Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1897-08-24
ANARCHIST METHODS.
HOW THE GREAT TEACHER TERROR
 lzES HER SCHOLARS.

| 7thS %SASfASAAAiohSty A1<abOIA <AIHayH EOT
 Her rpalrs Benefit.
 In the musical world of Europe no
 teacher stands higher than Mme. Mar
 chesi, and yet first interview with her
 IS an ordeal to be dreaded. She may tell | you with almost brutal frankness that
 your cherished vocal projects are thin
 as air bubbles and that you had better | turn yonr attention to cooking Or,
 with one unusual gleam of her gray 1 eyes and one sudden indrawn breath,
 making her thin lips still thinner, she
 may tell you that you are destined to
 lift the heart of the world in immortal
 song and wear the laurels of great 1 lyric career. Again, she may tell you
 with the same blunt severity that you
 have no looks at all for the stage, and
 after you have been accepted as pupil
 you are still subjected to her merciless
 severity.
 To be taught by Mme Marehesi is
 not to have the luxury of an individual l lesson, all hours good, cozy, comfort
 able time all to yourself. By no means.
 That is not her plan. You are taught
 ill class. You are thus introduced at i once 10 an audience You thus have an opportunity of conquering stage fright 1 You are thus submitted to the criticism
 of others. Not only your voice, but l your manners, your gait, your way of 1 holding your hands are studied From 1 head to feet v0u are scrntinizee
 A small platform is ill the center of
 
 and recites tor sings) her lesson. The
 class sit around the room and eriticise The pupil has to face net only the class, l but the audience includes often the first
 musicians of the world. How does a
 sensitive woman bear the gun fire of l Mme Marchesi's criticism, her ridiculc,
 her sarcasm and severity? One day one
 of the class was having her 1 ) minutes | of lesson before crowded room Mar-
 ehesi was ill a sardonie hulnor that morning. Her remarks were brilliant,
 but more cutting than a Damascus blade. The audience felt that climax was coming. It came. The girls lip began to tremble as Malchesi' $ com mentary sparkled and cut and sparkled again. Her lip trembled more and
 mere. The agitation gained upon her
 whole body, till she shook like q willow l i'll the wind. Poor dear, the other pu- 1 pills held their breath. The room was
 silent as a tomb You could hear Mar chesi's $ watch tick in her pocket. Still 1 the pupil strove to bring out the tone l that those severe lips of Marchesi had commanded At last the voice rolled out The tone gained upon the room.
 The voice stopped.
 fYou sing like foel' literally
 hissed Marchesi, and the storm broke. The girl burst into tears. Her sobs,
 coming upon the silence, were most l painful. Net one of the pupils dared to 1 rush forward with comfort or handller- 1 chief The girl threw the sheet of mu- 1 sic on the floor ard covered her face with her hands. 1heii, ,..sshilig the tears away from her face, she stopped 1 down, gathered up the scattered music, l tore 1t into shreds, tossed it to every 1 part of the room, and rushed from the l platform stage All felt it was over
 with her forever, so far as lessons with l Marchesi were concerned, and more l than one heart ached for her.
 ''Ha, hal" laughed Marchesi, rising 1 delightedly from the piano, rubbing her hands together and walking, or rather stalking, majestically through the room 1 and up and down and again seating l herself at the piano. Ha, ha! That 1 girl will sing! She has the grand fire 1 She is dramatic She has the fine pas ( 4i r.,I l back tie next day and won Marchesi's l hravos and hand elapping.
 Upon another occasion Marchesi sat in judgment upon q pupils bands as she stood upon the platform.
 Now, don't put up your lip like 8 l baby, ? she says, if l tell you that l l never saw such booby. You re as awk- ward as d country clown. Look at your l hands, Just look at them dangling down at your sides like a jumping jack l waiting to twitch on a pole. Mais, vol l Ia, :" she continued, soffeDing littie eff do not tell yeu, ma ehe1e, of these l things now while you are ill my salon, 1 do you know who will tell you Of them | later on when you stand for the first l time before one Of the great audiences l of Europe? The reporters will Hay you alive and deservedly. Will they nof note 1 down every awkward gesture, every gaucherie? Will they not say, She has a divine voice, but she held her hands l like q clown? And when you read 1t i'll all the papers the next morning, aii, 1 how you will exclaim, Why did not Marchesi correct me, tell me, reproye me, no matter how severely Now, hold your hands easily, one palm crossed upon the other, the right hand across ! the left, the forefinger and middle fin- ger of the right hand betweea the thumb l and forefinger of the left hand. Bon Now, see what ease of position, what repose it gives to yoar whole figure as you stand there. /"
 To look over the programme for the concerts Mme Marehesi gives from l time to time is to read q strange collec- l tion of names. Here are pupils from