The times., 1901-06-09
HER OWN CAMPAIGN.
Here Is How One Singer Hopes to
Succeed.


The contralto soloist looked serious. Il
have just witnessed an amazing example
OF Western push" she said. About half
an hour ago the maid brought up the
card of a woman who was a total strang-
er to me. l was busy at the time, but
thinking her errand might be important,
| went down to see her. She was nice
looking girl. with Energy written in cap
ital letters from the topmost flower in
her new spring hat to the tips of her
shoes No sooner had ! said How do
than she sailed into me, fun tilt.
'' I see by the papers she said, that
you are advertised to sing at the benefit
concert tomorrow night, and l would like
to know If anything has come Up, or is
likely to come up, that Will prevent you
from filling your engagement.
Her virile attack nearly foored me,
No said 1, with some asperity, 1 am
perfectly well and apparently in good
voice. and 1 expect TO sing according to
programme.
The girl sighed. I didn't know she
said, but what you might be indisposed
OF course, I'm glad you're all right, and
1 hope you viii pardon my audaclty IN
asking such personal questions. but there
was no other way of finding out.
Why did you want TO know?
Well said the girl, if there had been
ANYTHING the matter with you l was go
ing TO ask YOU to let me act as your sub
stitutc You know yourself, being In the
business, that popular singers are given 20
taking sick al "A minutes notice, ana
didnt I know whether you We're an eNcep-
tion or not. Under these circumstances
the management is often hard put TO II
to find an acceptable substitute. Not but
what there are plenty OF good SINGERS I,Sia. VINO
are capable Of filling the vacant places:
The difficulty is that those singers are all
unknown, and nobody ever thinks OF CIV
ing them a trial.
&c When / came on here early in the sea-
son I sized up that phase Of the situation
at a glance / saw scores of girls eating
their very hearts Out-aud il was about
all they had to eat. poor thingS-waiting
for appreciation from audiences they
never got chance to sing before, and l
made up my mind that If Western grit
was worth anything at all il was worth
enough to keep me from becoming such
uouentity. So / just mustered up all
ny pluck and commenced campaign OF
my own.
IAN winter ! have been watching. mu
steal programmes, big and little, like
hawk, and ] have visited all the con-
traltos just as ! have come TO you. and
asked TO be allowed to sub for them in
case they should be suddenly incapaei-
tated for duty
Have you prohted by your novel
SChemey / asked.
- To be sure l have, said the girl. I've
sung forty-five times this winter counting
in church socialS and all. Sometimes ]
got paid for my work, but more often !
did not. But l didn't worry much about
the financial end of the arrangement, for
/ was making myself known 10 musicians
generally, and / expect to reap my reward
hereafter-not in the remote hereafter,
twenty or thirty years away. but next
season There were several factors that
worked together to bring about my sue
cess as substitute.
&c Sometimes they took me because they
couldn't pick up anybody else on such
short notice; again. the ailing singer in
sisted upon me as a substitute because
she could thus prevent a professional enc
my from filing her place. Again, / have
served as uuderstudy for people who ac-
Cepted engagements afternoon, but having
started out on that tack last fall, !
thought Ia continue to the end of the
season.