Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1893-02-23
IN W0MAN'S BEHALF.
SOME FIRST SUCCESSES.
Tive Well-Ilnown Nomci Tell How They
Achieved Fame.


the first successes of several women |
prominent in different lines. Miss Char
lotte NJ. Yonge, on whose excellent
tales so many youthful minds have been
fed; Nine. Albani, Mrs. Lynn Linton,
of "Wild Woman" fame, and Miss Rosa
lind Ellicott, who is notable as COM
poser, are among the ladies who tell
how they first won success in their diff
ferent fields.
Miss Yonge had delighted her family
and small circle Of friends with stor-
les before she attained any great public
note. But when 1.-THE Heir of Red
clyffe" was published her popularity
was assured. She had written little
schoolroom tales which had been criti-
cised in her home and over which she
had spent much labor. She was writ
ing with the desire of doing good.
1t occurred to friend that with so
worthy an ambition and such literary
style as her early ventures had given
her she should be able to tell really
moving story, This friend had desire
to see the contrast between "the con-
trite spirit and self-righteous one"
shown in selfish form-with cheerful
ness and peace falling to the lot of the
former and distress and failure to the
latter She suggested this theme to
Miss Yonge, who went to work with
enthusiasm on the not remarkably new
idea. The story was written in sort
of fever of composition. Each days
work was read and discussed with in
terest in the family circle, and when
the tale was finished it was read and
corrected by friends, The manuscript
found publisher, the story pleased the
public and Miss Ionge's first success
was great one.
Nine. Albini's first success was in
Bellinis "Sonnambula' at Messina.
From the time she was four years old
until she was seventeen she had studied
music, the last nine months under a
famous teacher, Sig. Iamperti AT his
school she was heard by the manager of
the opera at Messina, and accepted an
offer to go there. Her first success was
at the first orchestra rehearsal, where
forty or fifty people were present. At
the close of Nine. Albinfs first air the
applause became so great that the re-
hearsal could not proceed, and the audi
cnce jumped upon the stage and bore
the singer to her hotel with shouts
of "Brava, Bravissama." At the pub
lie performance of the opera the popu-
lace went mad in its enthusiasm for
the new singer, and from that time she
has besn almost overwhelmed with su0-
cess.
Mrs Linton's very first success was a
poem which she evidently does not now
regard with great admiration, called
"National Convention of the Gods" 1t
was written when she was about twen-
ty-one and sold to Bentley's Miscellany
for the magnificent sum of two guineas
She had a great deal of curiously
assorted knowledge picked up by her
self, Her energy was all self-directed,
and even in the days of her youth she
inclined somewhat to the heroic themes
of ancient history. Accordingly she
decided to write a novel on old Egypt
which should be masterpiece. Her
sources of information were an old EN-
cycop@dia Londinensis" and Moore's
"Epicurean," but her zeal was bound.
less. Fortunately the family solicitor
became interested in her and her family
were persuaded to allow her to board in
| 4 tl, I,,tic1, Ia,.
her sources of information were more
extensive, and 'Azeth, the Egyptian,
met with favorable reception. But
although her first literary successes
were in poetry and fiction, it has beer
as a contributor to periodicals that she
became best known.
Miss Rosalind Ellicott began her ca
recr rs composer when, as u little girl
she used to make up tunes" on the pi
ano. Later when she had completed
her general education and begun TO de
vote herself entirely to music she cx
pccted to compose only as an amuse
ment, considering that she had not suf
ficient talent to make it her profession
But she showed some of her compost
tions to great London musician, wht
persuaded her that she had "the mos
distinguished talent" She then begai
to devote herself to composition in earn
est She composed an overture for
full orchestra and was invited to hav
it played in concert at the Glouceste
Musical festival in 1856. Her teache
thought she could improve upon the on
she had composed and accordingly sh
wrote a new one, the Dramatic Over
ture," which was given at the festiva
and which was her first success"
A first success in another field is dc
scribed by Miss Winifred Emery, a
eminent English actress. Miss Emer
had met with all sorts of rebutTs an
disappointments. Managers had rea
her little letters of introduction an
politely said that they had nothing
offer. The only one who even gave he
the slender satisfaction of talking I
her was Mr.. John IEollingshead, OF til
Gaiety, theater given over to bu
lcsquc, for which Miss Emery was, &
she realized, in every way untitled.
Finally she managed 10 secure an el
gagement with Nj. Wi'son Barret
presenting herself to nim on tt
strength of having once been at part
/ in his house. A small, one-act piec
, "a Clerical Error" afforded her hi
| first chance. The great success, hoy
: ever, was made in Bronson Howard
play, ''The Old Love and the New
a Miss Emery discovered after she hf
| achieved her success in that play, tn
S the part had been offered her in q
G emergency when two other actresses
: already established reputation fail'
e Mr.. Barrett Miss Emery's success w
e great and instantaneous, and althoue
: it happened years ago, people frequer
!. ly pass over her later work and tell h
$ ''how we'll they remember her in IT
Old Love and the New" So that ey,
u first success may have its thorn
rendering second successes less consp
g uous than their own merits would ma