The Jersey City news., 1891-09-17
NINE. MAPLESON'S PARROT.
1t Got the Reputation Of an 0per-
attic Singer, but Didn't Do
the Work.

Why are lyric and dramatic artistes
so fond of animals and birds2 The
question has been repeatedly asked,
but never, as far as we know, salts
factorily answered. Adelina Patti
always travels with her canaries and
several dogs. Sarah Bernhardt drags
about a small menagerie with her,
and nearly every singer and actress
| has a canine pet of some sort.
Laura Schirmer-Mapleson has a
weakness tor talking parrots, and pos
sesses some remarkable specimens of
these ornithological bipeds. While
recently in Paris, the hotel concierge
informed the American diva that she
knew of an extraordinary parrot,
which not only spoke complete sem
tences, but which whistled several
operatic airs. Journeying into the
bird fanciers' quarter, Laura Schir-
| mer and her husband with difficulty
found out the indicated address, and
after some delay were ushered into
the parrots presence. The bird
then went through it's perform
ance, which was certainly wonder
! full. 1t not only ratified off the most
impertinent remarks, but whistl ed
various tunes with absolute correct
ness. The prina donna was in ecstacy
and did not disguise it. After con-
siderable amount Of gesticulation and
argument, the proprietor in consider
| alton of Madame's continued patron
age, reluctantly agreed to accept 500
francs for his prodigy, although he
had previously refused twice the
| amount from a German countess,
| ,,fat,t a
could not accept.
Purchasing large cage at twice it S
value, Mime. Schirmer-Mapleson had
the bird carefully deposited in cab;
| but before driving away the bird
fancier told her not to be astonished If
the parrot did not go through his per-
formance for several days, as it was
fact that birds often cease singing for
some time after having their quarters
changed. The following morning
Madame left for London. From that
day the parrot has never repeated It's
programme, and the only conclusion
that can reasonably be arrived at is
that the bird-fancier was a ventrllO-
uuist. and did the singing and whist
ling himself.-7he G0lignGni Nessen-
ger.
A Paris correspondent tells OF fact
not generally known on this side Of
the water, namely, that in France
man on entering into the holy bonds
of matrilnony renders himself legally
responsible not only for the support
of his wife, but for that of her parents,
in case they should become destitute,
and the same obligation is incurred
by the wife in regard to the father
and mother of her husband. When,
however, this enactment was inscribed
in the code the practice OF divorce did
not form part of French law, and this
fact has given rise recently to a couple
of very curious suits. A husband who
was divorced some time ago was much
surprised to receive q summons from
his ex-mother-in-law to pay the usual
installment of the aliinony which he
had allowed her during his married
life. OF course the young man argued
that as law had rid him of his wife,
equity would scarcely force him to
support his mother-in-law. The Paris
court. however, informed the defend
ant that, equity or no equity, the
code was unmistakable, and that he
would have to paw the money. He
demurred, naturally, at such farci-
cal decision, and appealed to the
Court of Cessation. which invalidated
the finding of the lower tribunal.
Good Word or-the 400.
1t is q fact, says young and we'll
known authoress, that much Of the
best talent in every direction with
which the world has been made famil-
lar in the last ten or fifteen years has
come from the fashionable world.
Now, YOU wouldn't believe that ordi-
narily. 1t is true, nevertheless, that
the people who have all been called
professional are not little Jealous OF
the great display that hitherto merely
fashionable people have made in many
lines within tbs last decade Why,
just think of it! Only a quarter of q
century ago society" was very fortu-
nate il it could produce single genius,
or even few ordinary capables.
Well, now you can't go into IA draw
ing room without encountering very
clever artists, extremely able musi-
clans, more than ordinarily skillful
poets, and few men and women who
have distinguished themselves, so to
speak, as all-around general intel
lectual athletes And these people
hide their lights under the bushels OF
'samateur." In nearly every art,
science and trade there are at least a
few members of the SO-called -Four
Hundred, who are very close to that
place where somebody said there was
always room. The Upper Ten Thou
sand are no longer the lazy, shiftless,
cynical, ease-loving, good for nothing
set that they once undoubtedly were.
Brooklyn Citizen.
Swiss Schoolgirls
A writer in The atlantic has this
to say of Swiss schoolgirls: French ane
music being the chief ends OF each
girls sojourn. there was no grind o.
college preparation. Nobody was stud
ying tor an examination. This preven
ted a certain strenuousness of tone an6
tensity of excitement which are apt tt
exist with us in the more earnes
schools On the other hand there wa
in the girls themselves none of tina