The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-01-07

around her knees, her head bobbing about
incessantly and with smile that fire.
quently rippled into laughter, Yvette told
me her story.
ITO begin with" she said, "I don't
really know whether was born In 1866
or 1867. wbys Well, you see, my foster
brother doesn't know either, and there Is
a years difference between US That
know. And what also know Is that at
the age of I had already begun to sing.
sang the repertory of Theresa and Judic-
Les Canards, La Premiere Feuille' and
others-with q very strange and power
ful voice The people WHO heard me could
not believe was only child. But my
great triumph was La Marseillaise.' Can
you see me singing the national hymn
"Oh my songs OF childhood-I remem-
Der them all, for I have q remarkable
memory. Heavens, how stupid they were
Here is fragment Of one of them that /
recall:
"vous pretendez que je suis bette,
J'en sais plus que vous ne croyez
Je sais qu'on pense avec la tete,
Et qu on marche avec les pieds.
Every one used to laugh SO, but not /.
In fact, never laughed while singing.
My father, whom as an excellent musi-
oian, often accompanied mo on the piano.
/ remember that when was 10 he took
me to Chelles, where he had bought lit
tie house near the water, and that while
there i used to sing Les Dcux Pigeons
to the neighbors, who encouraged me by
lavishing cakes and sweetmeats on me- It
makes me shudder when I think of the
amount Of sweets / consumed then. Two
years later / took a fancy for Amiatis
song, La File d'Auberge,' and sang it
from morning till night. frequently an
noyed my mother with it to such point
that she sometimes said
Listen, Yvette. II you promise not to
sing Amiati's song today, will put a
franc In your savings bank.
Il had the misfortune to lose my father
at 10, and remained alone with my moth
or, who had no resources Speaking Eng
lish with some facility, became interpret
er In large fashion emporium. But my
general health was so bad that / had to
give up my employment In the mean
time my mother had begun to make some
pretty pearl embroidery, and IL was who
carried it to the homes of her customers.
Many ladies who now invite me to sing In
their drawing rooms remember the little
girl who sold them embroidery, and they
are especially kind to me.
AT the end Of a year was employed as
salesgirl at the Magasin du Printemps
but my Ill hoalth once more compelled me
to abandon my work. It was then that I
thought Of the theater.
Yes, / said to myself, there is only
the theater left TO me, but only on one con-
dition, and that Is that Yvette leads very
quiet life. And Yvette has kept faith with
herself
How did the idea of going on the stage
come to meS Perhaps IL was because of
the compliment that Fugere, the baritone,
naa made me one night when seated on
the seashore Mt Coutainville. 1 was singing
40 loud voice Le Lao of Lamartine. I
nad stopped ON hearing some one approach
peh'nd me, who suddenly said, You have
very pretty voice, mademoiselle'
iVesee with pretty voice IL makes
you laugh now, doesn't iu 1 was none
the less proud. Think Of IL, The com.
pliment came from singer of the Opera
Comique, for had just recognized Fueere.
Two years later, while I was touring the
provinces with Baron Of the Theatre din
Vaudeville, playing In 'Dccore' and Ga
Sarabande,' i received another commit.
ment on my voice, this time from Barral.
who heard me singing on the train and
said:
"'You could coin money singing sen
timental ballads.
Decidedly was fated TO be singer
On my return t9 Paris ] made up m,
mind that I could no longer continue 3.
earn only 100 francs a month, and re
solved TO tempt fortune. was fortunate
ly on a vacation at the time.
"'Yvette, you are going to make a tou
OF all the music halls, said to myself
And did. During week spent m.
evenings In the cafes chantaptsL At th
end Of eight days my resolution was taken
went to see the director OF the FL Dorado
nice and fat old lady, who was positivel.
amazed when j addressed her In this way
Madame, what is now being sung II
the music halls is positively idiotic
has neither rhyme nor reason. In fact, 1
has no earthly excuse for existence. Tn
songs Of the present day have not KEEP
pace with our literature, and the result i
. kerious aDachronism. At the presen
moment they should be weird, erotic ans