davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-31

which may be of value TO American sis
tiers at home.
In the flush of her personal success, she
would nevertheless warn them. She did
not know that she had II voice until. at
the age of seventeen, she was singing
class songs in boarding school, and
teacher advised sending her abroad. Up
TO this moment her career was IKE SO
many others. The unknown American
girl arrived in Paris. At once she went
to Nine. PicciottO. who had been MISS
Emma Eames professor. She was max
ing good progress. when suddenly Nine:
Picciotto died. 1t was then that she had
her experience with the vocal masters OF
Paris.
me greatest hindrances in the oper-
attic career are the very elements which
should help the students, says Miss
Eleanor. Il refer TO the singing teach
ers. The perfected foice, Il anaEzed,
consists of 10 per cent teacher and 81
per cent common sense in the girl. Those
unfortunate students who begin without
the 81 per cent common sense are likely
to find the 10 per cent of their vocal
professor turn out To lie Il minus guam
tity. which does them more harm than
good
This is strong, but some ought to
say il, even in the interest Of the more
conscientious Paris teachers. 1t is an
open secret-at least with respect to the
rank -and-filc of Voiccs-that i'll many
vocal trainers all considerations of art
have been replaced by commercial
spirit. The rush of average voices II
Paris completes the situation. The re-
suit is that poor students come from
America with little talent. and voices of
which nothing could be made, no matter
how a teacher might labor with them,
and hopes are kept up with compliments
until they get into such state that
how yIi1I nav nllf hni lpG Tn
some more hOpei
"CndoubtedIy all trainers push great
voices says Miss Perry. Great voices
will do them credit. True enough in
respect to poor girls. Such one never
paid cent of tuition in all her four
years at Paris
'Why?' l asked.
Because she had no money-and Sire
had a great voice" The pre- ent writer
knows of another engaged at $50 per
month for utility roles in the Ope.a
Comique. She was heard by IA famous
teacher. You must come to me- he
said. Il will teach you for nothing. II
cannot" she answered Il live on my
80 from the Opcra-C omique." Come.
nevertheless, the trainer insisted, and
| will advance you the $50 WELL
Such examples are beautiful-but the
average voices have to pay for them.
Some Paris trainers argue that be
cause they are generous to a few great
voices that have no money they are
entitled TO make it up from the mass OF
mediocre voices that have money.
Rather hard on the voices with
money, isn't it, says Miss Eleanor.
*
::
American young folks should be warned
about the state of things in Paris.
''In the artistic career. the spirit of
hope is tenacious, says Miss Perry.
1.-The studios OF the Latin quarter are
crowded with men Of forty and fifty who
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-31

Two objections have been urged against
the proposed plan. but neither Of them
seems of very great Importance. Many
people object to the insertion Of another
month in the year, but no one has yet
given a valid reason for this objection.
There would be some difficulty in finding d
name for the new month. but this might
be solved when its place in the calendar
has been determined Prof. Hesse Of
Chile suggests that 1t be inserted at the
end and receive the name Of Trecember.
But this would separate Christmas and
New Year too far. It would also cause all
dates in the latter part Of the year to
shift backward a long distance. Others
have suggested that the new month be in
serted between June and July. This
would bring it in the middle of the year,
rendering the name .'Midyear' appro-
pirate. AS the summer Solstice in the
northern hemisphere would then occur In
the new month (winter solsticc in the
southern hemisphere, the name Sol has
also been suggested. Either of these
names would be appropriate. Perhaps
Midyear would be the most satisfactory.
The other objection which has been
urged against year of thirteen months
is that the quarter years would not then
consist Of whole months. This objection
appears To be trivial. The month is vastly
more important as time division than
the quarter, and the advantage Of having
all the months OF the same length and an
exact number of weeks is incomparably
greater than that Of having quarters con-
sisting of whole months of different
length. Not only that. but the quarters
could be set off practically as easily in a
thirteen-month year as in twelve-month
year. Each quarter would consist of
thirteen weeks, exactly three months
and one week. The first quarter would
end with the first week in April. the sec
ond with the second week Of the new
month. the third with the third week in
September and the fourth with the fourth
week in December. A year Of thirteen
months would thus possess all the advan-
tages to be gained by a change of the
calendar. while any other system of
months would lack the most important
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-31

