Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-11-14

green, purple, yellow and blue bios
SONS were too impressionistic for even
the Boston taste.
Bettina had no mother to insist upon
the polite conventions of good society !
nor to act as chaperon when her
daughter attended the opera. So. !
when, after their scanty supper. Bet /
tina announced that she was going to
the opera that night her father ex-
pressed only wonder at her good for
tune, and rejoiced thereat with her.
For he was fond of his pretty daugh-
ter, though he was sometimes harsh
master and made her work very hard
Bettina had never been to the opera.
Her acquaintance with the stage was
limited to the sundry visits at the
dime museums and the galleries Of the
cheaper theaters But this was to her
land of pure delight. She watched
the surging crowd, the beautiful ladies
and their attendant cavaliers, the rows
upon rows of happy, smiling faces,
, and she knew that she, too. was q part
of it ALL
Then cana the Overture-the dear
/ blessed music that she loved-and
then, oh wonderful, another fairy
world, even more bewildering than the
one about her, was opened to her daz-
zling sight.
! Bettina sat motionless, rigid, the
tears standing in her soft brown eyes,
her head bent forward with parted
| lips, her hands clasped close about a
great bouquet. More than one Of that
vast audience noticed the girl sitting
there alone in her great, self-uncon-
scious delight. And their eyes moist
ened, too, seeing her happiness, and
they wished that it was all as new to
them, as real and as beautiful; that
they, too, might enjoy it as a child.
with all it's glamour.
Then he came forth-oh, the beauti-
full gentleman! Her Signor in his
plumed hat and velvet cloak. A prince
he was; the glittering jeweled hero OF
Bettina's dreams, of the fairy tales
which the dark Italian mother used
to tell long ago in that sunny land
across the sea.
Breathlessly she watched him, the
color flushing deeper in her olive
cheeks, the soft eyes growing bright
and luminous with excitement as his
clear voice rose high among the rafters
of the great hall.
Oh, how he sang! Bettina had never
heard or imagined such music as this
and her little soul thrilled with the de.
light of sweet sound. The beautiful
ladies in their satin gowns, the jewels
flashing in the soft light, the brigh1
colOrS which the chorus wore, th(
music of the great opera itself, al
= these were to her but an indistinguish
able blur Of color and of melody. L
was all only a background to that cen.
trail, glorious figure which was the es
sence of it all; the divine spirit o
music itself; the good genius who hat
: permitted her this taste of bliss
; So the opera went on, act by act
: and Bettina sat there like one en-
tranced, drinking in deep draughts o
ecstasy.
At last, at the very end came tn
tenors grand solo. A few soft flour
ishes, a tremulous note of prelude, an'
then-her song; her own little song
which she ground out day after day
and a hundred times a day. in the rail-
and the snow; in the cold and thu
, heat. But it was her tune so glorifiet
and made perfect that to Bettina i
seemed an air chanted by one Of tn
very angels of heaven, so f1ute-lik
- FIJI
: so TREMENDOUSLY soft and tender.
1t was a farewell love-song which h
caroled to the beautiful lady will
/ golden hair, as she stood on the bal
} cony above But as he finished Bet
tina's eyes were full of tears and he
heart was lifted far above the dome o
? the great hall into another world; 70
she felt that it had been sung to her.
Then came the mighty storm of ap
I plause that wakened Bettina from he
2 trance, and through her tear-dimmet
eyes she saw the whole house Wild,
= waving handkerchiefs and cheering
She heard the cries Of Bravo, Bravo!
in her dear native tongue, as the grea
| bouquets fell at his feet, at the feet o
p the grand gentleman who sang her lit
] tie song.
e Then Bettina rose, and as she leane
a far over the balcony she, too, shoute
D Bravo! Bravo, signorer in her sof
Italian tongue And with all tn
2 might of her little brown arms she
. too, flung her offering, the great gorg
y eous bouquet, quite at the tenor's feet
5 He picked it up, the huge bunch 0
paper roses. He picked it up, smilin,
| and bowling, and held it there befor
: the great audience, a bewilderin!
| mass of bright colors and vivid green.
: There was a hush, a moment
pause, and then, thinking it some huge
joke, the great hall resounded AGAR
with clapping and cheering and shouts
: of laughter.
But he turned and looked up at her
and singled her out from among then
all for his sweetest smile and loves
/. bow-her, the little Bettina, at whom
the whole house was looking in laugh.
ing wonder.
And as the great curtain opened
again and again at the demands of the
people for one last glimpse Of the
great singer, Bettina saw him stand
ing there radiant, beautiful, holding
her flowers alone to his breast, but
with all the others lying at his feet.