayers of the parents
have bsen UNDECIDED, the prospects for
the future disregsrded, the bouncing
Fay Is now the minstrel's bride, and
the old folks are dlsconsolate.
/ VIM Stevanu of ph,obbaapaia Nau