new calendar that will Obviate the lhCoii-
veniences under which all mankind Is no"
laborinC? Such is the question oelis
asked by certain scientific men the worio
around who arc offering a surcease 10 III
convanicDre TO q calendar-watchinG
world.
These scientists have devised endar
simpler than the present she' or
single month which will hold d 1of
any month and any year from now TO the
end of time So simple is this revised
calendar tina. 1t would soon so imprint
itself on the mind that calendars would
NO longer be necessary. For under 1t
Sunday o. Monday or any other day
would always fall upon certain dates or
the month. This would tbe true to all
months of all years, and as IL as
those few figures had fixed then YES in
the public consciousness the solution OF
tho nuzz,e Of DAYS and dates would be
forever past.
$.
And the scientists of the world are lay
ing their plans toward this accomplish
ment within the coming year III '.ieS
have their way the question Of what day
OF the week the VA Cs@Aeoi "A--
upon will be forever solved. If they have
their way the years that follow 1872 Will
have lost the riddle of inconvenience and
each year will adapt itself to the uses OF
man in the friendly fashion of d well
worn garment.
For a conference is to he called at
Berne. Switzerland. for the purpose OF
considering calendar reform, and the wise
heads Of al nations are to attend and
attempt to settle upon the ideal calendar
THE date and arrangements for this inter-
national conference are yet tentative, but
il is expected that it will take place some
time during the coming simmer.
In advance of this proposed conference
the scientists of the world are. however,
fairly we'll agreed as to the simplest and
most scientific method OF reforming the
measure of the year. Among these men
who are advocates of this most simplihed
system is Prof. w. ]. Spillman OF the
federal Department OF Agriculture. Prof.
Spillman has developed a thumb-nail cal
eildar good for all months and years for
all time. According to this calendar
common years have 364 days, or exactly
fifty-two weeks, while once in five years
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-31

lus. was a religious Zeaiot, and organ
lied the religious system of the ancient
Romans into IA consistent and cohesive
organization. He attempted To improve
this calendar so as to insure that rell-
sious festivals depending on the phases Of
the moon. and concentrating importanC
seasonal events. should always come a.
appropriate seasons Of the year. He
SAN that the Year OF ten months was too
short. but did not know how mu a too
short il was. He first tried To get thc
average length of the year right by in
sorting every other YEAR an extra month
of twenty-five and twenty-three days al
ternately. Later he d scarded this short
month entirely and inserted two whole
months every year. between December
and March. To the first of these he gave
the name Februarius i'm honor OF the god
of publication. The Romans celebrated a
festival in his honor in this month. lho
second month he named Januarius. i'm
honor Of Janus. the god who presided
over the beginning of all things. Several
hundred years later the Roman authori-
ties changed places with these two
have IL.
But the Numan Year was still too
short. BY the time OF julius Caesar the
date of the vernal equinox, when tho sun
crosses. the equator coming north, which
was supposed to occur on the 2lst OF
March. had shifted forward two full
months. Caesar inserted two extra months
i'm the year l6 Be, thus br nging the
equinox back TO the oist OF March, lIe
also instituted the system of leap wears
by providing that all years Invisible by
four should consist of 1856 days instead
of the ordinary 3ss,. He also gave the
months the number of days they now
have His friends changed the name ar
the month QuintilS to Julius in his
honor Augustus Caesar, the successor
of Julius. changed Sextilis to August U.s.
in his own honor. Thus originated the
Julian calendar, which continued unmodi-
fled for more than sixteen centuries. Hut
the Julian year was a little too long. BY
the middle Of the sixteenth century the
Ternal equinox had crept back to March
II. Yet the date of Easter was fixed on
the superstition that the equinox &C
CURED the 21st. Pope Gregory NH
revised the Julian calendar by emitting
ten days in October, in the year 15s2,
and provided for the omission of the eN-'
ira day in February in centennial years
not Invisible by 400. This gave the present
calendar, which is known as the Gre
gorian calendar. The Gregorian calendar
was not adopted by England and her
American colonies until 115o, while Rus
STA and Greece still adhere to the old Ju-
liam calendar Their dates now differ
from ours by twelve days.
Copyright, 1911, by W. \. Du PuyD
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-31

