davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1916-07-02
Boito's "Nero" an Opera
Fit for a New York
Premiere

is in fact Astoria, who responds "a
his prayer that she descend from her
pedestal and kiss him. He detects
the fraud and condemns the woman
to be flung into a pit Of serpents and
Magus to make good in the circus his
boast that he can fy. In despair
Msgu, appeals TO the Christian lead
er Fanuel to perform miracle and
enable him to Az before the emperor.
He is repulsed, and Magus denouncss
him and causes his arrest
Act " is divided into two parts.
The first scene represents the i'm
mense circus, crowded with thousands
Of spectators. The chariot races are
run, and the gladiators enter the
arena. Simon Magus is present, At
the Empercr's command, for the pur-
pose Of proving MS powers Of dying.
To him comes his companion Gcbriss,
who tells him In a whisper chat all
is ready for a great fire. the confu-
sion following which will afford him
his one chance Of escape. Nero ar"
rives, and the crowds, tired of the
gadiators, clamor for the psntomime
of the Dirci. in which Christians are
bound nude on backs OF bulls and are
followed around the circus by grey
hounds and archers a. tremendous
speed. The martyrs. headed by Fam
uel, are brought into the arena with
their hands bound. At this moment
a Vestal Virgin appears on the steps,
extending her arm toward the
Christians. A. this marvel, perfecs
silence reigns for an ms ant; then
a great cry goes up, Let them be
spared Simon Magus. however. tears
of her veil. "Rubria," eXclsirs Fam
uel, as he recognizes her, willis
Magus shouts, "She is a Christian
and she is Immediately dragged 20
join the martyrs in the arena. Turn
ing 70 Simon, Nero demands: "Doss
thou not fy according 70 my COM
mands7" In vain the impostor tries
to slink away, he finds himself SUI
rounded by soldiers, who gradually
press him up to the highest pinnacle
OF the huge circus, and they then
force him 60 take his fatal leap into
space. Meanwhile, the fire has begun,
and the immense circus is flling rap.
idly with the smoke.
In Act V the scene changes - the
Spolsrium, the subterranean cavern
where the dead and dying martyrs,
with whom Is Rubris. are lying. As
terra and Fanuel, whom fate has
spared for the time, descend the
steps calling her name and searching
for her among the bodies. They find
her just in time for her 70 breathe
her last in the arms OF him whom
she loves, while vision appears be-
fore her eyes Of a peaceful lake far
from the turmoil of the world. in
the presence Of the Son Of God.
New-York tribune., 1916-07-02

ody closely resembling that which
came TO me from Pomfret, Conn, Is
quoted from THE Crimson Rambler Of
December, 1918, as coming from Ton
kows, Okla. The author of the article
entitled Ballads Surviving i'm th,
United States, C. Alphonso Smith. also
prints two stanzas Of "a rather dome.
ticated version" from the East Side.
New York, which is peculiar in putting
the murder upon a brother:
Where have you been all day. Henry, ny .ou
Where have you been all day. my loving one
Down AT my Srandms's. down at my grand.
mas,
Make my bed I've pain in my head.
And want to he down and die
What did you leave TO your brother. Henri.
my SON.
What did you leave % your brother, NJ
loving one
rope TO hang him. rope % hang him.
Make my bed I've pain In my bead.
And | want 70 lie down and die
New-York tribune., 1916-07-02

