The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-12-30

pay hotel bills and to buy railroad
tickets to the next city.
Thus the publishers were paid
fifty cents on the dollar. Mr.. Rees
offer was declined
Thoughts OF the financial failure
.cf Caroline Richings and the pit
lance she had received weighed on
the conscience Of at least one news
paperman who had collected that
money on that fateful night It was
Mr.. Rees. For long time after
that when he heard other beautiful
music 1t seemed to awaken sweet
echoes from the voice OF Caroline
Richings, singing:
II dreamt that / dwelt in marble
With vassals and serfs at my
side,
And Of all who assembled with
in those walls,
That I was the hope and the
pride.'
The cadence Of that dream song
made him think of Airline and Thad-
deus, of the wealth of the count and
the desperate poverty of the gypsies
as they travelled and lived on plum
der, and of Caroline Richings on her
last tour, poorer than the gypsies.
The memory of those scenes was
an inspiration to idealistic sentimen-
talism on the part OF Mr.. Rees.
Years later he learned through a
newspaper item that Caroline Rich
ings, after long fight with poverty,
had died. He soon thereafter visited
Richmond, Va, but did not know at
that time that Caroline Richings was
buried there in Hollywood cemetery.
Thirty-one years later Git being tne
tenth day of May, 1861 when the
publisher of the Illinois State Regis
ter was visiting in Richmond. the
guest of John Stewart Bryan. editor
and publisher of the Richmond News
Leader, he remembered That Caro-
line Richings was buried there. 1t
was then he learned that she had
been buried In the free portion OF
the cemetery where the very poor
await the day Of resurrection.
Richmond was then In the midst
Of grand musical festival--an event
attracting nationwide attention, with
Geraldine Farrar and others appear
ing.
There was music in the very air
Of Richmond. People talked lfttle
else and the newspapers teemed with
1T, but Caroline Rfchings seemed to
be forgotten.
Echoing from it all there fell into
the ears OF the Springfield publisher
from the depths of his own heart
the sweet, sad cadence of a song he
had heard many. many years ago.
Learning just where the grave OF
Caroline Richings was located, Mr..
Rees purchased spray Of American
beauty roses, took them to Holly
wood cemetery, and there. late in
the pretty May evening, just as the
sun was sinking like a great ball OF
fire behind the western horizon,
causing long shadows to fall from
the great monuments erected to the
memory of President Monroe, Presi-
dent Tyler, Jefferson Davis. John
Randolph, OF Roanoke, and other
men famous in history, he placed
the roses upon the modest grave Of
Caroline Richings, which was marked
with only q very small stone bear
ing her name. With the roses was
a card upon which he had written:
Il Dreamt That Dwell in Mar
BILE Halls"
Darkness fell on Hollywood ceme-
terry and the cadence of that song
seemed to rise from that sunken
grave as it had SO often risen from
the throbbing breast Of Caroline
Richings, upon which had been
pinned many roses of success pre-
scented to her over the footlights IN
the days of her musical glory.
Then came silence recalling the
Silence, Silence. Lady Moon" which
Thaddeus sang as he watched over
Airline when she slept in the tent OF
the gypsy queen.
AS Mr.. Rees turned away. his
heart filled with emotion, he called
to mind the title OF another song
from the bohemian Girl
Praised Be the VIII Of Heaven"
Thus had q pretty tribute been
paid to Caroline Richings-Bernard.
music-a cause she had advanced as
grand opera pioneer in the west.
Brief mention of this incident was
made in a Richmond newspaper 1t
thus came to the attention of an
aged musician in Richmond named
Jacob Reinhardt, who, many years
ago, had played accomplishments for
Caroline Richings shortly after she
made her triumphant debut. There
is fine portrait of Caroline Rich
ings in Richmond. The old musician
had it photographed and sent the
copy to Mr. Rees, extending his
heartfelt thanks to him and express
ing his joy that Caroline Richings'
talent should have been so appre
ciated and recognized in such ten
der manner.