The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-09-05

That's a good beginning tell me some more" I begged
 My two grandfathers were English, and my grandmothers were American one being from Kentucky, but l really | have spent most of my life in London. I was in Vaudeville there. and when came back to America a few years ago, with my decidedly English accent, very | few people thought had any American affiliations whatever"
 Hasn't the speaking voice as much to do with success in light opera ais a sing | ing voice?" I asked, greatly impressed with that passing sweet enchantment l that the young Prima Donna possessed-a l lovely voice
 Ut has undoubtedly" said Miss Gif- ford, "and do you know I think one of the greatest mistakes that we make in | this country is not paying enough atten- | tion to the speaking voice. Why the av- craze American voice is so harsh and
 grating that it gets on one's nerves. In London when one passes a group of Amer jeans they can be easily detected on ac- count of their voices. They are not rasp- ing I wouldn't say that, but they haven't that beautiful bell like quality that you
 hear in the foreigners voice.
 How did you get your first hearing
 on the stage2" I inquired. Tt was largely a matter of luck" said
 
 out in Minneapolis and the manager of a
 large opera company heard me and asked
 to meet me, and have me sing for him. did so and he made me an offer which I promptly accepted much to the dis guest of my family, who are very old fashioned in their ideas about girls go- ing on the stage. But in spite of that went. I guess I was like the little Dutch girl in the book who had meen housed in a Convent for a long time, with 20 other girls, and never in all her life had got even so much as a glimpse of the world. One day handsome young fel- low scaled the Convent wall and all the little girls at play became very friend ly with him, Pretty soon he began to kiss them. The teacher, a stern, precise old
 maid, appeared upon the scene in vicious tone of voice, began to reprove the girls.
 She asked each of them WHY they had
 acted so badly and kissed tho young
 man, when shed always taught them that
 such a thing> was sinful. Each gave an excuse; finally the little Dutch girl was
 asked why she had kissed him, and in the
 cutest way imaginable. she replied: "I done it, By Golly, because l liked it.
 .so that is why went on the stage because I liked it."
 Your first role?" I inquired. Was In the Pirates of Penzance,' was the reply, ana | nave udu dllfdCtlNe parts to sing-but then the soprano is
 lucky in that way. It's the poor contralto who is always a witch or devil, and
 never has any nice man to like her or
 make love to her"
 'Yes, the sopranos always get the tenors on the string early in the game while the poor eontralto can never hold man ! more than five minutes laughed, fol- lowing up her suggestion. 
 And what do you like to do best when you are not singing?' l asked pres ently.
 "Best-let me see," unused the pretty Prima Donna. "I guess like spending my
 money, and, oh! dear, it's awfuly fem
 mine, but I may as well confess it-I just adore pretty clothes. But don't you think | every woman does?"
 l It was an attractive touch to Miss Gif- ford's very interesting personality, and I promptly admitted that pretty frocks appealed to nearly every woman l had ever met, and Miss Clifford smiled. ''Of course they do,'' she said, and l l love flowers, too, only I don't like to | wear them. I don't like to see them wither and fade. It's like hearing the last notes of the opera one is singing in-- there's something sad and very appeal l Ing about itl''