Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1901-05-31
THE WOMAN IN BLACK !
Who Did Not Relish Grow
ing Old.
BY HAMILTON oRMsBEe.

- tON ONW06Ge.
6.@.U.0.3.N.0e.o.@.0.~.e.@
1t was gala night at the Amphion
academy. The Marasquin English
Opera company was to open the sea-
son there in Faust" Marasquin never
had sung and never could sing In any
language but Italian, but his Mephis-
tOpheles was n great impersonation, and
his company was more nearly English
than are most OF those which sing
under that appellatlon. Mitchell, the
tenor, was Nantucket Yankee; Neu-
man, the baritone, was born In Osh-
kosh, where his father owned n brew
cry; the contralto's English had a
Gnelic twist TO It; Alice Titus. Mitch
ellis wife. who had sung Marguerite
to his Faust for 10 years, was a Yer
mont girl, and Miss Evans, the girl
who was to succeed the old favOrite,
came from Tcxarcana and had cour-
age, beauty and a voice. Hers was the
only new face. The others were ea-
tablished favorites, and Brooklyn had
turned out to do them honor.
There were women without bOnnets
and wearing diamonds In two of the
boxes. Half a dozen Brooklyn men
were In evening Dress and in the body
OF tho house were knots OF New York.
ers, who had come over to give their
friends an suspicious start on their
new season
Near the front sat q woman In
black gown with a little black hat,
plain as a pikestaff. but Jaunty as q
cock partridge In the spring. Her black
hair was freely touched with gray, and
she was well past 40. but she was not
old. Her fnce bore the unmistaka BILE
stamp Of achievement, and she looked
mature woman of fine health In the
full ripeness and keenness OF intellec-
tual power. She bore herself easily
and indifferently, as one accustomed to
crowds. A little quickening Of interest
and a long and sweeping use Of her
glass rs the curtain rose showed that
she had come for the opera rather than
for any social purpose.
The performance went quietly until
the vision Of Marguerite was shown.
Scores Of glasses were leveled at this
picture. sigh of admiration swept
over the house and then hearty round
Of applause In recognition OF the beau
ty OF the new singer. The woman in
black turned to the younger woman
who had accompanied her: "She has
good points, but she doesn't make up
well. Her mouth
Just behind them a young girl, at
tending her first opera, exclaimed to
her escort: "She Is perfectly lovelyi
How can n girl look 30 much like an
angelW
The escort looked down with admlra-
ton into the flushed face and sparkling
eyes. He was 80 and In evening dress.
ITS n fine chance for me TO pay
compliment. Nellie" he murmured,
but | don't think will. She IL GER
tainly pretty, but Pm afraid she will
not make good the loss OF Alice Titus.
Alice IL an old stagcr from further
back than | can remember, and she
positively had TO stop singing last win
ter. Three or four women have tried
to FIJI her place, but have failed. Per-
haps this girl may do better. Old Al
ice could sing, though"
The nostrlls OF the woman In black
quivered, but the young man was too
pleasantly absorbed to observe 1t. II
was Nellle's first opera, and he felt
obliged to dlspel her illusions M far as
possible That Is one OF the ways In
which we take our revenge on youth.
When Faust threw aside his students
cloak, appearing as tall, dnshing.
handsome youth, the escort leaned over
Nellie and whispered, "IIe doesn't look
ms II he was the husband OF n woman
OF 30, does hep
The woman In black did not hear
that.
The garden scene came, and the new
Marguerite trembled ms she drew her
spinning wheel In front Of her TO begin,
"Thcre was n king Of Thule" Her
voice was n little uncertain, and she
hesltated occasionally. Indeed her
singing was more like that OF the real
Marguerite than OF an operate prima
donna. But the voice was fresh and
true, and there was In II n touch OF
that something which we call charm
and which won her audience. The ap-
plause was ~ hearty that the girl
blushed through her "mnke up" with
pleasure. The woman In black sank
back and sighed. "She II 10 young, 10
blessedly, gioriOusly young"
The woman had recovered her criti-
cal attitude nv tho time the ipWpl song