The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-06

Good Fortune Chance Brought to .
Boy COntraItO.
Sew York Evening sun.

New York Evening Sun.
1t was high noon one day last summer
upon a big outward-bound Atlantic liner
having an unusual number of notables on
board. There were Calve and Games. the
two De Reszkes and Plancon. not TO speak
or several Well-known society folk. The
voyage was three days Old and the air
being unusually mild and unmidoceanlike,
everybody was summing himself on deck
Suddenly, and without the slightest clew to-
their origin, there rang out few clear,
pure contralto notes. Half startled and
wholly curious, everybody looked around.
put SO lar as outward and visible signs
went there was no identifying the singer
Lay folk naturally supposed that it was
one of the ntoables but the latter appeared
to be equally innocent and also equally
curious. Still puzzled, everybody returned
TO his reading, or talking. or meditating,
when the voice rang out again. Once more
everybody looked around and once more
did there seem TO be no way of detecting
the singer. The voice seemed to come from
Il certain direction, but there was no one
III that direction who looked at all likely
10 give vent to notes of such charm. A third
time the voice made itself heard, and this
time half the decl5ful was on it's feet to dis
cover the singer. Each notable in turn ac-
cused the other, but each pleaded not
her Voluble French made things quite live
ly for a bit. Both notables and layfolk
agreed that the possessor of such voice
was 10 be discovered at all costs no mat
ter If 1t took the jewels of Queen Isabella
herself For the rest of that day, however.
nothing more was heard from it, But the
following noon, as the deckful was again
summing itself, the voice rang out as be-
fore. Curiosity was now on the qui vive
and everybody was determined to find out
the singer. Calve and the elder De Reszke
started out upon tour of inspection. With
out the formality of a search warrant, they
went from passenger to passenger, but 10
no purpose. 1t didn't lessen the mystery to
have the notes ring out again right while
they We're in the midst of their tour. Sud
denly Calve rushed across the deck to an
insignificant little half-grown boy wno
shrouded in rugs and with a book before
ms hls race; mad been hardly noticed by any
body 1T is he. | know it is" cried the
singer in rapid French. THE voice belongs
to him; let us hear it again-ah, mon Dieu,
how beautiful it is" 1t was no use for the
little chap to blush or stammer. He was
shorn of his shawls and through the en-
thusiaStic persuasions both of notables and
The very first note fixed it. Calve was right.
there could be no miStaking those fresh.
pure tones and when the boy contralto had
finished his first song, the enthusiasm
waxed fiercer than ever. Where was he go
ing? To England, to try and get an engage
ment in some music hall. Had ne ever sung
in New York? Yes, q little but not much.
Engagements were hard to secure, and es-
pecially church choir engagement such
with some relatives better off in this
worlds goods than himself, but who were
Indifferent about helping him TO educate or
evenfo profit by his voice We'll, the upshot
of IL was that everybody on the boat, both
notable and non-notable. resolved to help
the boy When the inevitable concert came
round he sang a number of times, but it
wasn't for nothing, by any means Tho
great singers vowed that they would secure
him any number of music hall engagements
in London. and they We're as good as their
word. From the time the youngSter entered
the big city until he left it he was kept
busy He returned to New York this
autumn to find choir engagement await
ing him at one of the best known and best
paying churches-secured for him by some
others of his steamship friends. You may
hear him there any Sunday for yourself
the famous boy contralto,'' as he 10
known. But it all came about through his
crossing the ocean as he did and when he
did and thus winning the friendship and
favor of those who were able to help him.