The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-15

NOW, why SuOuiunI InaJ second Old
est boy of Uncle Peter WINNER be handed
! down to posterity as the actual discoyerer
of gold in California?
| And haven't l, on the whole, made out
very fair case for the children as
pioneers in the march that goes always
Westward, hop" NJ. c. J.
A Little Girl Who Works.
Wise old Thomas Carlisle, who couldn't
abide person who hadn't settled down to
some great purpose in life, would have
been delighted with a little maid who is
Just now trying to learn to live in our City.
She has purpose in life this little Marie
Stevenson, and has had ever since she was
big enough to lisp about it-and nobody
knows how long before that.
Marie's mother is sweet singer who is
well known in italy and in England as
Nine. Calpi and great musician like her
mother would little Marie be. Nobody
else wishes it; nobody else ever has
wished it. The little girls mother and
her friends know the hardships of the
stage too we'll to wish Marie to undertake
them. But ever since her baby fingers
could reach the keyboard of a piano,
and long before here small lips could
form ineligible sentences the child has
been making music.
Her home has been in Italy until this
year, and the very atmosphere about her
..
Though she is not vet 10 she can sing
arlas from the great Italian operas, choos-
ing key that will not strain her childish
voice, acting the parts of the operas that
she loves with all the demonstrative
warmth OF a genuine little emotional
Italian-which she is.
Don't you think am old enough to
APPEAR
Are you not glad that we are to hear
Faust and 'Traviata?
will you please tell me which are your
favorite operas?
"Have you ever heard my mother sing?"
These and many more are the questions
that come pouring out at you from Marie's
little impatient throat-impatlent to be-
warbiing for big audiences.
Because music she must have in some
shape Marie is studying the violin with q
bearded professor. She applies herself
with fervor. and her eyes fash as she tells
yon, waving her bow by way of emphasis,
with this / shall perhaps be allowed to
appear in three monehs?
inv fayorite opera2' says she. "Oh, I
love La Cavalleria Rusticana' best OF all.
You do not nave that here, | guess.
81 am singing most OF all II Troyatore,
but love 'Jocunda,' too-have you that
over here?"
Marie speaks English as well as she does
| italian or French, and she has learned all
| she knows of it in one little year.
Isn't that dong pretty well for a small
| girl not yet 10?
Just now she is working very hard, just
as she always works at anything she under
takes, to learn German and Spanish. She
has found that people who do not wish her
to understand often use those LANGUAGES,
and | fear it is touch of pique which
makes her in such hurry to learn.
| The moral of this story2 Oh, only
wanted to show you that there are some
children who want to learn things so
badly that they will do it in spite of every
thing. Marie has never been to school,
and when she came to London and lived
in hotels. with nothing to do all day long,
she actually taught herself to read Engllsn
! very well.
She knew the letters, of course, and she
heard people about her using, Englisn
words. Then she used to work away at
| spelling out the signs on the shops, ana
| the advertisements in the newspapers:
| wonder if there is another little glrl IN d
all San Francisco who has taught hersen
to read, to play the piano and TO sing
| operas?