New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-21
"THE STAGE WATTS"

".
at this time. and bowed forward left and right be-
fore he drank as to include all the company I'M
! der his condrscendmg compliance III plGdgng the
| art to which he belonged IN product OF England.
Hear, hear, hcarw cried several voices cheer
! fully. The Frcnchman cmptled his glass, ana SAT
! down with look of profound satisfaction: >,
They were all men present-a dOzen-and they all
appeaTed in the very best humOr and spirits. lley
were seated in the dining-rOOm of James Waltord,
professional singer, and the occasion OF the meeting
! was to commemorate WafOrds signature to an
! agreement with the lessee of the CTemOnd theatre.
| A few days ago the document had been duly com
| pletcd; WaliOrd was to have twenty pounds
week. the largest salary he had yet reached ana
| was create the leading tenor part IN new comic
| opera. To be sure, the CremOna was not nrst-
class theatre, but WaOrd was glad to get leading
| part anywhere, and twenty pounds week was
| great advance upon ten which he had been Iorlh-
! crly earning in a subordinate part.
| WaiOrd himself was hardly as glad as ms friends
for he was the bcstnatuTcd, besttempeIea, klhueSt
wished him we'll. There were other reasons also
! which made those who liked him glad OF his sue
| cess. few months ago he had lost q Young wife,
| to whom he was dcvotcdly attached, ana ne was
| left a widOwcr with an only child, boy OF four
years old. Now that his wife was gone, this boy
| was the very apple of his eye. lie took the enid
| with him whcrcsOevcr he might, and when he came
home whether it early or late, his first act was
to visit the boy: Those who knew him, best sand 1t
was well he had the child TO centre his affections
on for otherwise they feared his reason might give
| way.
! lie was not one Of those who wear their hearts
upon their sleeves. He was made OF stubborn stun
! But then all knew that when he married his late
wife hc had given her the love of his whole nature,
and that the very quetness of his manner, upon her
death meant a stubborn nature terribly controlled:
| To OnOOT two of his most intimate fTlenuS ne hau
said conidcntially that If anything happened 10
! his boy he should not care to live. ,
| One of the plcasantest things IN connection WIN
! the present social meeting was that NJ; Gratth had
! come and shown himself most cordial ana agree
! able. Everyone regarded this as exceedingly good
on his part for il known to all that the choice
of a tenor for the Crcmona Theatre lay between HIM
! and Walford Thus lie had come, as II were, 10
sigualizc the triumph of his rival over himself.
! NJ Gwttn man of medium height, black
| haired, sallOw with dark brown eyes, slightly
auuuc nose, and good figure. He was striklugiy
! handsome man. His manners were refined ana
gcntcmanlke, and the only objection Engllshmen
| found 10 him was that he seemed to be anxious 10
show elaborate Kindness IN small things at the eN-
| pen,c of sincerity in greater. Thus 1t happened
that although the men present IN AI6any h4GGgS
| iasticolly and told him he good fellow Tor
coming next morning, when they thought more
quietly over the matter they agreed 1t was only
what was to be expected from 50 polite ana cour-
| tcouS man.
II was but natural that under the circumstances
| of the death of Waltord's wife, his curiy-headed
! little bov Freddy should be made much OF by the
bohemian friends of his father. For time, no one
came to the house without bringing him some little
TOW or sNyectSuiis and if the boy had not very
| good disposition and gay and airy manner, when
| made him take the gifts with the laughter OF de-
light rather than the gravity of greed, he would
| have run fair chance of being hopclesSly spoiled.
Albany Lodge was a much more modest house
| than one might suppose from the name. For tax
| ing the times he had engagements with the times he
! had not NafOrd could not hitherto count on earn
| ing much more than three hundred pounds Il year.
| During his wiics time she had had general ser
want for the house, while she herself looked after
| fine bow But upon the death of his wife, Naford
| having no woman relative who could take her
place, dismissed the general servant and hunted
| mn his old nurse Martha Grace.
| She was now at least sixty years of age. and OF
course hing like rs active as she had once been.
| But ne knew he could rely on her To do justice 70
his boy aud that was the great consideration IN his
| heart then. When she came 10 stay with nm, ne
said to her with all the eunesncss he was capable OF
| martha, am not particular about the house, l
| shall not want yOu to do much for myself. II you
will lust keep the little place tidy, and get me some
! thing simple to eat and drink when | want IT, |
| shall bc quite content. But am particular about
| the boy. You must not let him get INTO larm OF
any kind. lie is all now have in the world, and II
any great harm came to him should break my
! heart
The old woman promised. and kept her promise
faithfully during The time she had been with him.
At last the great night was mt hand Nalford
was full of spirits and confidence. The rehearSalS
| had been most satisfactory. Everyone connected
with the theatre had complimentcd him upon his
singing and acting in the part, and the whole COM
pany were in the very best of humOr for the belei
| was general that the opera would run hundred
| nights ut least
ing when Walford prepared to leave his home for
| Inc had had an engagement, but it was now two
months since his latest appearance in public. .
| Now, Martha" said he on leaving. you'll he
king of the castle while I'm away; shall not be
| me | shall get my supper in town. It's time nov,
isn't it, for Freddy to go to bed I" He took the boy
in his arms and kissed him fondy, and strokcd his
brown curS and called him his Fred his little man,
his fine boy. Then added: " think, Martha. in
honor of the occasion, must give Freddy Shll-
ling
The boy clappCd his hands with delight, and
laughed. He never had had whole shilling be,
fore. Pennies of course often came his way, and
although he had no definite idea of the purchasing
powers of shilling, he knew they were much
| greater than those OF "a penny.
The father handed the boy the shilling and hay
ing kissed him again long and lingeringy, rose with
| II sigh, and said to Martha: You'll take care he
| gets into no trouble while Pm away. The safest
place for him Is III bed. Put him to bed, Martha,
at once. there's a good soul"
She promised to do SO, and he left the house, got
into an omnibus, and made his way as quickly as
| possible to the CrcmOna
| Here all was hustle and excitement. Everyone
who was anyone was in front BY the time lac had
| dressed he was told that the house was filled cram
full from top to bottom and that from the parts
| turning money away. Everyone behind was in the
best of good hum0r and he himself felt more cated
than on any other occasion since his wifes death.
If this piece were hit, and he u in it, his
upward progress III his profession would be certain.
lie should not only be able to live in comfort but
to save up money for his boy and for the time when
that most delicate OF all properties, tenOrs voice,
| ceased to have a market value. He still lacked of
thirty, and with care lie might calculate on twenty
years lease OF his voice. Surprising his voice lasted
| twenty years. and this opera gave him n command
in the market III those twenty years he could save
| and to provide handsomely for his boy.
| lie did not come on very early in the first act.
| He felt in no way nervous. He never had been in
better voice, and the part suited him perfectly.
| What more could any tenor desire 7
| This was of course an undeT-study to his part.
| VI. Grattn was the under-study, and singular to
say, ne did not arrive in the theatre before the cur
| tain went up This was grossly improper For
| supposing any accident had happened to Walf0rd,
| there would have been barely time for Grattin to
dress and make up from the moment the bell rang