The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-14
NEWS OF THE DAY
SOCIETY WORLD
Story of Idol of American
People
ITEMS OF INTEREST
Personal Mention of Birmingham
Folk-Mrs. Bush and Miss Will
liams Return From Europe.
Other Notes

It has been said that America is an idol
%orshiping nation This must be true. Do
we not reverence the memory of Wash
ington and Lee. Do we not recall that the
hero of the Merrimac was kissed from
Maine to Mexico. Do we not go in thou
sands whenever a great statesman lee
turer, world renowned philanthropist or
victim of great sacrifice comes within dis
tance. Do we not so by hundreds TO At
lanta every year to see and hear some
great celebrity sing, not always 10 hear,
but perhaps more often to see. we want
to see them because the world has said
they are great in some way. One of the
most beloved and reverenced women in
American today is that matchless song
bird and irresistible personality, Schu-
man-Heink. We love to hear her sing
truly, but as much as this do We love 70
see the woman whom all the world de-
lights to honor. There is scarcely an issue
of a musical magazine put contains some
reference to her. and the stories of her
home life, her children, her personality,
are always read with the same degree of
interest as the criticisms of her music,
for she has become an idol of the Ameri-
can nation. We have learned to regard
her as our very own and to worship her
Although foreign by birth, she is SO in
tenseiy American that her name is
household word all over the land.
During this summer she has done chau-
tauqua work throughout the east. She has
sung at camp meetings and Bible chau-
tauquas/and in every case she he's been
the idol of her audiences. A story is told
in one of the current magazines of how
she responded again and again to calls
and then was forced to make a speech.
The journals are literally alive with pic
lures of her from the concert hall to the
wash tub, the kitchen sink and the rock
ing of her grand baby. This sort of ador-
alton is not always as sweetly and grace
fully reciprocated as is the case with this
splendid woman and as is shown in
little story about her with illustrated pho
tographs in magazine exchange of the
month. 1t reads:
Americans who observe a particular
ebullency of spirits in Mime. Schumann-
Heink during her concert appearances of
mid summer may account for this joyous
ness by assuming that it is reflection
of her first visit to her new California
home which occupied her early summer
'Grosmutter' Schumann-Heink had four
chidren-Hans, Ferdinand, Maria and
George Westinghouse daughter-in-law,
Mrs. Hans Heink, and tiny granddaugh-
ter and namesake Ernestine Schumann-
Ieink, united in a glorious reunion at this
new home, 16 miles from San Diego, On
rocky pinnacle overlooking the beautiful
FL Cajon valley.
Speaking of the union, Nine Schumann-
Hein< said: "Oh, we had such a wonder-
full moving-in, such a lovely time of it we
had 1t was the first time in my life that
my children did everything for me. No
servants, nothing, and they did the co,S-
ing and the waiting and set the table and
washed the dishes, and oh, ii was so good!
And just sat and looked and looked and
I could do nothing. They would not let
me. The love l bear my children has
made me what | am" continued the con-
tralto. "And love America, love Amer
icans. I cannot tell you how much love
them, the great-hearted people. and want
my children to be Americans, to marry
Americans and to live in America Amer
lea has been so good to me-"
"This is my flag" she said gently
touching the American flag; 'and when
my f1agpole comes it goes over the house."
And then laughing But why shouldn't
be crazy about something? Other artists
are crazy, some about such foolish things
as diamonds. I am crazy about the Amer
ican flag"