Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-01-03
AN ANGLICAN SINGER.


with carriages. They emptied their
perfumed fieights of richly dressed
ladies at tie entrance to the opera
house, and contrary to the usual Gus.
tom ii MAS lilled long before the cur
tain rose. All Paris was agog with
excitement for on this night Mar.
guerite HIrgood, the American, pupil
and protege of Nidot, whose word
could make or unmake the reputation
OF a singer, was TO make her first ap.
pearance before the gay but critical
world of Paris in the opera Of Faust" :"
She was To be. Nidot said, IAN ideal
Marguerite. The best costumer in
Paris had made her dresses and the
celebrated Grenier had given her les.
sons IN acting.
As Marguerite came tripping on to
the stage her appearance struck the
keynote of the character she was to
represent.
The graceful, girlish form in the
simple dress. the long, fair hair hang
ing IN braids, the glorious gray ewes,
almost black with the intensity of re-
pressed emotion-all these al once
awoke the admiration of the behold.
ers. But not only did her beauty i'm.
press the audience; the wonderful
voice. interpreting SO glorlously the
difficult music of Gounod's master
piece, held that vast assemblage
hushed and almost breathless, until al
the end OF the first act il broke into
the widest enthusiasm. And this feel
ing deepened as the play advanced,
until at its close the whole audience
rose TO It's feet, showering plaudit after
plaudlt upon the successful artist. She
was indeed the real Marguerite.
Well might the young American
feel proud of this homage, for upon
her success depended her whole fu-
ture. Her father, a well known mu.
sician, had given her all his little
hoard and sent the motherless girl in
charge Of an old aunt 10 Paris to per-
feet the voice given her by nature.
They did not live in the students
quarter, but in the Rue Rude, little
street leading from the Avenue de
rImperatrice. They were most at the
top Of the building but had fine view
of the avenue, and the famous Bois de
Boulogne in the distance. There Mar.
guerite worked and studied. her only
ambition to succeed in Paris that she
might return TO America, her future
assured, To comfort her father in his
old age and to fulfill the ambitious
hopes he had for her.
And as the reward for all her work
came the successful debut She awoke
the next morning to find herself fa-
nous. All day long the little suite au
quatrieme was thronged with friends,
the basket outside the door filled to
oyertlowing with the cards Of those
who could not hope TO be admitted,
and the salon heavy with the perfume
of flowers sent TO the Marguerite who
had conquered Paris with one blow.
She was the idol Of the hour.
Among the many floral tributes
came one from the Count dc Erontin.
This gentleman, whom Marguerite had
met many times at the house Of an
American friend in Paris, was a
young and wealthy French nobleman,
who having Travelled much in Eng
land and America, had acquired a
knowledge OF the society Of both coun-
tries.
Meeting Marguerite informally at
the house of her friends, whom he had
known in New York, he had fallen in
love with her, and being untrammeled
with any family ties which might
have prevented such an alliance, he
desired TO make her his wife.
But 10 his astonishment, when he
approached Marguerite's aunt with
his proposal, he met with adecided re-
fusal.
Sensible as ] am, said she, "of the
honor such a marriage would confer
upon my niece, yet cannot allow her
TO be disturbed by conflicting emotions.
Her music has always been the one
passion of her life, her one thought to
advance to the greatest heights in the
profession. am sure she has never
thought Of marriage. In years time
n. Vidot has promised that she shall
make her debut in the opera of
Faust" and to that event she is look
ing forward with great anxiety, as on
her success depends all her future.
Therefore, monsieur lie comte, / must,
with all respect for your gracious In
tentions refuse TO allow you TO address