when did gossip first begin TO busy
itself with Boito's Nero? II must
have been all Of fifteen years ago.
Writing for Volume | Of Groves
Dictionary Of Music and Musicians"
which appeared in 1904, Signor Mszzu-
cato, who ought to be a repository Of
as many Of the composers secrets as
anybody, and who speaks Of "Nerone"
as his mognum opus, remarked that
il had then for long time been 80
far advanced that. II the author
chose, il might be got ready for per-
formance IN few weeks s-"but there
are excellent reasons for not giving
the finishing touches 10 it, which
Signor Mazzucato thought might
easily be guessed, but which never
theless have remained a mystery ever
since. Now comes a writer in The
Musical Times" of London who pro-
fesses to know that the opera is fn-
ished and a grea' deal Of it orches-
trated. "Yet in the present situation
no one can prophesy when it will be
produced" He also says that the work
i. so tremendously long that its per-
formance would consume nearly six
hours, wherefore Signor Boito has
courageously sacrificed the whole Of
the sixth (snd LAST act.
The opera-lovers Of New York ought
to be interested in "Nerone," and II
there is any influence sufficiently
potent to persuade Boito TO give IL TO
the public the directors OF the Met
ropoitsn Opera Company ought 70
authorize signor Gatti TO apply II. II
would make a prem,ere that would
dwarf all Of those which New York
has seen. Signor Mszzucato quotes
Sgnor Cossa, who wrote a 'Nerone"
that made him famous, as saying OF
Boito's lbretto: There are concep-
tions worthy Of Shakespeare himself;
my 'Nerone' compared 70 his is mere
child's play"
The writer in the English musical
journal outlines the story Of the
opera, but at such length that IL can
not be reproduced here. This much
may be told, however: Nero, who
has committed most Of the crimes
which made him infamous, is with
Simon Msgus. who is performing rites
to appease the spirit of murdered
Agrippina in a tomb on the Applar
Way. Shortly figures appear-As
terra, who loves the tyrant, and
Rubra, the Vestal Virgin who ra'
lured By him TO break her vows and
who has sought consolation In thu
new religion. A brilliant picture o.
/ the life Of Rome comes with day
break when Nero is carried back t
Rome. In the second act the empe
ror is seen worshipping at the insti
cation Of Simon Magus before th'
supposed statue OF goddess, which
New-York tribune., 1916-07-02
POIsONINGS IN HIS
TORY.

Attempts have been made by schol-
ars TO connect the incident OF the poi
soning with historical record in an
effort 10 account for the origin Of the
ballad. The Oldest Italian folksong
known 10 collectors is that called
Donna Lombarda, also contributed by
me to Mr.. Marcos book. Done literally
into English, this ballad runs as fol-
lows:
o. love me. love me. Donna Lombards.
Love me. love me.
How shall ! be your love7
Married am l.
Your husband. Donna Lombarda,
O. make him 10 die
Bow shall kill him?
o. make him 70 die
will show you how;
IN the garden behind your house
There crawls a snake
Crush III. snakes head In . mortar,
Crush it. crush 1t.
Pour Il then In your husbands wine
When h. comes home at night and Is sthirst
O. give me wine. Donna Lombards.
am athirst
What hav. you done Donna Lonbsrds7
Tn. wine is turbid.
The seawind rolled it yestereve,
The seawind.
Drink 10 me. Donna Lonba'da.
Drink 70 me.
Why should ! drink
am not athirst.
BY the point of my dagger
You shall drink to me
A, the first drop which she tszttd
Donna Lonbsrds lost color
A, tho second drop which she tasted
Donna Lonbsrda sent for the confessor
A, the third drop which she tasted
Donna Lombarda sent TO the grave
digger.
4 close parallel to this story is found
in the French ballad "L'Enfant Ber-
ceau parle pour denoncer un. Crime
To the woods let us 60 charming Brunette
To the woods.
We Will End the green serpent.
We will kill 1t;
In pint Of red wine
We will put il.
When your husband returns from the chase
Great thirst will he have.
Draw some wine charming Brunette
Draw some wine.
By my faith. Peter my love.
some has been drawn.
The child that had never spoken before
Now spoke we'll
Do not drink It father.
II YOU do you will die
Drink u thou. charming Brunette.
Drink Il thou
Oh. by my faith. Peter my love.
am not athirst.
She had barely drunk half glass.
She fell down
She had barely drunk full glass.
She died.
, Oh. curst be the son Of prince.
The son Of king
He made me take a drink
And die ] must
The incident OF the babes warning
is 10 be found also in some Italian
versions Nigra saw an historical basis
for Donna Lombards" in a story told
by Gregory Of Tours (died A. D. $3.50
New-York tribune., 1916-07-02

