The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-07-14

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It must be confessed that she rattle
overdid the guardianship at times; but i
any very intimate friend suggested thi
she would say: Il don't want to Civ,
wagging tongues chance. If any gos
siping creature says such and such /;
thing occurred at such q time can re
ply: My friend, you lie, for 1 wa
there" Aunt Rebecca used sharp Ian
guage at times; but, as she said, "Wha
is the use of beating around the bush
You might as well eat the devil as drinl
his broth"
Never having known anything differ
ent, Helen was well satisfied with hel
aunt's guardianship, and never ques
toned it. Sometimes she would say t
her young friends, as they started ou
/ for walk in Fifth avenue, 81 envy you
your freedom to come and go as you
please, but suppose while l am pub
lie singer l must accept the situation
and give up the usual amusements OIL
young women Of my age" So she
would go back to her room and supertn.
+ tend the making of costume with so
much interest that she would forget all
about the ordinary pleasures of life, and
be wholly wrapped up in the dry details
of her profession. She studied hard
every day, and exercised and ate as
carefully as an oarsman in training for
race. Properly speaking, she had
never had any childhood, as she had
begun her studies when very young and
mad been singing since she was in her
teens. She liked the life of a singer and
she didn't like it. The act of singing
was of itself a pleasure, and there was
nothing in the world so exciting to her
as large and enthusiastic audience.
eff an audience only knew how much
better music it gets from an artist when
it gives her something in return" she
used to say, Il think it would always
show sympathetic spirit" She had lit
tie to complain of on the score of cold
ness in her audiences. In New York she
was always treated as though she were
the particular favorite of every auditor,
and the applause when she came upon
the stage only ceased that they might
hear her sing.
1t is not surprising that 4 woman Of
this sort should have had many admirers
1t was said in society that she could
marry any man she wanted-that they
all would only be too happy to bestow
their hands and fortunes upon her, from
Uncle Lightfoot Myers to that much
courted young man, Mr. West Hastings.
Aunt Rebecca smiled at the attentions
OF Uncle Lightfoot, but she was more
severe upon West Hastings, though the
latter was of q suitable age, had an in
come of eighty thousand dollars year,
and was considered a most desirable
parti altogether. He was looked upon
as a confirmed bachelor until he met
Helen Knowlton, to whom he began
paying devoted attentions very early in
their acquaintance. Hastings was
man of the world, member of half
dozen clubs, and lived more like
European than do most Americans. He
had inherited his money, and had never
done days work in his life, which was
so much the worse for him; but he was
not SO good-for-nothing as are many of
his countrymen similarly gifted by for
tune. 1t was said that he patronized the
ballet in the persons of its premieres;
but, however this may be, you could
never find a woman in society who
would believe it, for there was nothing
in his manner to betoken that he was
not a man of the most exquisite refine
ment. If it had been Livingston Dash,
or Charlie Vernon, or any one of half a
dozen other well known club men, who
had been so accused, the accusation
might have been believed.
When Archie Tillinghast told his cous-
in Bessie Archer that he had seen West
Hastings coupe, with the blinds up,
driving away from the stage door of
Niblo's Garden during the run of ''The
Black Crook" she left the room in indig-
nation, and would hardly speak to him
the rest of the evening, though he was
he. escort to the Charity ball. When it
became generally known that Hastings
was paying marked attentions to Helen
Knowlton the women said that she
would do well to accept him; that a
marriage with him would be brilliant
close for brilliant career; but some of
the men who knew him best shook their
heads and said that, while West Hast
ings was good fellow" he was hardly
calculated to make good husband; that
J. 70 rrat Of ha lDo1
the world if he was married to her, and
they wanted to see Helen Knowlton
married to man who would make her
happy to the end of her days.
That Hastings was interested in Miss
Knowlton is not surprising. She was
the most feted woman in New York, and
she was the one woman whose head was
not turned by his attentions. He had
been used to a different sort of woman
on the stage. Here was a prima donna
who was as much of lady and as pure
q woman as his own sister. He began
by pouring the ordinary compliments of
a man of the world into her ear Che had
to do it in Italian, for Aunt Rebecca was
always on hand); but he soon saw that
it bored her, and that she was only in
terested when he talked sense. He had
travelled far and wide, had heard the
native music of many countries, and
could be very interesting if he chose.
That she listened to him best when he
appeared to the best advantage pleased
him. Indeed, she pleased him alto
gether, for she gave him a new sensa-
ton, and if there was anything in this
world that Hastings honestly loved, it
was a new sensation.