The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1904-01-29

Il
tried unsuccesssully to palm her on on
her h..sband a. her own. So after she
died and the man married again little
Mary was doubly unwelcome and was
made 20 feel it in every way.
Harsh words, and, alas. blows. were
principally her lot and the bitter bread
of dependence was her daily diet.
WithA. she grew up brave little
| thing-rather too serious and big eyed
and apprehensive, it is true, but her ma
ture seemed to have been so filled with
sunshine that it could not be wholly dis
sipateu 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 al
time.
She was given only the raggedest Oh
cast-ofT clothes, for the Jacksons were
no besser on 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-
temp.. 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 q stranger drove into Hobbs
court in a shiny trap with bright red
wheels. He came to see lobe Heller
about bull pup. lobe raised Dull
pups for the market, but generally trans
acted business at the homes or ofhces
of his patrons. So the shiny trap and
the gIoved 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 . strange thing happened. Mary
was singing somewhere In the Jackson
fiat. next to lobe 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 4 wonderful voice. I
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
man next door. will tell you that I am
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 dat with the swell stranger, and was |
driven away in the shiny trap Hobbs |
court nearly had q 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 1t the Garrick theater and sing !,
In grand opera. 1t was incredible and
Hobbs court could not become recon-
ciled to 1t. And when some of the more
and venturesome of the
young fellows Of the court went to the
theater and sQuandered q half dollar
(doubtfully obtained) to sit In the gal
lery and brought home strange tales of
Mary (who figured in the bill as Marie
Jacksoni) 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 g the child wonder" and -
beautiful and dainty creature with 4
voice Of marvellous sweetness and power
md Z range seldom possessed by the
greatest prima donnas" and recorded the
act that the new prodigy had taken the
musical world by storm. Hobbs court
became specifies and gave the problem
Up. Hobbs court could understand bull
pups and strikes and rag men, but
his TRANSLATION Of Mary Jackson was !,
90 severe strain on it, thinking DOW
n. The Jacksons were more de- !,
pressed than the rest. They had given !
'ver their legal hold ON the child to Ben
amin Ekstein for $500 and had thought :.
was simply marvellous. ind. Now It
'egan to dawn on them that they had
old : gold mine for song.
A gay party eat IN box It the opera.
How remarkably like your Helen
hat girl on the stage looks, Mrs. Van
erbeck." remarked one OF the woyren
3 another. who b she. Paul!"
One Of the young men glanced toward
he stage. ''Oh, that's the new child