The incident OF the babes warning
is 10 be found also in some Italian
versions Nigra saw an historical basis
for Donna Lombards" in a story told
By Gregory Of Tours (died A. D. 595).
New-York tribune., 1916-07-02

Dobbs Ferry, \. Y, received this varl-
ant Of the final stanza;
Oh. how will ye lie,
Lord Ronald. my son,
Oh. how will ye lie.
My sweet. loving one,
A stone at my head
And a stone at my feet,
Oh. then | will lie
And take sweet sleep.
obviously the product Of continuator
who. like the Massachusetts, poetastef'
felt the need of a dehnitive close to the
ooem. In Chicago, in 1897, Mrs. Clifford
Williams recalled a part Of one stanza'
learned from virginian grandmother
in which the hero's name was "Gira'-
din"-unique contribution TO the liter
arv history Of the ballad, but TOO slight
and vague to be Of value.
"Ny bonnie wee croodle an 200
.sre N me from a gracious listener
after lecture in Princeton. Its EARL
est printed prototype is that given IN
Child's collection from Motherwells Ms.
The "bonnie. wee croodlin dow" has
here been at his stepmother's, where ne
ate "a wee. wee fshie" which the gran
dam. had gat "in a dub before the
door" What did ye with the wee hshio
boiled II in a wee pannie; what gied ye
N. banes O. the fshie till? Gied them
All So0oie
o. where is the little wee dogge.
Ny bonnie wee eroodn dow
O. where Is the little wee doggie'
My bonnie wee croodlin dow
II shot out its ct and died.
And sac msun | do, too.
o. make my bed. NANNY, now now
O. make my bed. NANNY. now.
There are other versions quoted ny
Child. but the feature Of the last VIII
is absent from them. number o.
American variants Of Lord Randall
were printed in the Journal of the
American Folklore Society for Octo-
ber-December. 1908, and in "The Musi-
cal Quarterly" for January, 1915, mel
New-York tribune., 1916-07-02

None Of the versions o. the LORD
Randall ballad printed by Child can be
traced back more than g century before
1872. when he made his first printing.
IN. earliest versions published were
reprints from Johnson's Museum
communicated by Burns only two
sanzss and SCOTS "Minstrelsy.' The
Italian analogue, however, has well
authenticated literary history Of nearly
thee hundred years A broadside was
rrinted in Verona in 1929, which was
discovered by Wolf, a German inves-
,.rs,or. It's text consisted Of a sort OF
-hyned catalogue Of songs sung by
minstrel named Camille and known as
ID. blind little white Florentine
Camille. oetto il Bianchino cieco hor-
,n,ino). The sheet, fancy, was some
thing Ike the broadsides Of Tony Pas
,or's ,ongs which used 70 ornament the
railing around the statue Of Ben
Franklin IN Printing House Square
rh,, .,us - Nev York and began
work On the sta4 Of The Tribune, more
than .bi,,v.sve years ago. The ballad
vas not set forth in full on the sheet,
hu, va, 5s,.,ibsd and its opening lines
,r,,,s ..,.. o,-o, e;c,or have told
v,, e. - aros .ba, nv voice is
ver,. 7 ,,;l end with the tale of a
'ov,, b..-s,e5 br HE sweetheart. Oh.
hor bs,v4;f,l ;s 4b;s sonq when sung
bv,.to-,,,
Oov snda'tu ler'era'
FEliuol. mio rieeo. savio Fenul
Dow sndasei ierseraT'
49,. l.. a1., -, .o...reye
-. -. ~
10 .nes were d su'''''e'r Wv
.. '' oO'1a' q" ''a.'a.' '''''' va
..tns'' ""'"' '" ''Y'' nc
''''au i'o'" 'Ne ''"e'"e wi
" G. LOreho' ''"'e '"','' "o" 80
~. 80 '0p'es nave Oe'' .ou"u
,'"s no'@@' D pu'''S'''O ~" ,
,... ''0uy o. WHY" 'S ~ -
..r. VI, 'i'' page '' " '''V W
~. =, N'0'.sS 49,
49, a. 'O '0i - ~"
w.. 80 sO'.e ''" OF nue." .',. 'a,' az, -
New-York tribune., 1916-07-02

