Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-09-06
"La Donna e Mobile"

ia Donna Mobile"
"A story to warm the heart and
cheer the soul"
This quotation is taken from the il
Illuminated cover of 1.-THE Book of Eve
lyn," a novel by Geraldine Bonner.
1t is the conclusion of the customary
eulogy of the publisher. In this case
the eulogy is deserved. 1t might have
been expressed in still more enthus-
iastic terms. The story has an in
terest of diversified kind: that a
woman should have written it is an
other proof of the bright genius of
women which conceives and executes
pictures Of human life true in their
lineaments and pleasant to contem-
plate.
No man could have painted the
character of Lizzie Harris, the girl
determined to be a prima donna, but
who had to go through the scathing
fires of existence to obtain TEN
permanent"
Like so many girls born with vocal
power more or less excellent, her am
bition had been fired by success in a
choir in small town on the Pacific
Coast. Here there appeared an
obscure opera troupe travelling under
the direction of one Masters, a born
artist, but of uninviting exterior. He
hears Lizzie, sees that with her COM
manding beauty and not inferior voice
she is good speculation, at least.
She is only too ready to go with Mas
tiers and his influence becomes so
hypnotic, as it were, that she falls in
love with him and becomes his
mistress. But this is the very cir
cumstance that foils her ambition and
ruins Masterss chance of making her
a great diva, thereby filling his own
pockets.
There is commonly received idea
that the great singers of the world
before they arrive at the zenith of
their powers must be under the sway
of a great passion, must feel the
power OF love in its most overwhelm-
ing strength.
Nothing can be further from the
truth as'any maestro or vocal teach
er will testify. The woman who thinks
only of love, whose heart yearns only
for male companioDship is utterly I'M
fitted to achieve the supreme tri-
umphs of the artist. In fact, the pas
sions of the singer incline rather to
the trend of those that are unnatural
and abnormal
Therefore, while Lizzie Harris gives
way to her love for Masters, she
can accomplish nothing. Her inter-
ested lover had taught her all that
his own art could give her, she had
become a fine actress, she could sing
as she had been taught by a re-
nowned teacher under whose tuition
Masters had placed her, but, as both
the impresario and the teacher de-
clared, in despair, "a fine voice, but
the SOUL the thing that sees and feels
absent, MIL
At this time the singer and her
protector lived in a New York apart
ment in the neighborhood of Ora
mercy Park and 1t is here that Lizzie
Harris meets Evelyn Drake, who tells
the story in the first person. Here
Lizzie Harris has her first test in q
concert in Brooklyn and she utterly
fails. The audience passes her by for
artists her interiors in every way ex-
cept in the highest attribute of an
Northumberland Masters absn-
dons her.
Broken and desperately Ill, she con-
fesses all to Evelyn. This woman Il
me of those destined to be the friend
and sustainer of all those with whom
they come in contact. She. with d
wealthy friend, forms plan to make
Lizzie music teacher of rich pupils
when she RECEIVERS. This proves &c
be the very spur that Lizzie needed.
She rebels and, bearing out the truth
of the phrase La donna Mobile. =
she seizes upon an offer that Eve
lyn's friend had first made and which
had been ungraciously rejected, that
she should 80 to Europe and there