The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-02-17

Pathetic End OF Queen Of the Lyrse
stage-Brnved N Ptuiess Coie -
Si-r n Consumptivess Requiem s"s
.nc..seiou..y sang Her own Dirge
Norfolk Pilot.)

Miss Emma Abbott. the acknowledg-
ed queen of tie lyric stage for a num-
Der of years. was well and favoraoiy
known in Norfolk. where she appear
ed several times. To those who re-
membered her the following patheec
story. from the pen OF Mr.. II. c. Ste
venson. OF Dallas. Texas, who knew
her we'll. will be OF interest:
There was a time, II was not many
years ago. when every city In the
south looked forward with emotions of
pleasure 10 the coming OF Emma Alb
bolt. Every admirer OF grand opera
regarded it as an epoch o. the year.
But aside from her extraordinary tai
ent and culture, our most aristocratic
ladies loved her for her virtue-her
charity and her gentle disposition
and when in town she was showered
with invitations TO dine, to tea and to
come and spend only a few moments
in the most palatiai homes.
A PREACHER REBUKED.
Her rebuke TO the Nashville preach
er is still r membered and often spok-
en- OF when her name is mentioned.
This pure woman one Sunday morning
| attended church in that city. Whether
the minister knew she was there, and
who she was, has been asserted and
denied: anyhow. IN the course OF his
| sermon he denounced all women on the
| stage as fallen n wanting In chastity !
| Miss Abbott at once arose In the audi
ence, and, after challenging the truth :
Of this monstrous assertion and SIAN
der, walking out of the house.
| THE DYING CONSERVATIVE.
1t is. however, not with her life so
much as with her death ! am trying
TO deal. One night in the city OF Den
yer, Col, located at the loot and In
plain view OF the Rocky mountains,
she was billed TO play Faust" In
the same city a most attractive and
| beautiful 1S-year-old girl, belonging
to one Of the wealthiest families, lay in
| the last stages Of that fell enemy Of
the human race-cGnsumption. Some
| weeks before the arrival Of the COM
pany she said to those around her:
"Oh, i hope the sun will shine and the
weather will be warm and genial so |
can hear Miss Abbott sing once more.
/ Il lhthh Il jul Nhth pass away 49,
fully and without a single regret" But
| there came with the queen OF the lyric
stage a northern hurricane-with the
very air charged with icicles which
penetrated the lungs. Some one told
Miss Abbott of the grievous disap-
pointment of the dying girl. She went
to the opera house and never sang
more sweetly and as soon as ii was
| over and the audience dismissed, she
| called her carriage and directed it to
| drive to the beautiful home Of the
, young lady. Of course she was at once
| admitted to her room, and told her she
| had come to crafty her wish.
A NEvE RFORGOTTEN SCENE.
The scene which followed was
worthy of the finest brush ever WELD
| ed by the grand old masters. There
lay the dying earth-angle with pallid
lips, hectic cheeks and lustrous eyes
and the light of immortal beauty shin
ing upon her face. Standing beside her
in one of her richest robes (the one
she had worn that night, sparkling
with pearls, rubies and diamonds,
TODD the almost divine mistress OF
earthly melody.
The first piece rendered was the
"Old Folks at Home" and then fol-
lowed Il Know That My Redeemer
Liveth." The finale Of this weird
scene was Rock of Ages, Cleft Flor
Me, Let Me Hide Myself in Thee"
And then Miss Abbott bent over the
frail form and kissed her an eternal
farewell. Soon after the spirit passed
into the wild winds which rang
through the mountains near by-set
sail for that haven from which the
first homeward bark is yet to be seen
the stainless heavens by the sweetest
music ever heard on earth-into the
melodies Of paradise birds.
THE BLACK CAMEL'S VISIT.
Miss Abbott returned to her room at
the hotel and retired. Some time dur
ing the night she awoke with a dread
full pain In the left lung. 1t rapidly
grew worse-a physician was sum-
moned-then another and another,
who applied every remedy they could
command, all to no purpose. 1t was
typhoid pneumonia In its worst form.
The black camel was kneeling at her
door. Angels Of the heavenly choir
had that night listened to her voice
In the sick room and sent for her TO
come home to them.
In three days that voice which had
so often raised the souls of men and
women to the noblest, the grandest
heights in holy ecstacy. was forever
stilled in death-gone forth into-the
night.
SO fades the thinner cloud away,
So sinks the gle when storms are DER;
So dies the a along the shore"
F1fty.ene Years OF Service on the River