The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1913-09-03
a SECOND CARUSO
Luigi the brick hersldd second Caruso his
sorry. She fears those fine ladies"
BY MARY BOYLE o'RErLLY

Italian brick cleaner, II believed
to be m. embryo CArus0. Speak
ing English with dRiculty, ignor-
ant Of the art of music, his im-
promptu rendering Of III Trova-
tore caused Oscar Hammerstein
to summon the unconscious tenor
from his brick pile.
Report to my chorusmaster,"
commanded the fIApresario, ssHe
will fix you all right
s'Si-si, signOr, but what about
my twenty cents an hour for
cleana da bricks?" demanded the
thrifty singer.
Those too quick changes. they
are not good, no." explained
Signora Louisa Gasparini as one
who looks into the face Of fear.
Anxiety and the pallor of a
home-bound woman had refined
her intelligent face. The crowd
ed room in which we sat was
scrupulously clean. A basket of
homemade cake and a straw
| covered flask of chianti on the
table proved the home mothers
spirit of hospitality.
"Signorina, those too quick
changes. they are dangerous. yes.
Me, / feel there One work
worn hand clenched against her
breast. I'VE are not SO poor as
some. We have our health, our
four children, our home and--and
II fear. Why? All, IL is hard to
say. With woman to feel Is to
know. My husband and me, we
are of Parma--in Italia. YOU
know that Parma. perhaps? Al
ways from boy my husband sing
sing 'Rusticana,' IL Trova-
tore,' Lucia Everybody know it
Is his Joy to sing on the piazza
in the cantina-at the wedding.
When he was but a young man,
justa himself, alone, It ID not so
bad, no. But after he is married,
ali, then it is different. To sing
is to waste ones time--to loose
mooch money. l beg, but IL is no
good. Always Luigi goes when
they ask him and-after q little
he sing-he sing--but he no
work. Fsssgas.
"Then I think. cPatienxa, ! what
must ! do to have my husband?'
But hold my peace. Pretty soon
his voice is not SO good. So /
tell him, quiet and kind, Luigi,
1t Is too mooch vino maka that
roughness. So he knows ] say
truth and he goes no more by the
cantina, but comes home --home
| to-. me an our yer, ssmaH bam-
bino. When that little one begin
to walk and be saucy how his
father loves him. Men are like
that. Never do they play with
the littlest baby until 1t can no
tice. Then comes more bambino.
After a time see how Luigi for
got himself for those. small ones,
working SO hard, saving money
thinking out for tomorrow.
Then we come hereto New
York-looking for riches. Luigi
has put In the banka one thous-
and lire $4,000. We two, we
talk together how that is YER
mooch money. Pretty soon our
children can have everything,
EVERYTHING.
$50 / open a store. You see it.
Not YER big. no. just macaroni,
cakes, oil an like that-cheap, all
for cash. The neighbors say
always / have one YER good store.
laugh. but 1t pays the rent. SO
the children they go to school.
every one, all four. Never will
they talk dago. They are Ameri-
cans. And Luigi, he have steady
work cleaning the bricks, All
day he can sit down In the sun
and the pay is one lire the hour
how you say zoe. When 1t is
night he come home, wash up,
eat his supper. Me, / tell him
about that YER small store. Some
times he sing to me. Then we
talk-talk OF the children. All,
Signorina, but we are happy
more happy even than in Italia.
Sometimes my heart tell me 1t
cannot last. Women are like that,
"Then--then my Luigi goes to
work by the new opera house.
From the first he is different
restless. The theater makes him
remember how he wanted to be a
singer. So he is sorry that he
work for us all the years. See,
my life, It is wasted he tell me
Just like that. 1t Is the next
day that Impresario heard Luigi
singing. sGasparini,' the signor
say, stop work. Think for your
self. Be . artist. Pretty soon
you will be rich---famous-your
life will be worth livingall the
world Will know Luigi Gasparini
lie belle dome the fine ladies',
will call Bravissimo' when you
sing
And Luigif
"Ah, Signorina, IN . day he
forgot all those happy years. Me,
the children, he NO think for us
| the same as before. It IL himself
alone that counts. He no uanta
work, he no care for that little
ship. My heart tells me how,
pretty soon, he no rememberuour
| home at all. What good for Imigi
| to sing in that new opera house
| II he Is willing to leave meland
| the children--ff he forRetB fotlove