The Arkansaw traveler. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1882-1???, 1888-11-03
HOW SHE BECAME A SINGER.
Exchange.


In her recently published autobiog-
raphy, Pauline Lucca says:
When l was scarcely eight years old
it was decided that l should be a
singer, and this is how it came about
1 was at school in the Dauniger house.
My parents were poor, nevertheless
my mother did her very best to get
me q good education. For this, ac-
cording to the views of that period
1852, to speak French was indis-
pensable, and at our school a great
point was made of it. But for me
there was this difficulty in the way
my mother could not out Of her scanty
means provide the extra fees. So one
day she took me by the hand, and,
placing me before the mistress of the
school, entreated her to make an
abatement of them In my case. After
much discussion this was at last
grudgingly conceded, and was re-
ceived in the school there to learn
French, If learn l would or could.
No one could be happier than mo
mother, no one more wretched than
myself. OF German l knew next to
nothing. My mother language was
Italian. had been brought up till /
was five with sister of my father in
Milan, and my tongue took by no
means kindly to the rough German
idiom. And now was to learn
French also! l regarded this demand
as mere tyranny, and rebelled against
it, by learning nothing-not French,
nor anything else. The schoolmis-
tress and scholars loved me not. In
fact, they regarded me as Ounce. My
case was all the worse, seeing paid
only half fees, 80 that my teaching
was of no profit either to my teacher
or myself. My fellow pupils who
paid full fees looked down upon me.
And how was to engage sympathy?
I was poor, seemed to be stupid, and
was regarded as very plain. Poor,
very plain-and q grill A fine start
in life, truly!
In the years martyrdom which l
underwent of learning nothing, or, to
speak more correctly, Of wishing to
learn nothing, there was, however,
one CLEAN of light. These were the
hours, once a week, when my fellow
pupils were taught singing. In these
lessons i was only passive sharer.
was free to listen and TO take notes of
what was taught, but / was not per-
mitted 10 sing, as for this an extra fee
would have to be paid. But as l did
not sing in the school, all the more
and louder did sing ut home, when i
knew was alone, or anywhere else,
when thought NO one heard me.
So matters stood when the annual
examination-day came round. was
seated on the hindmost bench, of
course, among my gayly dressed fell
scholars. Suddenly my name
sounded on my ear. What was that?
Was it was meant2 Again 1t sound
ed: aLucca, Pauline!" / sprang to
INV feet. 1 felt as ii l had dropped
from the clouds What to do knew
not. They asked me something. /
did not understand the question, and
my face looked 90 full Of dismay that
eyerbody-scholars, visitors and ALL
burst into loud laughter. Only the
schoolmistress did not laugh, but cast
= look Oh DIttcE WEobA ~ A.o @sSA
there was yet one other who did not
laugh, but let two big tears roll down
her sorrowfuI face and looked at me
sadly, oh! 90 sadly-my mother!
NY fasco had formed the grand
finale to the examination. Now they
came to the subjects which were not
obligatory-and last in order came
singing. The pupils who had taken
lessons rose up. Then it flashed upon
me what / had to do In order to dry
up these tears, which had fallen like
molten lead upon my young heart II
rose with them. In vain did the
schoolmistress glare at me with angry
ewes. remained standing, and looked
hard, imploriDg pity, at my good cat
echist, the only one from whom In
n We