Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-07-03
COUNTESS casA MIRANDA.
Intense Rivalry Between Great
Prime DODne.
FroM "a E1slatl 5000.


paragraph:
"Voici une interessaute depeche de
Madrid, 6 JUN: La Gaceta public I'm
ordre royal autorisant le marriage du
COmte Casa Miranda aYec Christine
Nilsson"
Yes, had seen it, and wondered If 1t
were true when | read 1t. But Strakosch
knew nothing whatever ON, and he had
hurried to call ON me TO ask Il ! knew
some lawyer who could give him legal adj
vice as to whether, in case OF Nilsson -
marriage, her husband would he able to
cancel the contract which she had made
with him. For StrskOsch has the Nwed-
ish diva under engagement to sing ~ per-
formances IN Europe, and he has been in
tending to commence the series with
grand musical tete at the IrOcadero in
This city next October. Now he Is afraid
hat If Nilsson becomes Nine. the
Countess Casa Miranda, the husband Will
step in aud interfere by caucellin2 her
contract. ] sent the well known man
ager to an English lawyer living in Paris,
and have every reason TO believe that,
should she break her contract, Mr.. Stra-
kosch will be able to secure ample dam
ages from the unCrateiui Christine. l
don't believe, however, mat ii Will be
broken; the famous Ophclie VIII, II she
Keeps this engagement, nave as good an
opportunity TO prove to everybody on the
continent that she ls still the equal of any
other living singer, her lifelong rival,
Adelina PAID, not even excepted.
The two illustTious dlVas seem to have
agreed 80 tread As closely as possible IN
each others footsteps on the way to Ily-
mems altar as they have hitherto done in
their rivalry for public iavCr only one of
the two was widow. l mean The genu-
inc artice-tor if Nine. Nilsson is free to
marry by reason OF the dealn OF her hus-
band. Auguste RouZaud, in the Picpus
lunaric asylum, Nine. Patti only owed
her freedom to the divorce law which not
very long ago became part OF the French
code. Christine is going to marry the
CountCasa MIranda,a Spanish deputy and
of no particular Importance, VINO has
s0wed any amount OF wild oats in this capt.
tai. He comes OF very respectable family.
but 1t has not long been ennobled, hence
it is a great mistake to call HIM graudee.
His mother was the first one OF the family
that was ever ennObed, aud the title OF
Countess was given her by the father OF
eX-Quecu Isabella in recOmpense OF her
ndelty as lady's maid to her daughter.
When Isabella assembled the throne, she
gave Senior Casa Miranda the rignt to bear
the title. and to have IL descend TO his
sheirs forever. We all know him here, as
she used to be correspondent Of two or
three Spanish papers.
He is about 90 years OF age, that Is to
say, about ten or twelve years older than
sAlme. Nilsson. He has daughter, "a
young lady OF about 70, who has been liy-
ing with her future stepmOther tor four
years. | used to see Mile. Miranda ana
Nine. Nilsson often when down atMonte
Carlo last winter. They were staying ut
Mentone, but used TO come over TO ''para-
uise'' and fight roulette nearly every day.
The younger of the TWO lost Der money
like little man." but the other one Gc-
quently showed much annoyance over
her losses. OF course, there were
ugly whispers all over the place as TO
their relations To each other, and people
who know That the great prima donna has
ever been a haier OF the men cannot help
wondering how it happens that she is
going to marry again. Perhaps 1t Is be-
cause she will becOms a Countess that
she ventures on a step which astOniShes
eVerybody. This, in IA certain way, puts
her above Patti, Tor while the latter was
until recently MarchIoness, she il now
only plain Mrs. Nicholas, that being tue
real name OF her lately acquired husband.
1t is curious, but it IS very true, these
marital transformations are the stage lite
of the two herones turned into reality.
Before marrying Patti, NJ. Nicholas, alias
NicOllnI, tried to have himself ennobled,
even made prince, by hard-up King Mi
Jan. but for certain private reasons that
married don't mind telling what that
private reason was, Milan was perfectly
willing to enuoble NicOlini for the sum of
$50 600; he would even make him a prince
for $40 600; but If he ever married Patti
he would make him neither prince nor
count, not even for million OF money.
Why? Well, because once upon a time
Patti snubbed the SerYian capital and It's
King by refusing to sing there, and Milan
is not one Of your forgiyiug kind. So geou
Carlotta PATHS hayward sister had TO be
content with her lover just as be was,
and the children, il ever they have any,
7ul be baptized just the same as other
little Weshmen. | happen to know that
Nine. Ajelina Nicholas was quite aston
ished, not to say indignant, when sne
heard that Nilsson is going to marry .
count. There has never been any love
Tor each other between them. Years ago,
when Patti was singing at the ltalieus
and NilssOn at the Opera, they fought SO
shy of each other that it was quite
social event when Mrs. Rail-, an English
lazy, brought the blonde Ophelia and the
dark eyed ROsine together in her parlOrs.
That was during the winter Of 1868,
and both prime dome had Just become
engaged to be marred-one 10 success
ful stock operator, the other TO a blase
nobleman connected with the court of
Napoleon Ill. Very soon after this meet
ing Nilsson gave l1ttIe dinner to Hattl
in her apartment on the iiftn floor OF a
house here in the Rue dc Riyoli. 1t was
not a large dinner party. Ambrose
Thomas, GOunod, Prince Joseph Ponia-
towski, NiscOuht Duru, Baron Saint
AmanG, a journalist named Cottrau, NJ.
RouZaud and Patti being the only guests
present. Mrs. Richardson, the companion
and housekeeper OF Mile. Nilsson. sat
IA cling the lady of the house, and the con-
VersatiOn was almost exclusively about
music. But there was no music after
ward when the party adjourned 10 the
salon, although GouuOd smilingly
offered 10 accompany either or both
the dlVas on the piano. There
was, however, Il very laugbable and
rather naughty trial Of strength. nothing
less than a wrestling match between the
two rivals. 1T was not exactly a Greco
Roman contest, tor in that particular kind
OF athletic struggle the contestants are
obliged to "stnp TO the waist" and, of
course, such an idea could not be enter
tanned, not for a moment, especially in
the presence OF ones future spouse, and
there was no way tor getting rid of ROu-
Zaud. Nevertheless, lnasmuch as the two
stagers went at each other for ali they
were worth, there WAS a plentiful display
OF underwear and hosiery, and in the end
Nilsson NM Paul fafFlv IN nor hoak o,,,,I