The National tribune., 1910-03-31

of a young American girl in London
pretty and presentable in every way
the daughter of a millionaire retail shoe
dealer, who had set her heart on being
presented at court, but was refused or
account of the plebean character of her
fathers business In despair she wrote
papa all about it, and received from
him at once a cablegram, framed in
facetious mood, telling her that the OBJ
lection was all nonsense, since he was
simply giving the shoes away, and
called her attention to his advertise.
ment in the home paper which he had
sent her. The cablegram was taken
seriously, and in the end she was pre-
sented as the daughter Of a great
American philanthropist.
A story which is probably more true
and which is, besides, rather touching,
is told of the great singer, Sembrich.
In the early part of her career. when
she had been well received, but before
she had made the great place for her
self in the operate world she now en-
joys, she found it extremely difficult to
provide herself with the necessary stage
dresses. According to a curious Gus
tom in Germany the male singers had
their costumes furnished them by the
management, while the women were
forced to supply theirs at their own eX-
pense. Sembrich was struggling along
with a rather small salary, realizing
that appropriate dressing was vitality
necessary for her success, yet put to it
whenever she had a new role TO get to-
gether the clothes for the part. She
had been cast for Violetta in 'Travi-
ata,' and how to obtain a suitable ball
dress for the third act she just didn't
know. She started out to look for bar
gains, but found the greatest bargain
far beyond her purse. She wandered
f,fa fla,-
where the pleasant-faced woman in
charge, recognizing her, was very po-
lite and nice, and who displayed a per-
feet dream of gown, which was just
what Sembrich wanted; but, alasi the
price was far more than she could pay.
Seeing the disappointment on the face
of the great singer, the woman asked
her what she could pay, which was con-
siderably less than one-half the cost of
the gown, and then, rather inconse-
quentially as il seems, told her that she
had an invalid, bed-ridden father who
loved music passionately. He was la
menting only last night" said the wo-
man, that he could not hear you sing,
and If you will come and sing one song
for him you shall have the gown at
your own price" Sembrich's eyes filled,
and she embraced her benefactor i'm
pulsively, and that night, accompanied
by her husband, she went to the home
of the invalid, and sang not only one,
but several of her sweetest songs. The
lovely dress had indeed literally cost
her "a mere song.'
The Roman Catholics have a very
beautiful ceremony which they employ
when new church is about to be dedi-
Gated for Christ's work. This is the
blessing of the bell. The custom of
using bells to call the people to the
T..
was spread thruout Europe by the Irish
missionaries, and to-day all over the
civilized world bells knoll us to
church. The ceremony of the blessing
Of the bell is simple. Seated in front
of the bell is the Archbishop, and with
the clergy in their brilliant vestments
standing around him he blesses the bell
sprinkling it with holy water 1t is not
SO much the ceremony itself, but its
significance, which is beautiful. In the
blessing of the bell the church prays
that its sound may dispel all evil, and
that il may be as the voice of God call
ing people from the materialistic to the
spiritual, which is. il is presumed, the
real significance attached to the tolling
of all church bells, Protestant as well
Rs Catholic. But to call attention to
this by the ceremony Of the blessing Of
the bell is good and proper, and, like
many of the customs Of the Roman
Church, could be well copied by the
other churches.
It seems, after all, that hatpin or1i-
nance did pass in Chicago. ANY woman
who now appears on the street of the
Windy City or In any public place wear
ing hatpin which shall protrude from
the crown of her hat for more than
half an inch is liable to arrest and
fine of $50. 1t has taken nearly four
weeks to settle the matter, for the wo-
men fought it tooth and nail, as the
saying goes. Since Chicago started the
campaign, stories have come from every
direction as to the casualties from the
work of the deadly hatpin. Its victims
lie all along the firing line. 1t is gen.
orally the eyes which have suffered.
Just why the women should object to
a shorter pin is a good deal of mys-
tery, since one that simply pierces the
crown when adjusted will hold the hat
perfectly. The ornamental end shows
up Just the same, and surely no woman
would pretend to say there was any
beauty or any sense in having two or
three inches OF bare pin protrude from
her hat. The majority of women wear
ing these extra-length pins have only
been thoughtless about the matter but
now that their attention has been called
to the danger the long pin will un-
doubtedly disappear without the neces-
sity of resorting to ordinance or any
other method to compel ii.
Everyone is pleased that Mr.. Roose-
welt is having such a fine time. We
like to hear that the German Kaiser's
son, also visiting Egypt, has not been
'in 1t" with our Teddy. We like to read
about the Khedive sending the royal
coach to convey our strenuous country
man to his palace, and those gold, dia-
mond-studded cups, in which coffee was
served by the Khediviah to Mrs. ROose-
welt and Ethel. fill US with joy pure and
simple. Not being above a little gos-
sip ourselves, and having read the Mar
quise de Fontenoy's recent letter about
the gay goings-on Of the KhediVe we
are wondering which Khediviah It was
who received the ladies Roosevelt For
be IL known that the Khedve has Great
ed q terrific sensation in Cairo society
lately by his marriage of the woman
who had supplanted the Khediviah
wife No. /, in his affections This wo-
man, q handsome Hungarian IS years
old, and the divorced wife of an Aus
trian Baron, who before her marriage
was on the stage, met the khedive al
Monte Carlo a few years ago. At his
wish she accompanied him back &c
Egypt, and took up her abode Just op-
posite one of his palaces on the out
skirts of Cairo, where she lived under
his protection. She was naturally boy.
cotted most relentlessly by Cairo so.
ciety, the ladies of the Diplomatic Corps
and of the foreign colony declining EN-.
phatically to have anything to do witt
her. This the Hungarian. renowned