The record-union., 1897-08-11
SHE CRIED.
Ella Russell Tells of a Touching
Failure

| When Miss Ella Russell was in Chi
Ecago to sing with the Apollo Musical
Club in Goring Thomas The Swain and
T the Skylark' and Dvoraks ''Stabat
Mater" a representative of Music"
called upon her for little chat, for al
though Miss Russell has sung very little
in the United States, her fame has come
back from the foreign lands where she
has made her fame.
Born in Cleveland, Miss Russell has
been very little in America for sixteen
years, such being the time that her for
eign studies and career as concert and
operate prima donna have covered. AT
her apartments in the Auditorium An
mex Miss Russell was found with her
husband, Signor Righini a very nice
but quiet appearing Italian gentleman,
whose acquaintance with the singer
and his devotion to her date from the
time when she filled an important oper-
attic engagement in the city of Genoa,
where his troop was then stationed for
he is an officer in the army.
You haven't been back before since
you went abroad to study, have your"
| began the scribe.
Not professionally" answered the
singer, although eight years ago l did
return to America because / thought L
would like to see my home; and when
arrived there they insisted on my CIV
! ing a concert at my home, so With a
few days notice we gave a concert
which turned out to be grand success.
1 happened to be in excellent voice and
| left a good impression. This time l
was less fortunate When 1 arrived
| in Cleveland I had a very bad cold. l
arrived on Sunday and was killed with
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. from morning to
night On Monday 1 hadn't even a
speaking voice. And the concert ought
to have come off on Tuesday, but Mn
day 1 was speechless, so the doctor-a
very excellent doctor they have there
treated my throat, and Friday q had
postponed my concert until the Friday
following), on Friday my voice wasn't t
good, but [ thought, as there wasn't
another date the hall being engaged
and everything, / would give it any
way. / went to the hall so despondent
and had such an attack of the blues
that / could hardly sing. After my
piece from Tannhauser' they gave me
splendid reception and asked me to
sing Home, Sweet Home 1t had very
sad recollections for me, because l lost
my mother only two years ago, and
just as / begun Home, Sweet Home l
thought of my mother, and when | be-
gan Mid pleasures and palaces I broke
down, and then when / recovered lit
tie and began the lowly thatched cot
| tage' I cried and cried and couldn't go
on. / went off the stage crying, and
half the audience cried, too. People told
me that just for two or three minutes
after I left the stage you could have
heard a pin drop in that hall, people
seemed to be holding their breathS and
tears were running down their cheeks.
After all it was a foolish thing to do,
but all the memories were so sad, and
then l was so respondent and l didn't
know whether my voice would crack or
give way or what. The doctor had used
all sorts of strong lotions to pull my
voice up for that one night And 1t
went through all right. l was an
lnounced for three solos and sang seven
I'm going back on the oath for a charity
concert; it's going to be the great social
| function of the season. n."-Cleveland
| Leader.