ures again-he has killed his roam
steed. But the steed was old and there
are others in the stable. Now the son
confesses the truth he has killed he
father or brother. What penance
will he perform? He will fare over the
sea AT this point in the Scandl-
navian versions the ancient Teutonic
device Of riddles is introduced. When
will he return? When crows are white.
And when will that be? When swans
are black, when rocks float, when
feathers sink, etc. What will he do
with his towers and halls? Let them
stand till they fall down. What will he
leave to his BARNS and wife? The
room of the world to beg in, for them
he never more will see.
And what weel y. leivs to your ain mther
DER.
Edward. Edward
And what weel ye leive IN your ain mther
der
My DER son. now tell me. o.
The curse Of hell frse me sail ye beir
Sic counseils ye gave TO me. o.
Widely disseminated is another form
Of the ballad in which the poisoner is
stepmother or grandmother, and of this
form Of the story versions have also
been recovered in the United States.
SOME AMERICAN VERSIONS.
In my notebooks find a considerable
number OF variant versions, frequently
mere fragments, Of the Lord Randall
ballad gathered in various cities OF the
country visited for lecture purposes.
So far as the localities in which these
versions were gathered is concerned
they offer no significant testimony TO
the literary history Of the ballad, for
inquiry generally developed the fact
that the original habitat Of the version
New-York tribune., 1916-07-02
TIE VICTIMS REQUESTS.

The element OF testamentary be
quests, eliminating IN that Of the
eaIlows rome or curse of everlasting
torment for the murderer, is shared by
Lord Randall" with a ballad equally
widespread, in which the crime is
patricide or fratricide and the maker
Of the will is himself the murderer
In this case the curse is pronounced
against the mother. who instigated the
crime. A notable example is the Scot
tish Edward" which Bishop Percy in
cluded in his "Reliqucs OF Ancient Eng
lish Poetry" to which in a German
translation Loewe gave fine setting
and which Brahms used as a motto for
one Of his admirable pianoforte pieces.
This ballad need not be studied in such
detail as | have bestowed upon the in
cident Of the poisoning, though il
would reward investigation with equal
generosity. Versions OF it have also
been recovered in Kentucky, Tennessee
and Virginia An outline OF the story
must suffice: A son returns TO h's
ancestral hall and is met by his mother
with questions: Why does his sword
drop blood and why is his step so sad
and SLOW? He replies that he has
killed his favorite hawk. But hawks
blood was never so red. The son vent
New-York tribune., 1916-07-02

nRaln.R Randam I'm sic
Randall .u, , ~ ,. , ..., R,r,,
Nv BEEN m
~ h y
What for tndI
wha II y
one7" 6 hawilyu ulcvet to hesr
Fred sand fresh butter mother make
IA W
th and An nwoldH
II
sck rtdI
will you cav. to your the pretty
it's Randl
hes Of fine gmohcr mem d
I'm cka Il, and fair nwoudh tone7"
Aded I obur,m moh nal
I'm
end Kentucky %
Randall"
The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1916-07-26
A curious Dali Game.

Theodore Roosevelt, writing in Scrib-
ner's of his Brazilian journeys. de-
scribes a curious game of ball played
by the Parcels Indians, in which the
head alone is used. .-
There are, of course" he writes, mo
such rules as in game among civil
lied men, and ! saw no disputes.
There may be eight or ten Or many
more players on each side. The ball Is
never touched with hands or feet or
with anything except the top of the
head. It Is hard to decide whether to
wonder most at the strength and dex-
terity with which it is hit or butted
with the head as it comes down through
the air or at the reckless speed and
skill with which the players throw
themselves headlong on the ground to
return the ball II it comes low down.
why do they not grind OF their
noses cannot imagine. Some Of the
players scarcely ever failed to catch
and return the ball If it came In their
neighborhood and with such vigorous
toss of the head that it often dew In a
great curve for a really astonishing dis
tance." E
The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1916-07-26
COLLEGE NOTES,

