The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-12
Tenor and Helfesa.

little story cellei "Cirillo,' by Mis-
Ef1e Douglass Putnam. comes to US in
attractive dress from Life Publishing Com
pany. 1t will commend itself doubtless
by it's poetical manner rather than by any
great and disturbing anfractuosities Of
plot, Cirillo was as strong as young
Achilles. but as graceful as the Apollino in
he Uffizi.' He was tho first tenor In
Italy, and he fell in love at sight with the
American heiress. Alma Mendon, who was
in Florence with her aunt. Says Pietro
Bandini. the Florentine artist who purports
to tell the story. speaking Of these two
ladies: \ knew they were Americans, for
while they bore the national traits Of no
particular country. they possessed the
charm and grace of all countries and stood
for everything that is best in elegant de-
pertinent.
The aunt approved OF Cirillo. but Alina's
father. a stern Virginian. called the tenor
mour.tebank. and took his daughter back
20 America. Bandini, our historian, who
went to the railway station in Florence to
see the Mendon family of, records: The
whistle blew. jumped from the train.
waved my hand in farewell and went back
in search Of Cirillo. found him. as had
left him, under the loggia; his hat was pulled
down over his forehead, and he Rlar ced
gloomily after the retreating en- CINE. Come
said, 'come--let us go home Home he
repeated. I have no home I drew his
hand into mine, 1t IVES cold--cold as the
marble Of Dante's tomb-and that night
he sang IN Don Pssq,iale'
D. l.
ycung tenor's hand was not to BE- Of that
Iow temperature always. A great i'm
presario brought Cirillo to America His
triumph at the Metropolitan Opera House
is ret forth by Bandini: 1T was Faust
and the curtain rose. How he sang! and
how my foolish heart beat with each re-
frain! o mystery Of sound that floats
with cadence on a breathless air, that stirs
with all-embracing godlike force the souls
OF mem Flowers like shower fell before
him, and he was obliged to appear again
and again. until really felt sorry for him.
bowing and bending in that way
chapter entitled "The Bending OF the
Oak tells us how Papa Mendon yielded.
Says Bandini When Sgnor Mendon left
Florence he was fully determined to DESTROY
in Alma all hope OF union with Grille
That she might in any way rebel against
this decree did not suggest itself to his
altocratic mind. He would as soon have
looked for an upheaval OF his own peaceful
Virginian hills as opposition from either
Of his gentle daughters, in whom was
centred his loftiest ambition and all the
affection Of his unyielding nature But
Alma, who had come to be Of age, and
had her fortune in her own right did rebel
The oak had to bend. Signor Mendon was
obliged to go to Cirllo and apologize. He
wept as he did so.
As to the idea expressed by some IN
named person in the last chapter, to the
effect that Alma had thrown herself away
on tenor when she might have married a
Prince. Bandini gays; Shall tell Won
what l think? She has married king
among men, with claims of honor in
sordid age, and gifts that outweigh the
empty title and paltry trappings Of ma
TONS toy. And the gates of the garden
Of love and life, filed with peace and in.
finite Joy, have swung apart, like Ghiberti's
own, have let in the light from above and
have given them what they merit truly
a little heaven upon earth" We shall
be surprised If the reader does not agree
with Bandni