The Osceola times., 1883-03-31
A WHITE LILY.
A "Reminiscences Of Farepa Rosa. by Mary
L. Wright.

l.. Wright.
The season of music was closing.
satiatea with praise Parepa Rosa drew
her fur wrap around her shoulders, and
stepping from the private entrance of the
theatre, was about to enter her carriage,
when
''Please, mi ladi." in low, pleading ac-
cents, arrested her attention.
1t was only the shrunken, misshapen
form of little Elfin, the Italian street
singer, with his old violin under his arm,
but the face upturned in the gas-light,
though pale and p,nched, was as delicate
cut as a cameo, while the eager, wistful
light in the great, brilliant eyes, the
quiver of entreaty in the soft Italian
voice held her for moment against her
escorts endeavor to save the annoyance
of hearing beggar's plea.
"Well." said the great singer, half i'm
patiently, yet full of pity.
"Would mi ladi please?" in sweet bro
ken English, and the slender, brown
hands of the dwarf held upa fragrant
white lily, with crystal drop in its gol-
den heart.
"Do you mean this lovely flower for
me?"
A passionate gesture was his an nswer,
Taking the flower, Parepa Rosa bent her
stately head.
"You heard me sing?'
mi ladi, hid under the stair. Twas
yesterday l heard the voice. Oh, mi
ladi, mi ladi l could diew
The words came brokenly, from quiv-
ering lips, passionately in earnest. The
loud voice of the world she had Just left
had never shown Parepa Rosa the power
of her grand voice as she saw it now in
these soft, dark eyes aflamc, and in the
sobbing, broken words:
mi ladi, oh, my ladi-I could die"
"Child," and her voice trembled, meet
me here tomorrow at five" and holding
the lily caressingly to her check, she
stepped into her carriage and was driven
away.
1t was Parcpa Rosa's last night. In a
box near the stage sat little Elfn, like
one entranced. Grandly the clear voice
swelled its triumphant chords. and rang
amid the arches with unearthiy power
and sweetness.
The slight frame of the boy swayed
and shook, and a look so wrapt, so in
tense, came on his face, you knew his
very heart was stilled. Then the won
drous voice thrilled softly, like the faint
sound of bugles in the early morn; again
its sweetness stole over you like the dis
tant chimes of vespcr bells. Encore after
encore followed.
The curtain rolled up for the last time,
and as simply as possible the manager
told the audience of the previous nights
incident, and announced that Parepa
Rosa's farewell to them would be the
simple ballad warbled many a day thro'
the streets by little Elfin, the Italian mu-
sician.
Loud and prolonged was the applause,
and at the first pause, sweeping in with
royal grace, came our queen of song. At
| her breast was the fragrant lily. Queen,
too, by right of her beautiful, unstained
womanhood, 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 Elfin's violin. There was
silence in that great house at the close,
then a shout went up that shook the
mighty pillars.
A whisper being heard that Parepa
Rosa meant to educate the boy musically
the generous hearts of few opened the
gates of fortune for little Elfin. To-day
he is the great and famous hoy violin
ist," and they call him to play before
princes.
Parepa Rosa! God called thee in thy
perfect womanhood, but thy voice lives
in our hearts, and at the last great day it
shall be written in shining letters on thy
name: "Inasmuch as We did it unto the
least Of these, ye did it unto me-