The San Francisco call., 1901-12-08

4 Il Y II In DIT SOl-4N NAlJlkS OONlN1
than to be born with a silver spoon
in ones mouth.
One OF these is to be born with
2 great gift and then, just at the right
moment, to have fairy-godmother ap-
: pear.
In this story Edna Darch of Los An
geles is the good little girl and Calve
-capricious, captivating, quick-pulsed
Calve-is the fairy y-godmother, and
Hans Christian Andersen couldn't dc
anything better If he tried.
The Darches are poor. but Edna has
a voice, and Nine. Calve has promised
TO see that she has a future.
In other words. Calve is TO do for
the child what the parents would gladly
do for her if they cOuld-have her voice
trained by the best masters and tlt her
for the operate stage. More than this.
Calve herself will take her dor time
under her own tuition
Did any princess in a fairy-book, or
out of one, ever fare better than this?
And II has all happened so suddenly
and Unexpectedly that Edna Darch feels
as though she were afraid to open her
eyes wide lest she find she has been
asleep and 1t was only dream.
She knows how that feels. for she
tried It once-just the night before she
sang for Calve- She had dreamed that
Nordica heard her sing and had taken
her away to Europe and made her
great artist Just as she was singing.
with all the world at her feet. she
woke up
= DO you believe in dreams?" asked
her older sister when Edna told her Of
the beautiful dream
No But l wish they came true"
Even then unknown to the child.
letter had been written TO Calye asking
her 10 hear Edna sing.
Not that Edna's teacher hoped for
anything more than a word of praise
that might be used TO advertise a bene-
fit concert which 1t was proposed to
give in January to help little with the
expense OF music lessons. The wages
OF clerk in a lumber-yard do not war
rant the training OF nightingales
Calve, seeking rest at Pasadena. had
shut herself away from all visitors. and
that she should take tine 10 listen to
an aspiring child singer was almost a
vain hope But Edna had a teacher who
knew that her pupil was a genius. and
for more than year her one wish has
been that the child should sing for a
truly great artist
Something in the letter struck a
chord IN Calves warm heart She con-
sented. and on the very day of Edna S
dream the vision Of the night was part
ly realized
Edna Darch- IN a plain little cotton
frOck with voice that faltered lust the
least with excitement sang for the great
sOng-goddess- the unrecognized fairy
godmOther-
Beautiful ravishing. magnificent,
whispered the artist as the child sang
It took but one look from the deep,
wonderful eyes Of the diva to tell the
child thai all was well. that the soul Of
the other understood
After the song there were more hugs
and kisses and more adiectives-
And then all IN a moment CalVc made
her plans
She must take Edna with her teack
her. have her study and hear other great
artists and have pretty frocks and furs
but simple mind you for1a petite
And then Paris. and then-the world
No wonder the child blinked hard and
pinched herself to~make sure she was
really awake
Edna Dzrch has always loved music.
always lived for i.
When q baby. tied in her little rock
ing chair and left to amuse herself she
sang and sang rolling her ewes far
back and rocking vigorously to help
make the high notes come
Her mother had the love OF music and
an ear for it, without the knowledge oi
II. and her father had a voice Edna s
gift was q natural one. and when she
was old enough both parents meant
that she should have the best help they
could give her.
But the best is not to be had for the
least money, and It was not until a fam
i1v friend came to the rescue with an
open purse that Edna could have in
struction worthy OF her art.
For year or two she studied only for
piano. but that other longing would not
cease Still she must sing. stretching
her voice from IFS highest to ifs lowest
pitch.
Then. when she was nearly II. she be-
gan to study voice culture with Miss
Elizabeth Carrick- There were no more
wild, unstudied bursts OF song She
must sing not higher than D for a
whole year. and not more than an hour
a day in ffteen-minute periods.
When she was just slipping into her
teens there was a short rest and she
was not allowed TO sing note.
IN IDOSe Gays EuId Was lcSucsS anu
unhappy, but she obeyed her teacher.
Yet the music must out. and the child
would shut herself away in a room and
whistle until her overburdened soul
.found relief
Y When she went back to her lessons
again her tones were rounder. fuller.
more mature. But now She must not 90
higher than E with an occasional +
with Miss Carrick by way of a treat.
Not only u,ust Edna thank Miss Car
rick for her first training but for this
GREAT ooDortunity that has come TO her
Had the teacher known less Of the value
of Edna's voice she might still be work
ing hard TO play and sing for recita
which at most would bring her but $2s
It was really Miss Carrick who discov-
cred this embryonic artist A year age
L. - L. Lii sing for Damrosch