New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-14
PATHS FIRST APPEARANCE
THE PRIMA DONNA's OWN ACCOUNT OF
HER NETWORK DEBUT.
From The London Daily Mail.

den
The piece was Una Voce" in which my
father and mother were playing.
/ was then a tiny girl OF seven years. with
pale face and very very black eyes and next to
singing my favorite pastime was running down
Broadway trundling a hoop.
One Of the first memories have next to that
connected with my hoop. is my standing behind
the scenes and peering through a hole in the
curtain while my father and mother went
through their performance.
The singers as they came of the stage used to
stoop down and give me toys and kisses, OF fill
my pockets with bon-bons
II a large theatre, and il seemed almost a
little world of itself to me. The flies seemed
dreadfully high, and the proscenum lights very
very bright. but OF all the artists thought none
seemed TO equal my mother.
once, not long after my debut a great so
pranO who had been starring for few nights.
had just finished long aria, rounding off with
& beautiful trill.
She mad made her exit as the house rang with
applause. when she stopped down and looked at
poor little me.
oh dear" I said how badly you trilIed
TTwasn't close enough. Just listen 10 me. Ill
show you the way
had never been taught to shake yet it
came 10 me quite naturally, and great many
people besides my parents praised 1t.
I still wonder what the famous soprano
thought of me An odd little creature. I'm sure.
But before l tell you what happened on that
first night. ! must tell you why became
prma donna at such early age-because
had been prma donna of the nursery months
and months before. When l had been put TO
bed on my return home with my father and
mother from the opera, and was quite certain
that they and the rest OF the household had
gone to sleep. used to hop out again and mag
Inc myself great parsonage as the
famous soprano l have just mentioned.
Oftentimes now can see myself in a room OF
that very modest brick tenement. dancing ana
singing and dressed up in all the odd costumes
! could put my hands on.
Death scenes were my weakness and do not
mind admitting that Norma" was my favorite.
When | had done something which cOnsid-
cred very fine indeed. ] cried out Bravo, AIDE
lra!" and threw magnificent bouquets and
wreaths down before my own bare little feet.
And then / would grow sleepy. palled with
success. and creep back to bed leaving the
bouquets and the wreaths in the middle OF the
floor.
Shall tell yon that these magnificent tokens
were made Of old newspapers?
Yes. I'm ! a very strange little girl.
We all very oppressed and anxious in
those days, and the prospects OF making money
we're very bad. was seven years old when
the opera company Of which my father and
mother were members began 10 return so little
money that could no longer stand my fathers
troubled face.
l remember saying. Don't sell your beautiful
turquoise pin. papa Let me help you; can sing
well enough. and will be little prima donna"
And remember. too, my fathers eyes filling
with tears ne replied:
No little one what you say is impossible"
But I had made up my mind nevertheless
My mother had already given me lessons IN
music and ! had practised little with her.
! gave them all no peace until one DAY II was
noised abroad that little Adelina, the daughter
Of Signor Patti. TO sing Una Noce ana
''The Sonnambula" al Niblo's Garden
A prima donna Of seven summers said every
body and / am they must have laughed
But II was no laughing matter to me or 10
my mother and father although was not
bit nervous frightened but on the contrary
foil Of childish confidence
didn't care for much to eat that evening.
but nobody paid any attention to my want OF
appetite. II,
l coaxed my mother. and she braided my hair
ard powdered my tiny brown face.
We burned candles in those days. ana can
stiu see myself looking for many minutes into
tho mirror Of nv bedroom with the heavy
shadows behind me before we set out ior the
theatre. -.,
From time TO time my father brought reports
n ne in our dressing room of the appearance
Of the house 1t was not a large audience.
At Z o'clock the curtain went up. and l came
on think everybody in the house must nave
a-rrauded for besides having a great many
friends there. it would have been hard OF any
body not to have been interested ID so young I"
cantatrice. - .1uo &C,
rotos nobody had any doubt that ] was sue
cess and a born prima donna Cnn1 az ! was
felt sure that l. Bon Dieu was al my slue. 90,
When the curtain went down on Una Npce
= ~. n GREAT number of men and women CLAP
ling and waving their hands and crying bIaN',
6ravar' end even the gods in the gallery uleu
Ia whistle as loud as they could, and you mus'
10, forget that the gods were my personal
friends There are no street arabs IKE tnoss
o. New York They had long before nlckhah l'e'
me The Little Chinee Girl because VI '"'
black ewes and yelowish features +.
Then remember my father catching me up u,
his arms and kissing me. and my motne . or. as
AN the members Of the company pettlhs ,le a.
. 7 had done something wonderful lhueeu' -
d, ,rae moi more than / expected 10 40. but
there was "Sonnambula" to come before t,e
evening was finished and they tolu me ~ ~
,,ara more Deople to hear "Sonnambula Nnai,
..T,,a Vocc " because many OF the audience had
zone ont and brought in chance acqualhtaAcea1-
They told me that one man ac ea h VI So