New-York tribune., 1911-02-05

hemia. too. has a fine literature, and am
spending a great deal of my time trans
latinC Bohemian books into German.
81 love your own Poe for he is one OF
the greatest of the fantastic writer's, and
! am very fond of and have read practi-
caly everything ! could ind IN fantastic
literature. But ! myself am a realist You
know | have written several plays that
have been acted in Bohemia. They are all
of the realistic school. | have also pub
lished a volume of poetry in German. as
write Bohemian and German equally
easily"
The visitor had heard of q story that
Miss Dostnn had written, of which the
English translation would be Forgotten
Eyes He had also heard It was exceed
ingly interesting. But the singer threw
up her hands in horror.
"Oh, the sirs OF our youth; how they
come back 10 plague US" she cried THAT
story | am heartily ashamed Of. Years
ago. before / was well known as a singer,
MaXmilian Harden, the editor OF 'Zu-
kunst,' asked me for something. and !
sent him that very immature story. It
Was not published. Three years later when
was on my vacation. l picked up the
magazine and 20 my horror saw my story
announced for publication. I had entirely
forgotten it and would not have had ii
published for the world. And yet it is
by this story that you have heard Of my
literary efforts, Let us talk about some
thing else"
Then the Girl" said her interviewer.
"Ycu found her easy or hard to visualize?'
Hard. hard beyond words. She was so
entirely. 50 unuttcrab.y American. Wen
! arrived in America ! lad not even seen
the opera When / read it threw up my
hands in despair. Such a character simply
did not exist in Europe. What should
DO? Tier Mir. Be!asco came along. lie is
wonderful man. great srtist. / studied
night and day. In my dreams the Girl
haunted ne. / couldn't get away from
her yet | couldn't get to her. But Mr..
Belaeco helped me. ana gradually ] began
10 sec and to feel her. Then ] grew 10
love her. But | can tel you il was work.
harder work than l had ever lofore eX-
per, need.
''porhars / was helped TO it ny a certain
similarity that at bottom exists Detwcen
the American and the Slav. You know
the Slavic women are straightforward, self
reliant. It is 10 disgrace for us TO be
doctors or lawyers And it Is the same
with YOU Americans Minnie had a simple
soul ard 30 have the Slays. so il was per-
hans easicr for me TO understand her than
II would have been for a Frenchwoman or
ar Italian
"YCu speak as If you might De a sdf-
..agottc." hazardcd the caller.
no. indeed" replied Miss Dcstinn 81
am perfectly willing to forego the ballot
don't see why ! should bother my head
about it: certainly not In the way some OF
my sex have been doing recently. In Bo-
hemia the women. if sclf-reiant are also
feminine A woman should always be fem
mine"
Feminine" Miss Destinn Is surely that.
When at the Gilbert benefit concert she
suddenly discoyerei that she and Mrs.
Hone were dressed exactly alike she did
not pose as being above all feminine feel
ings, and break that most sacred OF wom-
AMY traditions-that 10 two women must
appear at the same gathering dressed in
duplicate cowns-but she proudly pro-
claimed her glory in her sex by promptly
telephoning for another dress Miss Des-
tlnn's femininty is beyond dispute.
Il do hope The Girl OF the Golden West
will he success in Europe" continued the
singer 1T is different from Puccinfs other
operas because the subject Is different. /
am especially anxious To have ii succeed IN