Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1903-12-04


of dependence was her daily diet.
Withal she grew up brave little
thlng-rather too serious and big eyed
and apprehensive, 1t is true, but her na-
ture seemed to have been so filled with
sunshine that 1t could not be wholly dis
sipated and when let alone by her fos-
ter parents and the children about her
she would break into the most joyous
melody and sing, sing, sing for hours at
time.
She was given only the raggedest OF
cast-off clothes, for the Jacksons were
no better off than their neighbors IN
Hobbs court, and Mary was the last in
the family to be thought of. Even the
| rags were begrudged her. This spirit IN
her own home communicated itself cas-
| lily to all the people in the court, even the
children, and the child grew up in an
| atmosphere of taunt, ridicule and con-
| tempt. She was easily the most useless
and unpromising living thing in Hobbs
court, for even the dogs were loved by
somebody.
1t was when Mary was In her fifteenth
year that stranger drove into Hobbs
court in shiny trap with bright red
wheels. He came to see Tobe Heller
about bull pup. Tobe raised bull
pups for the market, but generally trans
acted business at the homes or offices
of his patrons. So the shiny trap and
the gloved and groomed stranger was
an episode in Hobbs court and all the
inhabitants were at the windows and
the children gathered about the trap in
awed silence.
Then a strange thing happened. Mary
was singing somewhere in the Jackson
fiat, next to Tobe Heller's place, and the
notes of the song waited through an
open window. AS he came from Tobe's
puppery, the stranger paused and lis
tened to the notes. He glanced up at
the window and looked surprised. Then
he walked up to the door, knocked and
was admitted. He asked Mrs. Jackson
IL he might hear the girl, whose voice
he had heard outside, sing. To be sure
he could Mary was dragged into the
front room and commanded to sing. She
was so frightened that her voice broke.
Then the man spoke kindly to her and
talked easily about many things, putting
her at her ease. Then she sang for him.
Madam" said he to Mrs. Jackson,
may l take this girl down town with
me? She has wonderful voice. /
would like to have Signor Volenci hear
it. 1t is quite probable l can put her
in the way of making considerable mon
ey. Here is my card. Mr.. What's-his-
name-Deviler or Heller-the bull pup
| will oil I q m
responsible and mean no harm"
Mrs. Jackson glanced at the card
which read Benjamin Ekstein, Manager
International Opera Company"
When Mary emerged from the jack
son fiat with the swell stranger, and was
driven away in the shiny trap Hobbs
court nearly had a spasm. The calls
Mrs. Jackson had that day broke the So
cial record Of the court.
But that was nothing to the sensation
that was precipitated by the announce
ment few days later that Mary Jack
son., the despised, the reviled, was to
appear at the Garrick theater and sing
in grand opera. 1t was incredible and
Hobbs court could not become recon-
ciled to it, And when some of the more
prosperous and venturesome Of the
young fellows of the court went to the
theater and squandered half dollar
(doubtfully obtained) to sit in the gal
lery and brought home strange tales of
Mary (who figured in the bill as Marie
JacksonD appearing in maze of silks
and laces and other embellishments
known only by tradition to the Hobbs
courtites, the wonder grew into bewilder-
ment And when the papers spoke OF
Mary as "the child wonder" and "a
beautiful and dainty creature with a
voice Of marvellous sweetness and power
and a range seldom possessed by the
greatest prima donnas" and recorded the
fact that the new prodigy had taken the
musical world by storm, Hobbs court
became speechless and gave the problem
up. Hobbs court could understand bull
pups and strikes and rag men, bu-
this translation of Mary Jackson was
too severe a strain on its thinking pow
ers. The Jacksons were more de-
pressed than the rest. They had giveI
over their legal hold on the child to Ben
jamin Ekstein for 5000 and had thought
|
began to dawn on them that they hat
sold a gold mine for song.
A gay party sat in box at the opera
How remarkably like your Heller
that girl on the stage looks, Mrs. Van
derbeck," remarked one of the womeI
to another. who is she, Paul?"
One of the young men glanced toward
the stage. ooh, that's the new chilt
wonder Marie Jacksoni, they call hel
ON the bills. Ekstein found her some,
where or other in a hovel-and, by
George! she has divine voice."
The girl began to sing. The woman
addressed as Mrs. Vanderbeck leaned
forward, watching the girl with breath.
less interest The very intensity of the
glance attracted the singer involuntar.
lily and she glanced toward the boz
and sang her song straight at the