The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-11-11
MISS RICCI'S GOOD LUCK.
,1ca1Y REWARDED FOR DEVO-
TON TO a SICK GIRL.

ror Years He Sent Her Anonymous
II Dainty Pins and Gems-To the
E-eouent Bouquets Was Attached
s,mply @Gratla"-Bis Death Solved
the Mysterious Romance-RichIy
Remembered.
From the NeI1 York advertiser.
BERTHA Ricci, the well-known prima
donna. who is remarkable among high class
singers not only for the excellence Of her
a., but for the simplicity ard heartiness of
her nature, is the heroine of story which
eouslly combines romance and reality.
For several seasons she led the vocal
forces OF the Strakosch-M apleson company,
and was universally accepted as the possess
sor Of one of the best trained and most
,rneful voices ever heard on the English
oneratic stlge. Her dashing manner and
vivacious charm especially equipped her
for comic opera, for she is born come
dieDne. full Of winsome pertness.
The manager who first secured her for
.bis snarkling class OF entertainment was
Col John A. McCaull. During her en-
Csoement with him she began to receive
from time to time very handsome and ex-
rensive bouquets, in the heart OF each of
which nestled a still more expensive jeweled
trinket. Miss Ricci very naturally ex-
nected that the almost prodigal sender of
these tributes would. in due time. disclose
hspersonality, either by calling on her or
In correspondence.
No clew whatever was attached to his
Gifts. all OF which were of exceptional value.
The only suggestion Of their source or mo-
tive was contained a card, fastened to each
hououet on which stood alone the Latin
word "Gratia." Every effort was made by
the sougstress and her friends to solve the
pleasant mystery, but to no purpose.
10 the course of time she left Col. Nc
CauI's company and became a member OF
that of the Casino. Her unknown devotee
followed her with his attentions and his
tributes Every once in q while the bouquet
with its simple legend would arrive, and
each tlme on being searched, would dis
close q ring, pin, a locket or pair of
earrings. In vain, still, were the researches
of Miss Ricci and her friends and man
ayers
About two years ago the streams of
costly gifts suddenly ceased. The last of
them was magnificent horseshoe Of dia-
monds and rubIes. It was the end of a
series of presents which in value must have
aggregated several thousand dollars. Time
rolled by and Miss Ricci became reconciled
to the end Of the delicate yet extravagant
attentions from her unciscoverable wor-
shipper. The story, when she told it, seemed
so Orientally improbable, so far outside the
limits even Of theatrical fancy, that it took
frequent exhibitions Of her jewelry 30 CON
vince her acquaintance of the truth of the
Ger wondrous tale.
But @ denouement was on its way. Il
arrived one day In the last week of last
month. 1t came in a very prosaic and mat
ter Of fact shape. In other words, the
astonished prima donna received a letter
from a firm of lawyers of Wilmington,
Del, which Informed her that the last will
and testament Of Gen. Frederick Dubois of
that city bequeathed to her four houses on
West Seventy-ninth street. New York.
al leave this to Miss Ricci," 30 ran the
will. 'as kind of recompense for services
rendered TO one of mine in hours Of
troube.n
This was all.
1t took Miss RiccI some time to establish
N her mind any recollection of a possible
basis for the magnificent gratitude of Gen.
Dubois. Then suddenly it all blazed out.
When she was in Paris studying under
Nine La Grange she had,for fellow pupil
beautiful and brilliant Young American
girl, Dubois by name, who had no intention
Of going upon the stage, but, being the pos
sessor of a supeKb voice, was having it cult
waited by the Best singing teacher then in
Paris. She was taken ill under very sad and
peculiar circumstances and suffered terribly
before death came to her relief. Miss Ricci,
then as now the soul of unselfish kindness
and womanlv sympathy, at once assumed
the burden of being her nurse aud faithful
attendant. Circumstances made it neces-
emf tD ha ton
derness Of others than her own relatives,
and she was profoundly grateful to her pro-
tessional fellow pupil.
But not even Miss Ricci's jealous and af-
fectionate services could save her, and the
poor girl died. Directly after her death
her body was brought back to America,
aud Is now buried in Wilmington.
She was the daughter of Gen. Dubois.
The general was man of large property,
most OF it inherited from his mother, who
was a member of the Rheinlander family,
During the war he commanded a brigade in
the Peninsular campaign, and was 80 Sc
verely wounded that he was retired on &C
count OF disability in 1864. He owned con-
siderable property in New York, of which
the houses he bequeathed to Miss Ricci were
only part. They are new structures
magnificentiy built and situated in the
fashionable west end district
ID addition TO the real estate, which il
easily worth S75 ,000-perhaps 800, 000-tht
Will oequeathed her quantity of lewelry
amounting in value to Sc, 900 or 1000.
THIS absolutely true story would be shorr
OF some of its value if 1t did not have for E
GSorollary sketch of its heroine, who nov
lives at the Hotel Marlborough.
bertha Riccl was born in st. Louis, Mo-
ana attended school there until she was II
years old. She then became teacher her
sen, and sang in the Roman Catholic ca
thedral as vol. She was all this time study
lng singing, and finally went to Vienna
Mhere she remained sixteen months. Sht
was was fellow pupil with Carl Strei mann
one studied with La Grange of Pari
ana joined tho forces Of Ma,
S StrakGsch' singing prima donnl
cc9ntralto roles. She then joineC
Mtlapleson, singing in London an,
onls country, and finally abandoned grand
opera 70 Join McCaull. She sang in "Beg
gar Student" "Nanon." "Queens Lac
handkerchief, "Falka," and all the otheI
"iSGaull and Aronson productions.
one has remarkably beautiful ant
Sylpatnetlc voice, of great range, powe
Anu nexlollity. In technique and metho
nllss hlcci is not surpassed by any SINCE
now on the stage, and to her bright fac
ano beautiful figure are added modes