The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-03-03
What Is a Baby's Value? 100000!
Marguerite SYLVIA Prima Donna Makes the AppraisaShe
Has Two and Wants More
Unlike the Stage, In the
Nursery . Mother Is . Star
Always, Instead Of Thirty
Minutes" Says Singer,
Who Sacrificed Contracts
Worth 500, 900 to Become
the Mother Of q Pair Of
Daughters.

"AS0OVSJtO "OOObB "0V8u4Us
What is baby worth? Marguerite
Sylvia, the prima donna, has the an
swer put in dollars-$1OO,000. For the
most seductive and gypsyish of all the
CarmenG whom New York will see
again in that role at the closing per-
Torrance Of the Chicago Opera COM
pany Saturday night has cancelled con-
tracts totalling at least 100000 in the
last three years in order to become the
mother of Marguerite sylvia Smith and
Daphne Smith. her two small daugh-
ters.
$50 it isn't necessary to so to Fifth
avenue to find in New York two $780,
900 babies" she laughed triumphantly,
when she showed them to me in her
temporary home al No. 325 West 77th
street.
Nine. Sylva's husband is Captain
Bernard L. Smith OF the aviation
corps OF the United States marines. He
Is at Miami, Fla, just now. on govern
ment service. He met Nine. Sylvia in
Paris three years ago, shortly after the
outbreak Of the war, when he was serv-
ing an naval attache. Little Sylvia.
the elder daughter OF the two, was born
in the American embassy in Paris. The
younger child. Daphne. was born in
Washington last December.
They are two very nice babies, with
the splendid big brown eyes OF their
mother and hair as soft and yellow as
daffodils. And does their mother re-
greet the sacrifice on their account Of
projected South American tours and
her operate season in the United
States? This is what she told me:
without egotism, l have known all
the glory that an opera singer can
know. ! have sung here in New York
at both your opera houses. triumphed
at the Opera Comique in Paris, l have
been decorated by royalty mad I have
made great deal OF money. But Moth
ing. not one Of all my triumphs has
given me the moments Of pure joy those
babies have given me.
Those little women of whom the
world never hears go to the theater.
to the opera house, and come away
signing. 1T must be wonderful to be a
great STAR They see the tribute of
flowers and applause, the stage en-
trance strangled with admirers. the
brilliancy Of the triumph. and they are
envious. They forget that all that lasts
how long? Half an hour! The very
next day the man who has applauded
the star most loudly says to a friend,
I went to the opera last night and
heard singer-oh. what was her
name? Let me see-yes. ! believe it
was sylvia
I'm her nursery a mother is a star
always. instead of for 30 minutes.
Those women who envy us out in
the world should realize that they
have the realities Of life-home. love.
q husband and children. Nothing else
counts for SO much"
"And yet" / reminded the tropically
beautiful singer. several years ago you
said that matrimony for woman
means remuneration. that a woman must
bury herself and live only to help her
husband. You have never regretted
your marriage?"
With q passionate. dramatic gesture
Mime. sylvia snatched from the table
the silver-framed photograph OF her
self and her very od-looking hus-
band.
"How can regret that" she cried.
"Seo tho alteration in those eyes. Oh.
he is SO good looking-and he is 3d.
aud an American. They are the best
men and the best husbands.
I'VE knew each other two months.
and in that time we fell in love and
were married. 1t was 'Veni. vidi. vici.'
When met him I was engaged to
another man, rich Frenchman. He
had made me promise. however. that
IL ! married him would give up the
stage, because the wives of prominent
Frenchmen must not appear in any
professional capacity. Somehow. hat