Trench and camp. ([Admiral, Md.) 1917-1919, 1918-07-14
THE CUCKOO Girl"
IS NINE. DA COSTA
Grand Opera "Artiste" Makes Sol
diers Smile and Leaves ADJ
dress on Blackboards.
Cucaoo-cuckoo!

Cuclcoo-cucko0!
It took Blanche Da Costa just thirty
seconds to see what the boys In
Meade wanted. It was little bit OF
iollying. q little bit Of home, q little
bit of zone them" and she supplied
1t right quickly.
Born of the Spanish race. used TO
the ways of men and knowing their
foibles, Mime. Da Costa, whose voice
has been heard IN the central empires
for nearly ave years, learned the trick
Of pleasing her hearers long ago.
Happy Ways Infectious.
In the various ''Y" huts she visited
last week she made a great impress
sion on the men. They saw how nne
a thing 1t is to be happy and TO I'M
part that happiness to others. Wnen
she entered hall 1t was TO nno ire
0uently scores Of diSheartened men.
whose thoughts were far away and
whose faces showed plainly their
sense of longing for something which
they could not md.
But the great prima donna was
equal to the occasion. she sang nes
famous "Cuckoo" song right on Inc
man in the room singing 1t and per-
fectlv satisfied with life. Every
hodv was cuckoo-ing and cuckoo-in6
evervbody else. When madame sang
another number the lads called 1or
more cuckoo-ing and got 1t. ..,
she saidS quite thoughtfully and tact
fully, "If there is q boy In the room
who does not have q girl to write 70
him will volunteer. now tnis
brought out more whoops OF approval.
but to make good her promise sne
went to the blackboard IN eac da- n.s
ana wrote out her name and aooress
for the use Of anybody who might
wish to communicate with her. -
Sang Without Pay.
IT was a wonderful treat for the
bows to have Mime. Da Costa. and 1t
.hould he known that she gave her
Services without charge to the ~.
save the cost OF her expenses. HAD
abe sung in concert or opera In the
large cities she might have received
hundreds of dollars with much less
effort.
girl in Chicago. she played the piano
at q small concert and, liking her
work and her speaking voice, Nine.
Schuman- Heink asked IL she sang.
She replied mo-" but IT1enO 1UE-
nished. the information that she did,
and the celebrated opera singer invit-
ed her to accept her chaperonage ana
become her protege, insisting that Sne
be allowed to take her to Germany. .
In q short time Nine. Da Costa found
herself studying under the best teach
ers in Dresden and within two years
she sang in the Royal Opera OF that
city in a leading part. About the
time the war started in 1914 she was
asked to sing at the Berlin Opera on
a guest" night. the plan being adopt
ed to select new soloists for the COM
pany.
Had Strange Experience.
The manager took 1t upon himself to
announce her on the billboards as
mime. Behrmann." explaining that
the public and the ignorant critics
might regard her as French and thus
be prejudiced against her. She
thanked him for his thoughtfulness.
and the performance proved big
success. She was engaged tmme-
on another occasion of that sort she
was being heard by large audience,
including her teacher, y ne nrst row.
She took high Pr and liked it -
much that HfH started n play with
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