longings to leave him in disgust, you
lie on your sofa and begin placing ten
bricks on your diaphragm, and sing The
object is, of course, to strengthen the
musical dia paragm until you can support
fifty bricks. when your diaphragm is per-
feet She herself claimed to have got
TO thfrty-five bricks, and hoped to get
to fifty before the end of the year.
1t is heartbreaking to hear students of
these takers boast of their advantages
Il have been trained in the sentimental
school," says one. What is voice with
out Sentiment?'
school," said another. Singing against
the bass drum strengthens the voice
What is a voice without Strength
Il have the tenor stoutness. All great
singers are stout. Ny teacher feeds me
up to protect my vocal chords with fat"
1T is the throat that gives the voice"
''As for me. 1 sing with my heart"
mo. 1t is the Diaphragm
mo, 1t is the head
There is no profession in the world
where it is So easy TO fake as in the
voice-training profession. Any argument
will convince a person who has any sort
of voice that she is the coming Patti.
This openneSs OF conviction is character
istic of the artistic temperament, and
makes students of both sexes easy prey.
Like the lady in '-Comus" Miss eleanor
passed untroubled through this route of
false promises and false hopes keeping
her eyes open and giving blind confidence
10 none.
American girl students in Paris make
a mistake in continually changing teach
ers." she says. IF you go from one
teacher to another, you are continually
starting afresh. You get bewildered.
gin all over again-everything that you
have been taught heretofore is all wrong.
The result is one OF two things. If the
pupil has any mentality, she VIII be at a
loss and not know which way to turn.
Or if, as sometimes happens, she has no
mentality, she will each time docilely
follow the newest teacher-and always
be recommending.
She herself strayed from one Paris
teacher to another. without finding any
one who was giving her all she thought
she was entitled to. of course. | got
good from each," she says, but that was
not enough.
In her perplexity she went to Desjar-
dins-Beaumetz-of course, she had the
social influence to reach him. Whom
do you advise she asked, Ito prepare
me for the operate career" The French
minister Of fine arts reflected. and at
last replied that Lucien Fugere of the
Opera Comique would be an ideal
teacher. IL he could be got at. Fugere
has been thirty-seven years at the Opera
Comique. and today still sings the roles
which he sang as a young man. Judge
from this the value OF his method, be-
cause while he has no longer a great
voice, his method makes it a sufficient
voice.
At that moment Fugere was So occupied
in singing at the Opera Comique that he
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-31

Perry, daughter OF Mrs. Emma Kinney
Smith Sawyer, and granddaughter of Per-
~ II. Smith of Chicago, long time presi-
dent Of the Chicago and North Western
railway.
For years the Perry Smith house was a
center of all the social activity of Chi
cago, before the Potter Palmer house
came into existence and E.eSan to rival the
Perry Smith dynasty.
Her fathers father was of the famous
Sawyer family of New Hampshire, found
er of the Sawyer WOODEN mills at
Dover, n. H., and governor of the
state. Mrs. Perry H. Smith and her
daughter Eleanor's grandmother and
mother-now live in Santa Barbara. Cal.
Inasmuch as Eleanor's career in grand
opera would bring her into continual deal
ings with foreigners the name of Sawyer
was deemed TOO difficult to pronounce. and
this is Why she took her grandfather
name of Perry.
The London production in which the I'M
tried American girl will be starring be-
fore these lines can be printed is Il conf
plete innovation of Sir Herbert Beerbohm
Trees London's greatest actor-manager
is cole lessee Of His Najesty's Theater.
He has rsever produced opera. Now. sud-
denly he will astonish London with some
thing that has been much talked of in
artistic circles-st modcrnized version of
Onenbach's "Orphec aux Enters"
Its undermining touches only the llbretto
and da zzling stage effects The music, of
course, remains untouched, fresh. sweet,
undying. There is no need to run down
modern light music, to nraise il, but every
one must recognize more invention, fancy
and charm in one scene of "Orphee" than
in three acts of any modern Opcretta
which Sir Herbert could discover. II
would seem that melodic verVe has dried
up. Consider q musical phrase of offen-
bach; even the most popular and oft-re-
peated continues to have something dis
tnguished about il, lifts Itself up by Its
innate gracetuiness. As to the Orphee,
il is work OF transition between the
Vie Parisienne' and that adoI able
''Chanson de Fortuno' whose Iiace Is
marked i'll the repertoire of the Opera
COmique. 1t foretells the Comics d Hon.
mann without forgetting the we've enda-
blee of La Grantie Du hesse."
Being d new departure for Sir Herbert.
ne proposes to make 1t the greatest pro-
duction OF its kind ever witnessed III Lon
doii. lie ent4r. Cast nas ue,n .aadt up
and they could not find Eurydicc. They
were in exactly the situation of Gounod
when Miss Emma Games was discovered.
Gounod met certain Partisan on the
boulevard Malesherbes.
10 GU hn.W II Juliette?" asked the
composer. Il am looking for a Juliette
IF / were a musical composer l know
of a youns woman / would star III osefa
and make triumph out of her" said the
Partisan That was all. Miss Eames
went to- Gounod, as Miss Perry went To
Sir Herbert. These are opportunities
which come. Happy is the girl who IS
prepared for them.
Il :;
Miss Eleanor Perry, being girl oi force
and character. gained many convictions
during her last tive years of preparation.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-31