Summer, term closed last Friday
There has been a good attendance and
the session has been a pleasant one.
Last week the state inspector, Miss
Schell, secretary for the state super
intendent, was present and spent day
and a half in observing the work done
She was very complimentary with ref
erence to the work done. We some
times get something handed to us be
sides lemons.
Miss Foreman's sister from Missouri
Valley spent couple of days visiting
the school. ...
For the past two weeks the students
enjoyed the use of electric lights in
the dormitory. The work is now fin
ished and we can enjoy the same con
veniences that bless the rest of the
town.
Miss Rhea Cummings is filling po'
sition with the electric light company
at Carroll. One of our graduates OF
a number of years ago has been with
the company since graduation.
Miss Hilda Rath, of this years class
is home for short vacation. She
likes her position in Manning very
much. We have had a graduate in the
office where she works for number
of years. 1t must be that they like
the kind that we send. ~ ...4
Mr.. Ralph Brutsch of this years
class has taken a position in bank in
South Dakota Also Mr. Stoelk has a
position in bank at Ulmer, Iowa.
This summer Miss Anna Flahive
continued her work and took care of
the office at the college. That gave
her little taste of the real thing in
amanuensis work.
The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1916-07-26
MONUMENT TO GENERAL LEE
The One That Was Discovered In In
%. City Of Washington.

Fortunately there is breezy and re-
freshing side to political Washington.
says q correspondent Of the Philadel-
phia Inquirer. One Of the new south
ern congressman recently was walking
down Pennsylvania avenue with an
older southern member, and they STOP
ped in front Of a statue of Grant They
admired it for few moments and later
in their walk, stopped in front Of a
statue Of Sherman.
What puzzles me-" said the new
southern member. lis that here In the
capital of the United States there is no
monument to Robert E. Lee. The ma
ton is now united, and Lee was one of
our greatest men. There should be an
impressive monument to him right here
in the capital" t. 3.
''Why, haven't you seen the monu-
ment to Lee?' asked the southern con-
gresham. 1T is the greatest monu-
ment ever erected to any man. l will
take you over and show it to you right
now,
They walked rapidly for fifteen min
utes, and the older southern member
showed the newer one the pension
building. ,.. .N.N ..a
The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1916-07-26
CHINESE poRcELAINs.
Vino Cups Like "TiIted Lotus Leaves
Floating Down . Stream

fIootin9 DOWN y StrOaUs
10 look long upon Chinese porce-
iains Is likely for numerous causes to
result in falling under their persuasive
spell. If you are interested in the
sculptural stage of art, susceptible to
the beauty of line, you will find 1t
there in dignified simplicity. In color
the eye is appealed to in a seductive
infnity. In range Of decorative mo-
tives the Celestial potters mind Is fer
tile with an imagery found only in the
east. And there must not be left out
of account the interest and satfsfac-
ton awaiting the technical student, OF
structure that Is found in substance
so quickly responsive to the deft touch
Of the artisan. nj ...t. .}-
1.-The fine white bowls surpass boar
frost and snow" is Il Chinese descrip-
ton of one of the ancient fictile fab
RIGS. As the aroma Of delicate wine
is enriched and refined by being served
n a fragile glass, so the tea drinkers
as far back as the days of the Tang,
in the seventh and eighth centuries.
appreciated their bowls, according as
they enhanced the tint of the infu-
sion" And here comes in another
element in the charm of Chinese porce-
lains. Like the European art Of the
middle ages and the renaissance, they
We're so intimately related to life that
they contribute to human and bet
ter understanding OF strange and dis
tant people. No sooner Is one interest
ed in this truly national art of the
Chinese than he finds certain even IT
meager knowledge Of them a matter OF
concomitant interest, even though not
essential to an appreciation OF their
creations:
Wine cups Of the Tang were likened
by their poets to ''tilted lotus leaves
floating down stream" There came
into porcelain the hue of "rosy dawn"
Does one not find here sympathetic
communion with nature in far Cathay?
Those SO called "ginger jars OF the
capriciously named hawthorn pat
tern"-the most commonly known Of
all Chinese porcelains in the occident
were used for sending presents of
fine tea at the Chinese New Year an
niversary. Their decoration, which has
nothing to do with the hawthorn, was
made In representation Of the blossoms
Of the winter blooming wild prunus
tree lying on streams whose ice cover
ing was disintegrating under the warm
ing influences Of the approaching YER
nal season.-Dana III. Carroll In Scrib-
ner's. ~. .-r#..
The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1916-07-26
Clever Reasoning.

