Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-06-19
LIZZI6.

1910 crowds of people, representing the
flower of metropolitan society, were pass.
ing through the portals of the old Park
theater, then the Mecca of the theater
going portion of the city's population.
The attraction at the Park was Fanny
Ellsler, the pet of royalty and nobility
of Europe and the rival of the great
Taglioni.
As the crowd of fashionably attired
ladies and gentlemen swept into the thea
ter little girl of 13. with a profusion of
ebon ringlets and eyes TO match, stood in
the vestibule and sold flowers. As her
| little fingers deftly punched the fragrant
buds graceful young lady stepped from
her equipage. accompanied by gentle
man, and passed into the theater. AS
the proud maid walked by the little flow
er girl the latter gently laid hold Of her
skirt and holding n redolent bouquet be-
fore her. Buy bouquet, lady" she
said in pleading voice.
Hands off, you little rayamufin." ex-
claimed the lady, and she recoiled in
stinctively from the little figure that
stood pleading before her.
The eyes of the little flower girl snap
ped fire. as, with clinched hand and grit
ted teeth, she watched the retreating fig
ures Of the aristocratic pair, and then her
resentment found vent in a Hood of tears.
A few days subsequent to this event
the little girl was hawking her fragrant
wares IN fashionable quarter of the city,
and. by way of varying the monotony of
| her occupation, she sang childish song
in such an entrancing voice as to draw
quite an audience about her. An old
man, bowed with the weight of many
winters, stood on the walk and eagerly
drank in the melody that fell from her
| lips. His eyes flashed behind his gold
trimmed spectacles, and, lingering until
the crowd had departed. he put some sill
yer into the hand of the little singer and
said in broken English:
What is your name, my child? Mein
Gott. but you sing divinely."
The child looked at her aged interlocu-
tor with timid expression, but, seeing
nothing but admiration and benevolence
portrayed on his wrinkled visage, she
said:
''My name is Lizzie. SIR
Lizzie what, my child? Have you no
other name?" said the old man, placing
hand on her head
Mrs. Maloney always calls ME Lizzie,
sir, and l don't know what's my other
name"
who are your parents and where do
they lveT''
Il have no parents, sir. l lives with
Mrs. MalOney and | sells flowers"
The old man elected the information
from the child that she was an orphan
and lived with Mrs. Maloney in a tene-
ment in Anthony street. The old musi-
clan, for such he was, was one of the
foremost professors of his art in Europe.
and was in this country on professional
business. He had, with the ear of true
critic, discovered veritable rara avis, in
in musical sense. in this ragged child.
The following day the old professor
slowly climbed the stairs of the tenement
in which Mrs. Maloney lived, and beard
ed that estimable lady in her domicile.
The honest old Irish woman told the mu-
sician that Lizzie was left in her charge
by a lady who sang Oh the stage and
who regularly paid her board until she
was about ) years old, when the remit
tances suddenly ceased, owing, she sub
sequently learned, to the death Of the
lady. No one ever came to claim the
child, and, being too poor to support her,
she sent her out to sell flowers.
The old professor induced Mrs. Ma
loney to part with the child by promising
that she would be educated and brought
up as one of his family. The old woman
had forgotten the lady's name and conse-
Quently the child's.
The little warbler was taken abroad
and placed under the tutorship of the
great masters, and ere seven years had
gone by she had electrified the greatest
capitals of the world under the name of
Nine. Wintermeyer. This was the name
of her benefactor. She sang in Her Ma
jesty's theater in London, and the queen
presented her with a necklace. The Count
Won Dantzic sued for and won her hand
early in her cperatic career, and she pos
sessed large estates in Westphalia, con-
ferred by her husband, who was favor
ite at court.
One evening during the operate season
in Paris the opera house was crowded
with as distinguished an audience as was
ever gathered within a theater to see
Nine. Wintermeyer, the Countess Won
Dantzic, appear in Eugene Scribe's opera
of Robert lie Diable." The stalls were
crowded with nobility, and royalty occu-
pied one of the boxes. Among the dis
tinguished audience were a lady and
gentleman, who intently watched the
performance and were loud in their
praise of the famous cantatrice.
'AIy dear Paul, the countess is abso-
lutely divine" exclaimed the lady during
a lull in the performance.
"Yes, and l hear" answered the gen.
tleman, that madame is as brilliant q
conversationalist as she is singer
Paul." continued the lady, Il am de-
lighted at having an opportunity to be
presented to madame, the countess, at her
salon this evening"
"Our minister is certainly very kind,
Miriam, in granting us such a favor, as
one meets such brilliant people at ma
DANES conyersaziones," was the rejoin,
der
After the opera the salon of the Codn-
tess Won Dantzic was crowded with wits,
noblemen, actors and literary people.
Madame had scarcely greeted her guests
when the American minister entered and
presented lady and gentleman who ac-
rompanied him to the countess. "Mr.
and Mrs. Paul Shirley of New York."
exclaimed the minister.
81 am always delighted to see Ameri-
cans" said the hostess, "but l tried to
sell bouquet to this lady once in the
vestibule of the Park theater in New
York, and she called me little creature,
believe. But I was ragged child then
and am dying to know if the lady is still
Of the same opinion"
The lady blushed, stammered and tried
to speak, but the countess laughed, and
Lizzie was revenged.-New York News. |
A New Industry.
Guest--So you are hard at work |
studying French? What is the object
of that?