Evening star., 1901-02-02

land so my people thought 1 had voice.
Accordingly my father cultivated IL. Up
until the time l was fourteen useu 10
think it was a horrible bore. but after
that took more interest in it we moVeu
into Norris and the big people there-tne
banker and the judge and the others-toid
looked after. 1 guess they were tired OF
hearing me sing there. SO we went 10
Chicago. where 1 took lessons. Went on
the stage for the first time with 'PlnaIore.
| was singing with church cholf' anu MI
Davis, who afterward became my husband'
heard me sing He was organizing the
Church Choir Opera Company to put on
'Pinafore,' and he said he wanted me LOT
Little Buttercup. Jack Haverly, the nun
Strel manager, was his partner. so that
was really my first professional venture
Later 1 went out with the American Opera
Company, touring the country from Maine
to California. After my marriage studied
in Paris for a year, and when / came back
could think of nothing but grand opera.
SO l went out with the American company.
We never knew when Saturday night came
around. for we never got salaries. and, as
1 was getting very thin on bread and
milk diet. I decided to stay at home.
'About that time Eugene Field, VINO was
a dear friend of ours. came to me and said
that he wanted me to go with the BOSTON,
ians I told him that T could find enough
amusement staying at home taking care OF
my baby. but he insisted and finally con-
sented, saving, 'All right. Gene. anything
to please you SO went with the Boston.
ians. They wanted me to sign two years
contract, but I would not do 1t. went on
with them from year to year and never had
a contract, though 1 stayed with them elev-
en- Years
st notice the statement that Mr.. O'Neill
hated to plav Monte CriSto' because he has
had to do II 50 many ,t'mes. 1t struck m"
that IT is the same with nv song-'Oh
Promise Me- You tnow It was tried by
many members of the Robin Hood COM
ranv before 1t was success. Tom Kari
got IT. and it 5idrTt 60, 7 was standing in
the wings. waiting TO go on. and was hum
ming # an octave lower than It was writ
fen. Someone standing there said that
ought to get IT. and finallv. after trying
year. was given it and made a great sue
GEES bate to4.ta'b about myself and
ought not TO say that. guess. but IT
seemed to please. land since then 7 have
had to sing " ] nnre tried to sing 1t In
an octave higher. but 1t did not CO.
The great historic character that leaves
an irnpress upon those who read the famous
Serkiewiczs novel Of "Quo Vads'' Is that
nf the Emperor Nero. Perhaps If this En-
neror Nero could have known that nineteen
hundred years after his death he was TO
have become a character for the entertain
ment Of people in distant lands. he IS in
the plav "Ouo Vadis. such a historical
fate would have appealed to him as special
" appropriate. His craving was ever to be
known as a singer and an actor, since he
scorned not to become a buffoon for the en-
tertainment of the Roman populace. He.
therefore might surely have been transport
ed in soul II a soothsayer had foretold 1t
that he was to become a leading figure Of
drama.
The Romans. as men, had the instinct Of
perfection. even though spirituality was not
When the Roman sinned. he seemed to be-
come the greatest and most dazzling Of sin
ners: when a hero's name was his goal. he
became the greatest OF heroes; and If he
gave himself up to luxury. he went to
lengths of elegance which moderns could
never dream to emulate.
OF this Nero. st. Paul wrote: 1.-The Son
of Perdition. sitting in the temple of God.
nightmare of his life and the grim tragedy
of his death was battle with him to prove
that. as he thought. he was made to be a
god. A superstition Of the divinity Of
Caesar. which arose in the time Of Angus
tus. reached its height with Nero When
he began to reign. boy of seventeen. ne
appeared, as Goldsmith put It. "just liberal
when asked to sign a death warrant:
"Would to heaven I had never learned to
writer' Given mother who was cruel and
vile, and reared amidst scenes Of bloodshed.
Of treachery, worshiped as divine. invested
with the power of life and death over all
men. allowed to indulge himself to an In
credible degree in dissipation. the boy god
became a crazed and wanton tyrant.
Tne story that he burnt Rome in order
that he might realize for himself the legend
of the burning of Troy Is disputed by some
historians. However that may be, there is
ried the desire for literary culture to ex-
cess. and. having the powers Of god there
was nothing to prevent him from CARRYING
out his longings for new sensations.
Th4 4otir M nd n
will again be seen in the role Of the tyrant
in "Quo Vadfs'' next week. is remarkable
effort, and Mr.. Stange. the dramatist, has
been wise enough to see the theatric value
Of this strangely brutal yet effemlnate young
tyrant. 1t is a peculiar fact to note that
Nero has always been Mr.. Lyons favorite
character and since boyhood he has made
a study Of 1t. which accounts for the ar
tistic and elaborate performance In detail
which he gives to It.
Jerome Sykes. the star Of the new Klaw
& Erlanger Opera Company, Is a native of
Washington but made his debut in Baltf-
more. Md. in 1855, In the produc lon of the
Mikado. and from that day to this his rise
to prominence has been steady and de-
served through most conscientious effort.
He made his first metropolitan hit In 1893
in New York in the production of the
Fencing Master. In 1894 he sang a promi-
nent role In the production of Robin Hood
by the Bos.onians and in 1S95-1S08 he al
ternated with H. G. Barnaby in this fam
Gus comedians parts in productions made
by the Bostonians In 1897 he sang the fat
boy in support of Lillian Russell in an
American Beauty. In the season Of 1898
1909 he was brought into great prominence
by his singing Of the the s,s role Of Foxy bull
Highwayman." which he cleyerly developed
,n.o part which wa.,anna was immedia,sly "a seen to
ed into the central figure of a new opera.
In the season Of 1920 he sang q prominent
goons." and last season he was a con-
spicuous figure on the Stage in the charao-
ter of ths Genie In Klaw q ErlanEer's
production OF the gouss and MacDonOuRh
extravaganza. Chris and the Wonderful
Lamp"
Ned 6teln. treasurer OF the Columbia, tn
nocentiy figured Ia the big ceuntsrfeitins
case that was served UP to the reading
public in big doses last fail. It YVES right
after the season epensd, and during the
rush ct selling tickets ct night q good