Morris tribune., 1901-01-19
BY HAMILTON oRMsBEE.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

! 1t was gala night at the Amphior
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 great representation, and
his company was more nearly English
than are most of those which sing
under that appellation Mitchell the
tenor, was Nantucket Yankee; Neu-
man, the baritone, was born in Osh-
kosh, where his father owned a brew
cry; the contralto's English had a
Gaelic twist to it; Alice Titus, Mitch
ellis wife, who had sung Marguerite
to his Faust for Is years, was Yer
mont girl, and Miss Evans, the girl
who was to succeed the old favorite,
came from Texarcana and had cour-
age, beauty and voice. Hers was the
only new face. The others were es-
tablished fayorites, 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 the 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 a woman in
black gown with little black hat,
n1ain az q piIyoc+of b,,+ io,,n41, &c, .
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 face bore the unmistakable
stamp of achievement, and she looked
a mature woman of fine health in the
full ripeness and keenness of intellec-
tual power. She bore herself easily
and indiferently, as one accustomed to
crowds. A little quickening of interest
and long and sweeping use of her
glass as 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 a 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 I
tending her first operg, exclaimed to |
her escort: 'She is perfectly lovely!
How can girl look so much like an !
angely'
The escort looked down with admira-
lion into the flushed face and sparkling
eyes. He was 80 and in evening dress. /
"It's a fine chance for me to pay a
Nellie" he murmured,
but don't think I will. She is GER
,ainly pretty, but I'm afraid she will
lot make good the loss of Alice Titus.
Alice is an old stager from further
back than I can remember, and she
positively had to stop singing last win
er. Three or four women have tried
% fill her place, but have failed. Per
laps this girl may do better. Old AL
ce could sing, though"
The nostrils of the woman in black
Iuivered, but the young man was too
pleasantly absorbed to observe it. 1t
vas Nellie's first opera, and he felt
bliged to dispel her illusions as far as
ossible That is one of the ways in
which we take our revenge on youth.
When Faust threw aside his students
loak, appearing as a tall, dashing,
andsome youth, the escort leaned over
Tellie and whispered, "He doesn't look 8
s if he was the husband of a woman
80, does hep
The woman in black did not hear
lat. (,
The garden scene came, and the new
[arguerite trembled as she drew her s
oinning wheel in front of her to begin, {
There was a king Of Thule" Her I
oice was a little uncertain. and she
esitated occasionally. Indeed her t
nging was more like that of the real r
arguerite than of an operate prima t
onna But the voice was, fresh and t
ne. and there was in it touch of n
lat something which we call charm Il
I'd which won her audience. The ap-
ause was so hearty that the girl
ushed through her "make up with
easure. The woman in black sank is
lck and sighed, "She is so young, so
essedly, gloriously young"
The woman had recovered her criti- q
| attitude by the time the jewel song f.
is reached. Her glass followed ev- N
? movement and her acute ear judy 81