Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1901-05-02
1HE WOMAN IN BLACK
Who Did Not Relish Crow
ing Old.
BY HAMILTON oRMsBEE.


academy. The Nlarasquin 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 NIephis-
topheles was a great impersonntion, and
his company was more nearly English
than are most of those which sing
under that appellation. Mitchell, the
tenor, was a Nantucket Yankee; Ncu-
man, the baritone, was born in Osh.
kosh, where his father owned brew
cry; the contralto's English had n
Gaelic twist to 1T; Alice Titus, Mitch
ellis wife, who had sung Marguerite
TO his Faust for 10 years, was a Ver-
mont girl, and Miss Evans, the girl
who was to succeed the old favorite,
came from TcNarcana and had cour.
age, beauty and u voice. Hers was the
only new face. The others We're es-
tablished favoritcs, and Brooklyn had
turned out to do them honor.
There We're women without bonnets
and wearing diamonds in two of the
boxes. Half II dozen BROOKLYN men
were in evening dress, and in the body
OF the house We're knots of New York.
crs, who had come over to give their
friends an auspicious start on their
new season.
Near the front sat a woman in q
black gown with a little black hat
plain as pikestaff but jaunty as a
cock partridge in the spring. Her black
hair was freely touched with gray, and
she was we'll past 10, but she was not
old. Her face bore the unmistakable
stamp of achievement, and she looked
mature woman of fine health in the
| full ripcncss and llecnness of intcllcc.
| tual power. She bore herself easily
and indillerently, as one accustomed to
| crowds. A little quickening of interest
and long and sweeping use OF hc1
| 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 lcveled at this
| picture, a 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
we'll. Her mouth"
just behind them a young girl, at
tending her first opera. exclaimed to
her escort: 'Shc is perfectly lovely.
How can a girl look so much like an
angel"
The escort looked down with admirA-
ton into the flushed face and sparkling
eyes. He was 10 and in evening dress
Its a fine chance for me to pay a
compliment, Nellie" he mlrmured,
but | don't think will. She is GER
tainly pretty, but I'm afraid she will
not make good the loss of Alice Titus.
Alice is an old stagcr from further
back than l can remember, and she
positively had to stop singing last Win
ter. Three or four women have tried
to fill her place, but have failed. Per-
haps this girl may do better. Old AL
ice could sing, though"
The nostrils of the woman In black
qnivered, but the young man was too
pleasantly absorbed to observe it. 1t
was Nellie's first opera, and he felt
obliged to dispel her illusions as 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, dashing.
I, ,,f1S 1,n
Nellie and whispered, 'IIc doesn't look
as if he was the husband Of a woman
of 80, does hc?"
The woman in black did not hear
that.
The garden scene came, and the new
Marguerite tremblcd as she drew her
spinning wheel in front of her to begin,
"There was n king of Thule" Her
voice was a little uncertain, and she
hesitated occasionally. Indeed her
singing was more like that of the real
Marguerite than of an opcratic prima
donna. But the voice was fresh and
true, and there was in 1t touch Of
and which won her audience. The ap-
plnuse was so hearty that the girl
blushed through her make up with
pleasure. The woman in black sank
back and sighed. "she is so young, SO
blessedly, gloriously young"
| The woman had recovered her criti.
cal attitude by the time the jewel song
was reached. Her glass followed ev-
y cry movement and her acute ear 1udg-