Rather an original lesson in political
economy was that once taught by the
japanese nobleman Awot0 and thus
translated by Sir Edwin Arnold in
Seas and Lands"
One evening as he was going to the
palace to take his turn in keeping the
night watch he let 10 cash drop out OF
his finder case into the stream and
then bought 80 cash worth Of torches
to search for the lost coin. His friends
laughed at him for spending SO much
In order to recover so little. and he re-
piled. with frown: l. .#
"Sirs, you are foolish and ignorant OF
economics. Had l not sought for these
10 cash they would have been lost for:
ever-sunk in the bottom of the Nam.
erigawa. The so cash which have
expended on torches will remain In the
hands of the tradesman. Whether be
has them or is no matter, but not q
single one of the sixty has been lost,
and that Ia clear gain to the country"
The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1916-07-26
M3ocial Circles

On Tuesday afternoon Mrs. Phil.
brook gave farewell party, entertain.
ing the members of the Penelope and
Coffee clubs and dozen other friends.
Roses and sweet peas were used pro-
fusely in decoration and two course
lunch was served at the close of the
afternoon. Mrs. NJ. E. Lies and daugh.
ter, Margaret, of Waterville, WASH.
and Miss Mary Paschal, of Council
Bluffs, were guests OF honor. Others
from out of town were Mrs. Shaugh.
messy, of Chicago, and Miss Lorena
Evans, Of Columbus, Neb.
|. Mr.. and Mrs. Raymond Conner en-.
tertained at dinner Tuesday evening
honoring Miss Evans, of Columbus,
Neb. Covers were laid for ten and the
excellent menu much enjoyed.
The German Priscilla club will be
entertained at the home OF Mrs. La.
Frantz on Wednesday afternoon.
The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1916-07-26
Church notes
Methodist Church Notes.

A union service of the Methodist,
| Presbyterian and Baptist church was
| held on last Sunday morning, when a
| splendid sermon was delivered by DR..
| G.. C.. Mitchell, who appeared on the
chautauqua program in the afternoon.
| The Sunday school session was an III
teresting one, the young men OF the
Baraca class having charge of the
opening exercises. Mr.. H. Dietrich.
sen, member of the class, presided,
and the service was most helpful. BE
on hand next Sunday morning. to en-.
Joy the exercises under the leadership
of the Philathea class members.
Mrs. F. F. Ranninger will be hostess
to the Woman's Foreign Missionary
society on Wednesday, August I'd. The
lesson will be in charge of Mrs. Thos.
Norris.
Baptist Church Items.
The regular services of the church
will be held this week as usual. Pray
err meeting on Thursday evening,
church service Sunday morning, fol.
lowed by Sunday school with Junior
union and B. Y. P. U. in the evening
at the usual hours. Mrs. e. P. Will
Jams will preach Sunday morning and
the union services Of the churches
will be held in the evening.
Several of our young people are pre-.
pairing to attend the ten days session
Of the Iowa Baptist assembly at Iowa
Falls, beginning Friday. They plan
to make the trip in automobiles.
Our Sunday services are being made
more enjoyable by the addition to the
music of flute and violin played by
Mr.. Duncan, the blind piano timer,
and Miss Bula Hover. Both are art
lists in their lines. ....
Not small portion Of the chautau.
qua was enjoyed by our pastor Thurs
day afternoon, when four autos car
ried the Royal Gwent Welch Glee
singers. his own cOuntrymen, to the
hospital to sing for him. That eve
ming each singer wore boutonniere of
sweet peas as a token Of his apprecia.
ton