The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-06-20
MR.. ADELINA PATTI.


Written exclusively for The Gentleman's
Home Journal and no other.l
The walls of Craig-y-nos frOvvn upon
pleasant prospect with fair stretches OF
wood and pasture falling away before it,
and on the far horizon are the tops of Snow
dOn's range printing themselves clear and
cool against the blue Welsh sky.
Noting these things, your correspondent
rang the front doorben of the castle and
was delighted to have it answered by Mr..
Adelina Patti himself
IT have called Mr. Patti - I said, tax
ing out my notebook, also my tongue and
mOistening a pencil with it, for the pur
pose Of prying into your inner life and as
certaining how it feels to be the husband
of one of the highest singers in the world. -
Il think, % he replied in candid accents,
that like it, for Adelina earns, oh, SO
much ready cash by going upon the stage
for a few moments and Warbling to the
rude multitude, and I m sure you can ap-
preciatc what a nice thing cash is. And
yet, +" cried Mr.. Patti, with little depreca-
tory gesture, what is cash compared with
the agony of separations
All, how little does the American pub
lie realize when Adelina is singing them
that well known ballad, Home, Sweet
Home at 81, 400 per evening, that far
away amid the hills of Wales loving heart
is sitting in tears, engaged perhaps in rip
ping up one of Adelina' s last seasons COS
TUNES to send to the heather or anon lis
tening to the distant football Of the hired
girl as it echoes through the hollow corri-
dor "
'Then life in castle has its draw
backsg' I insinuated.
Indeed it has, - replied Mr.. Patti ear
nestly. 1T is dreadful to be here all alone
after dark and hear the rats prOwling be
hind the WainscOting while my darling
Adelina is thousands of miles away max
the last time.
DO you ever accompany Mrs. Patti
upon her tourss' I ventured to inquire,
resting my back against the portcullis.
Not Of late years, said Mr.. Patti.
g formerly I did So when she first began
her annual farewell appearances, but now
/ find that hotel life does not agree with
me. To travel upon your hot American
cars all Gay and then sit down to a bill Of
fare that has vestiges of soft boiled eggs
upon it is more than can stand. "
While Mr.. Patti s gaze was abstraetedly
bent upon the horizon your correspondent
craned his neck to take in a view of the
wide reception hall. I would even have
stepped inside had Mr.. PATHS person not
barred the way. L did not wish to appear
rude. He told me he was direct descend
ant from the ancient Cymri, who were the
most terrible fighters, he said, in the
world and thought nothing of going out
after dark attacking large caravans and
getting home before breakfast laden with
spoils or anything else they could get their
hands on. But those glorious old days, he
added, with a sad shake Of the head, are
now no more. He talked in broken speech,
with a great number of double rs and
wept as his thoughts reverted to the past.
He then charged me 10 shillings for two
strings Of views and o paper cutter of wood
grown on the mountain of Pen Caerllyyb-
Gybiollw and made in Germany and APP
peared to cheer up and feel better.
also had quite talk with one of the
hired girls. who was spreading some sheets
on the lawn to waiten. She said she liked
living at Craig-y-nos first rate, although
she wouldn't mind going to America,
where, she understood the hired girls
didn't have much to do and got large sal
aries for doing it. She said she also
thought it must be cute to have every
night out, also Sundays and such other
days as were convenient, and she asked if
the hired girls in our country got up be
fore breakfast or did they wait and eat
with the familv2
She couldn t ask for nicer man about
the house, she said, than Mr.. Patti. Some
men were always p0king about the kitchen
or finding fault if the bookcases were not
busted every day, but she was happy to
state that Mr. Patti was not that kind Of
a man. She thanked heaven, she said,
She was one of the incest hired girls
have met with in the preparation of the
European series of these articles for The
Gentleman s. Home Journal. She said she
hoped I wculdn It think anything of 1t that
MIR. Patti hadn't asked me in but really
the castle was so torn up with houseclean-
ing that she didn wonder, for he was sen
sitive about such things. I gave her
shilling, whereat she dropped ccuretsy,
also the sheet she was yYringlng out, and
said if she ever came to America she would
be glad to help me out in my interviews
with any of the families she might be en-
gagged with if L would call when it was her
day in.
'.Goodby," said Mr. Patti kindly as I
backed over the drawbridge. s. am very
grateful for this call and I would like you
to send me two marked copies of your cele-
brated magazine, also one of the back
numbers containing a piece by Mr. Glad
stone, which L have heard treats Of the po-
tentialitv of the Babvlonian inscriptions
and has only to be read to be almost un-
derstOOd; also give the men Of America my
parting greeting and say to them, oh, if
they would be happy do not marry great
singest whose Overnaster1ng ambition IS
to spend the larger part of each season in
foreign land singing farewell ballads to
total strangers. The cash receipts may be
adequate, but, oh, what is cash after you
have all you need compared with isolation
in a large limestone castle with old fash
toned window fastenings and a system of
drainage such as merits the notice Of the
board Of health? tell you it ism what it
is cracked up to be. Z"
Apologizing for this bit of American
slang, which he said he picked up from
the newsboys while waiting at the stage
entrance evenings with his wife pug dog
Mr. Patti gave utterance to gay laugh
and let the portcullis fall, 50 suddenly in
deed as to tear a long cash down the back
of my Prince Albert cutaway that 1 had
bought only the week before in Piccadilly,
md --hich my lonann friends declared all