Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-24
76he [A/HOLIO 659L/ZG
AND HLES S/SZES -

ly with sweet voice but she showed in
experience. Did she not also display nerv-
misunderstanding? One would prefer to
think so-for the judging of Prince Alexan-
deri
The first night the Lisbon public made no
sign. The second night it simply chased
the whole company from the stage of the
Theater Royal.
Alas for work-for hooe-for love.
There was riot in front of the curtain and
panic and recriminations behind 1t; and in
a row that would not have been out of
place IN a Latin Quarter cafe Lima Cava-
lieri and Alexander Bariatinsld spoke their
parting words-and Linas was stronger
word than 'darn!
Desertion In Hour Of Need.
We know no more than this Was it
one of loves hateful treasons? Was 1t de-
sertion In the hour of need? The girl had
worked and shaved to please him. The
world would have liked to see him stand
manfully by her in her hour of failure.
That Lima has never accused him proves
nothing. She may have been too proud
or she may have been In the wrong. And
note-that Baratinski never defended HIM
self proves nothing. He may have been too
chivalrous-or he may have had no ex-
cusei
Baratinski fed to his yacht. Simply that.
Cavalieri moved with dignity to the rail-
way station. On her lonely trip from Lis
bon to Paris by the Sud express, accom-
panied only by faithful maid-the COM
pany disbanded-who knows what bitter
thoughts may have been hers? All, work
that had all gone for nothing! Ah fairest
bud, no sooner blown than blasted Really,
know of no more pathetic figure than that
to Paris.
When, a few weeks later In Paris she
learned that Prince Alexander had allowed
his Paris apartment to be sold out by the
cEA tr.n Iln,l til.
grand opera to the lower regions The
young folks never met again Prince Alex
ander shortly afterward married the young
Princess YouricVski. morganatic daughter
Of the deceased Gar Alexander II. living
with her mother in high Partisan society.
And Lima Cavalieri remained the most
beautiful woman of Europei'
Here the devoted sister interviewed with
force-from her humble employment at
Genoa
Same Hard Proposition.
On leaving the Roman convent school
three years after her elder sister had
quilted 1t. Ada Cavalieri Ito give her the
family name adopted and made famous by
the otner) had to face the same hard prop
osition that had confronted Lima
She was quite as beautiful as Lima In
deed-as you shall learn, II you have not
already heard 1.-THE sisters look SO much
alike that photographs of one have been
mistaken for the other. Also she had q
voice. Yet she never hesitated. She had
been educated for governess. 1t was cor
rect and honorable to be a governess And
governess she would be. Even after she
had lost her first three places by a strange
and unique fault. she never wavered.
Surely 1t was a unique fault.
This young girl is too beautiful to be a
governess, wrote her first employer to the
superioress of the school as She returned
her Her conduct has been irreproach-
. tS xlr1a- f&,~Ia -
tient and with a talent for teaching Yet
will not keep her. Her presence cannot
but prove danger in a household?'
Wealthy ladies are hard in Italy; and
their Yelvet-eyed husbands are weak-or
strong-in presence of helpless youth and
pretttness. so 1t was in and out for the
unhappy Ada Cavalieri. What resources
had she against an enterprising employer;
To run and complain to his wife? what
wife would relish such q revelation? Would
she not regard it presumptuous? Or
suppose she should keep up a steadfast
night In silence? In the end appearances
would damn her. The result would be the
same. How can a lady keep a firebrand in
her house-howeyer innocent the firebrand?
Until at last a good and generous lady
beautiful enough herself not to be jealous
of anothers beauty-took the prosecuted
Signorina Ada as teacher for her two small
children AS 1 may not give her name
she was the wife of a foreign consul.
Wonderment That Grew to Terrc-.
Ada Cavalieri had watched her brilliant
sisters triumphs with uneasy wonderment
that grew to terror.
Old maids are borr~. hot made. In spite
of her dazzling beauty-the same lire for
line that had made Lima famous, Ada had
from the beginning. all the frigid tfmidity
the chaste tranquility and the hard 1udg
ments, both for herself nd others of the
born old maid.
She had fought with Lima to give up the
music hall career. She had never ceased
bomba rdng~ her with letters OF expostula-
ton. Later on she compromised:
II you viii not give up the stage, be a
real artister' was her final appeal When
Lima had begun studying with Nine.
Mariani-Masi she began to hope. And when
Lima was to at last make her debut IN
grand opera at Lisbon. sne was waiting
anxiously to learn the result.
When she learned the pfttful result. Ada
Cavalieri took a great decision. Quitting
her place at Genoa, she hurried to Paris.
She settled down beside her wounded ana
reckless sister Did she try to comfort
her? How could the born old maid COM
fort her? But It is certain that the frigid
Ada wrestled with the fiery Lima seven
days-and triumphedi
Groaning In spirit like the camel-again-
Lima, again renounced the easy life and
money OF the music halls Again she took
UP the burden of grand opera Love, with
great shining eyes no longer beckoned her.
But on and on she bore the burden, with
succeeded is well known.
Fine Revenge on Cruel Public.
In 1901 she was singing the principal part
of Mimi in Pucinnfs Vie de Boheme" at
no less an opera house than the San Carlo
OF Naples. Next she secured a brilliant en-
gagement for an entire season at the I'M
perial Theater of Warsaw-singing vfoletta
in ''Traviata.' Marguerite in Faust
Mimi In the Vie de Boheme"-and taking
fine revenge on the cruel Lisbon public by
an overwhelming triumph as Media.
The transformation was accomplished.
She who had been only The Most BeautiruI
Woman of Europe was now an artistic IN
a high field Serious critics praised her
voice and technique. while the money-pay-
ing public thronEed to the double charm or
her vibrating loneliness.
Succeeding years confirmed this success
and artistic and social satisfacticns or
grand opera ceased to cost her anything
financially. On the contrary, she had never
done 90 we'll in the halls. At the 1'heater
Of Ravenna. ct the Grand TheatcT Of PAL
49, ~. ~