Smyrna times., 1899-05-24

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Him 1t Drove Him wild.
: When Patti was in the first hevday
OF her fame Ludwig II, the mad king
OF Bavaria, set his heart en- having hel
! sing for him at his private auditorium
IN Munich. He wrote letter after letter.
begging, implOring, offering extrava-
CANT sums of money, but Patti resolute-
) ly refused to 60 She had heard foo
many stories of Ludwig's freaks, his
curses and his unreasonable commands.
and she was desperately afraid of him
But at last the king offered her a sum
SO enormous that it seemed ridicuIous
to refuse it. Then the singer plucked nm
courage and started for Munich. When
she and her maid alighted at the sta
tlon, not even carriage was there 10
meet them, and they had to inquire the
name of the best hotel and call cab
IKE any ordinary travellers That was
the hrst shock to the diva's nerves and
temper. After luncheon she started out
TO see the town and incidentally to
examine the posters announcing the
great honor conferred upon the citizens
OF Munich by visit from Eurone's
greatest singer Not mention of her
name could she find in the town. She
rushed back to the hotel and told her
maid to pack the trunks.
just at that moment a resplendent
officer was announced He saluted her
and delivered letter from the king.
The letter stated curtly that his majesty
would await her at o'clock precisely
IN the Royal palace. where his singer in
ordinary, Mime. Fischer. would give her
further directions. Nine. Fischer would
also sing with Mime Patti the duets
which his majesty wished to hear A
programme was inclosed Patti burst
into tears of rage.
Il have never been treated so bru-
tally, she said Il shall leave at once.
Tell the king so. will not sinS-never.
never. noverl" The officer pleaded with
the irate prima donna. She must not
dlsappoint the king. His majesty had
been wild with excitement ever since
he knew she woull come and had not
slept for three nights, so great was his
JOY at the prospect of hearing her.
Besides added the officer. .'you
know our king is-is-is-"
Crazy snapped Patti "Yes, that's
very comforting, isn't it: don't know
why ever came, Just then she caught
sight OF postscript she had not read:
The king commands Nine. Patti TO |
appear i'll pure white. without any
color whatever. and not by any means
to wear satin gown, but soft wool
SILK Is painful to his majesty g."
His majesty will have to be pained
have no white wooden gown except
my peiSnoir Go tell the king | shall
wear red velvet
"Red groaned the officer. ''Oh, no.
no Red sends his majesty into fits. If
you appear in red. he will scream and
have convulsicns Oh, do be patient.
madame will bring Nine Fischer to
you. She understands the king nerves.
She will explain
de He'd from the rOom and, shortly
after, Nine. Fischer appeared upon the
scene. She soothed Patti into good
humor and also attacked the white wool
pelgnolr and transformed it into n
most becoming Greek robe
Before the royal carriage arrived at
the hotel and Patti went to the palace
She was led through dimly lighted
rooms and corridors into Ludwig's pri-
Vate theater which was in utter dark
ness save for the moonlight that entered
through the windows. Patti stood upon
the dark stage, while an orchestra.
out of sight, began a soft
prelude. Through the gloom she could
Just make odt white face in the royal
oox opposite the stage. Not another au-
i'tor was In the great hall The whole
hlng was most uncanny, and Patti felt
ola shlVers creeping over her She
NOOK with nervousness and fear, and
Vhen she should have begun her aria
lot sound could she make. She open- {
q her mouth, but her throat was para
yzed from nervous terror There was
'ause. The king sprang up and leaned
onward out of the box, his white face
leaning In the moonlight. The violins
epeated the prelude. Patti gathered =
erself together and made one heroic .
Hort. Her voice rang out into the great e
mpty place, and the king sank back Q
ntO the dark box. a
Patti, though badly scared, made the e
fort of her life and finished the aria s.
rom LA Traviata" triumphantly and q
TODD flushed with victory. Dead ST. Il
'nce. Not sound came from the gloom
efore her. She went off the stage in a g.
emper His majesty might have given "
1me sign of appreciation. Mime. Fischer D
'as behind the scenes. and Patti wait q
l with her for the signal to sing the 81
ext number. A messenger appeared at
le door His majesty had had enough o
Iusic and had gone to his apartments. u
or moment Patti stood stunned
hen she laughed. The rudeness was so b'
'lossal that it was funny. Mime. al
lscher took the diva to supper and then al
)me. se
The next morning Nine. Fischer called
the hotel once more, accompanied by
e court chamberlain, who bore the
check, an autograph letter of 80 80
lanks from the king and some Jewels ~ -
great value. Nine. Fischer explana- "
ON of the concert fiasco pleased Patti ~ ~
ore than the jewels. King Ludwig. - -
10 said, was in one of his maddest
oods. wild with regret. cursing him 3
If and cursing Patti. He had walked ~ ~
% floor all night. groaning that he 'O
as traitor. for PATHS voice had so
Wished his senses that for one mo-
ent he had gone over to Italian music
I'd had been false to Wagner-to Wag- -, ~
r, the one musician who alone had au
tisfied his majestys soul. pO
THAT was better than having bored 81 81
m, added Patti, struggling her op op
oulders. New York Sun az
Yellow New York. III,