p RO NJ / n T. n L
American of Paris
was at the Savage
Club in London.
Seated at a table
with theatrical and
newspaper m e n,
they talked OF the
stage.
IF l We're a man.
ager,'' said the
American OF Paris,
II know Of one
in opera and make
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-31
WHERE THE GoNTERENcE ON CALENDAR REfoRh
Will MEET IN swift ZERLAND. S--

possible. secure the adoption of the i'm
proved calendar. If the plan should he
adopted We should then have Il Very sim
pie calendar. for the Years would all he
lust alike except that leap years would
have an extra non-week day. In fact, Il
calendar for any quarter year would
serve for all time, as the following table
shows:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-31

: this TO be the last
OF the New Years
that are scheduled
by the old hap
hazard calendar
making that has
come down to
modcrns from tho
dark ages? Or arc
the men OF fore
sight and under
standing to DO al
lowed to devise q
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-31

was refusing all pupils. IL required tho
personal intervention of Desjardins-
Beaumetz 10 persuade him TO accept Miss
Perry. She was with him two wears
Then Fugere said to her: II will tell
you secret You are now ready to
work 10y yoursclf-and find yourself"
Again the parable of the wise and fool
ish virgins Things come 10 the girl who
keeps her lamp trimmed.
while the student must have common
sense to hunt her teachers. let her waste
no time intriguing for an opening before
she has finished with her studies. 1t is
a common error" said the American,
whose chance word procured Miss
Eleanor her opportunity. Let the girl
first prepare herself, let her get ripe; aud
when she is fully prepared, the oppor-
tunIty will come. If she tries TO force
things. no good Will come of it. Tho
young singer should devote herself to get
ting ready. When she has the goods,
there vii be plenty to appreciate them"
Today without ever hay.ng appeared in
public, before II - known what kind OF
success she Will mahe, AL.sS Ferry rs be-
lnsS asked for options ner tuturc by
foremost managers. In her stage training
for EurydIce, she mas the luck To bo
coached ny jacques Conf. art4s,.c direc-
tor or HamnerSIen IN nIS Lonoon opera
house-pef maps the most clever proaucer
in has Lie on the London Stage TO-DAY.
ia selecting EUryd4ce IL was, oI C0urSe.
necessary 10 ina not only "a great voice,
nut the girl must De pretty, sprigntIy aud
understanding, SO that she couid appre-
clate and LOOK the part, and act il with
TnesSe.
ms is not the kind of engagement Miss
Perry had set her heart on. Grand opera
was to be her career, and viii ne bun the
an Al Y of IlpO NM
such a desirable management as that of
S-r Herbert, and at such a theater as
his MaJestys, could not be refused.
Rather SPECIALIZED IN French repertoire.
she Is, above all, for the bel canto.
The old traditions are being put into
the background. The ''bel canto" scarce
ly exists. IL no wonder that there is a
des nth of great voices. The Italian bel
carto was the real art OF singing. It has
been lost, and the art Of impart ng It 10
naturally lost with 1t. Modern music
killed the bel canto. and the ideas OF
many vocal professors have equally sui.
fered
When she looks back on the dangers
she has passed, Mss Eleanor shudders.
What last word shall she give to aspire
ing SISTERS?
They might try Italy,
Though most all of US must finally paes
through Paris" she says, ''the person
seeking musical career might do well
to go to Italy, where the old traditions
still exist in families that have taurlx
the bel canto from generation to genera,
ton. son succeeding to father These
families have continued the old traditions
OF voice producing. They do not teank
tho brick method"
STERLING ITElLNa.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-31

