The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-02-06
VAUDEVILLE PARADOX.
Miss Maude Courtney Achieves the
New by Giving the Old.
The Good Old Songs Touch The Heart and
Awaken Some Tender Memories.

singer Of the Old songs" as she greet.
cd the writer just after furnishing hei
turn at Keith's this afternoon 9TH,
managers clamor for something new:
and | have actually met their demand
successfully by giving them something
old While others were feverlshly chas.
ing the latest coon songs. ILLUSTRATED
ballads and animated sOng-sheets. on
the descriptive songs i'm which tn,
singer stabs herself with n wool .
cagger ana dies hard on fur rug az
ter passionate declarations that those
wedding bells shall not ring out. all in
The mad scramble for something new
with which to- please the public. 3,
seemed TO me that there was little hope
for me.
You see. had been only a church
singer in New York when Mr.. Edward
Il. Rice induced me 90 So on the
stage; ana ! could hardly have at
semrted the kinds Of songs | have
mentioned, any way. When / did sit
down to think over what / should do,
L nearly gave up In despair. Tired and
nervous, almost disguised with my
vain endeavor 20 devise some new
speciality. i sat Gown at the organ at
home and carelessly ran over some of
the old songs that mother and | used
20 sing at home sunday evenings.
don't believe | had played more than
four OF them before mother looked ub
AM with a smile and n CLEAN i'm her
eye that | shall never forget said:
There's your speciality. Maude; sing
the old songs. You can't imagine what
chords of sympathy they viii touch
and what tender memories they will re-
Vive; and your auditors won't have to
strain every nerve 20 find out what you
are singing about
Il didn't stop "A moment 10 consider.
but decided right then and there, and
the result has proved that It was
genuine inspiration of mothers. / ar
ranged a medley Of some Of the old
time war songs and love ballads, pro-
Nfded what thought a handsome gown
and made my debut. Never i'm my eX-
perience had | suffered so with stage
fright or felt so uneasy or uncertain e.
To the result but it didn't last long,
for before | had finished the second
was singing with me, and then knew
that | had made a hit, or rather that
mothers idea had.
II made one mistake. however.
wore OW-necked gown, a big white
plumed hat and carried a bunch OF
roses. Almost instinctively | realized
before my first performance was over
that | was on the wrong track i'm this
respect. You know il is very essential
TO an actress success that her dressing
shall be in entire harmony with the
character of her act; and OF course
the utmost simplicity should Charac-
teiize the costume OF a singer OF the
old songs So, / had new gown made
OF mousseline de sole. with lace. high
in the neck, 1 discarded the hat alto
gether so that those i'm the upper bal
cony could see my face and | carried
no flowers. Wen, | could see the differ
ence at once i'm the impression | made
on the audiences. Ii was little thing.
10 be sure, but most important one:
and the one consideration and aim |
keep constantly before me is 10 culti-
waite the utmost of refined simplicity
In every debail Of my wurk-my dress
ing. my manner, my singing"
Whether it be the result OF cultiva-
ton or not and certainly there is every
reason ca believe that IL is natural. the
same refined simplicity marks Miss
Courtney off the stage as on the stage.
She seems To be simplicity itself. abso-
Iutely without affectation. notably un-
assuming. and. il might almost be said
in her artlessness and natur-
llness. She hooks her visitor directly in
he eye, speaks In "A soft. straightfor-
ward and frank way that is as earnest
and convincing as il seems almost con-
idential. and seems TO possess the kind
lf self-confidence that is quite the re-
verse of ,nat produced by egotism and
he intoXiCation of exceptional success.
There is "A genuine WarmheartedneSs
and corciality i'm her manner, a kindly
expression I'm her eye, that appeal in
To ones finer sentiments
and at the same time make one feel
hat here is a woman TO whom one
night go for sympathy, a woman who
Inconsciously would invite one to come
@ her with the troubles and annoy
'nces OF life, and who would under
,tand them all. soothe with sympathy
lnu show way 10 rise superior To
hem all. one feels that here is wom-
IN whom it would be easy to fancy the
influence of peaceful home
woman whose greatest beauty lies I'm
her thorough Womanlincss. and she
'ould possess no greater charm than
he easy grace and quiet simplicity
hat marks every movement and every |
urn OF her conversation.
"Oh. yes | like vaudeville ever so
nucn. she said, in response tu the us
lal question: land / like the salary |
hat goes with &C.. We do have some !
rlals. of course but | don't know
where one can go 10 escape those, any |
way. What worries me mOat, however. |
: the ulIIlCuity OF HnulnS Old songs |
nOugh To enable me 10 vary my work |
md not sing the same ones all the |
ime. You see. 50 many of thcm are out !
f print. In almost every city | visit | !
.o ruma glng among the old stocks OF |
he local music dealers. ana now and !
hen I am rewarded by finding some !
ld fdvorlte OF bygone days. Many of |
hose ! sing, however ! have haj 10 |
earn from mother. who taught me |
9th words ana music. for ] could not |
nd them in print anywhere. l receive |
many requests. too, that ! sing some 1
ld song around which undoubtedly |
eudcr memories cling FOR the one who |
SKIS me {, sing o.; and / always try To !
ompiy wha these requests - far as I |
az, though sometimes they are SO nu-
lcrous that IL is impossible. | have TO
car in mind also. that my work must /
ossess~Slc variety that Is given Ivy !
inging some of the livelier of the old
ongs. for with nothing but the quiet
onVs il would bc too mOnotOnOus.
HITS and faVortes? Well. perhaps I
ave made the greatest hits with |
Dixie and My Maryland in all parts
( the country. ant yet I think the
snr,tn rDlfiN most thUr0u rnly on ioV !