weeks make 4 month and thirteen months
a year.
The present agitation for changing the
calendar has nothing to do with the dates
of religious festivals, the actuating mo-
tive i'll all previous changes. but is d part
of the general movement for the Simplifi-
cation of the many relics Of medieval and
earlier times which still cumber modern
civilization. 1t is placed in the same cate
cory with the cOnglomeration of weights
and measures which still handicap Great
Britain and the United States, but which
have been obViated by many other sup
posedly less progressive nations in their
adoption of the metric system.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-31

advantage of all, a series OF equal months
each an exact number of weeks i'm length.
::
It is generally supposed that the pres
ent system of reckoning time was de-
vised by the Christians soon after the
beginning of what is called the Chris
tian era. But these men who would
revise the calendar state that this is
not even number the years from the
birth of Christ. This practice was first
suggested ny a Roman abbot named
Dionysius the Lean. in the year .::i
AID. II was not adopted in France and
England until more than 200 years
later. Before this plan was adopted
each nation had a method of its own
for numbering the years. The most
general plan was to treat the reign of
each king separate period and to
fix a date by saying that 1T was the
fifth year of Henry VIII, the fifteenth
year of King John. etc. Even after the
Christian era was adopted the old
method was adhered to in state papers.
Thus in our own country important
state documents are dated lin the year
of our Lord 1911. and of the independ-
ence of the United States 133.
The system of months We now use is
much older than the Christian era. 1t
was used in Rome long before the be-
ginning of written history. Legend tells
us that ROmulus, who is supposed to have
founded the city of Rome about the yea
49,, BE, established u calendar year OF
ten months, follows:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-31
Rise

EXTRAORDINARY Rise
II OF Eleanor Perry-Beer-
bohm Trees New Prima
Donna on the Personal
Eouation-Pitfalls of Paris
Vocal Manipulating Bad
Voices Pay for the Good
The Brick Method.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-31

another week is added to the month of
December. These heightened years are
called long years. An additional month
is slipped in, but each month has exactly
four weeks or twenty-eight days. The
entire system, which would be accurate
for 100000 years, might be expressed as
follows:
1. Common years consist of fifty-two
weeks, or :;64 days.
=. Long years consist of fifty-thrce
3. Long years are those divisible by
five, except
(a) Years divisiole by fifty.
OBJ The year % following centen-
NAL years Invisible by 4UO, as 202J.
22425, etc:
(c) The year 10 following centen-
NAL years Invisible by 2oo0o, as
c:,.O15, 5O.O75. etc.
So would the calendar be finally cor
rected. So would the necessity for cal
endars on all the walls of all the people
be done away with. For it would become
known. for. instance that Thursday was
always the fifth the twelfth, the nine
teenth and the twenty-SiXth of the month.
So would each day occur four times a
month on the same dates. SO would
Christmas always be on the same day of
the week. So would all months be the
same length and have four equal divi-
sionS. So would the convenience of reck
oning dates be So increased that all hui
nlanity would be forever benefited.
Prof. Glosclaude of Switzerland has re-
Gently created a great deal of interest i'll
scientific circles by the renewal of NJ.
Armelin's proposal, first made in 1857, to
make the last day of the year a nom
week day, thus causing the year always
to begin ON the same day of the week.
His plan also contemplates changing the
lengths Of some of the months. He would
divide the year into quarters, each con-
sisting of one thirty-one-day month and
two thirty-day months. In leap years the
extra day would be added to the month
of June. IT would also be nOn-Weel<
day. II this. change should be adopted
January /. 1922, or January 1. 1928. both
of which years begin Sunday, then every
year and every quarter year thereafter
would begin Sunday. Not only that, but
any particular day of the year would al
ways come on the same day of the week.
For instance, the Fourth of July would
always come Wednesday. Christmas day
Monday and SO on. 1t is reported that
the authorities of the Roman Catholic
Church have expressed approval of this
plan, and Switzerland, supported by HOl-
land, has decided to call an international
conference to discuss the matter, and, ii
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-31

Special Correspondence of The Star.
PARIS. December 81