Arizona republican., 1919-08-31

Ld OIZd uSl Destino" in the Metropolitan Opera House. Mother was there with my sis ter Carmella, but fathers business in Meriden, Conn, kept him away.
 At the conclusion of the perform ance there was much applause, and [ went before the curtain with Caruso and de Luca and Mardones and Chal- mers to acknowledge 1t. But I was not really satisfied until the papers ar rived next morning with the critical reviews. No one who has not received . verdict in the dispassionate form of cold print can comprehend how it af- fects one to read of success in attain ing one's hearts desire. With the grey light of dawn creeping in at my apart ment windows, 1 read each criticism as starving person might devour sud denly acquired food.
 ! Sing as a Child.
 Now that have made that comics sion. l feel that can tell in order how is all came about. As a little girl l used to sing. and I also studied the plano. At the age of twelve I sang for the first time in the choir of the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, in my home town, Meriden, Conn. By the time I was fifteen played the pi- ano fairly well. and one day the pro- prietor of Meriden motion picture theater offered me twelve dollars 6 week to play the piano and sing few songs while the pictures were being shown. I obtained my mothers per mission to accept, and made my first debut, wildly excited little girl, in that little motion picture theater.
 Several months later the owner of the rival Meriden motion picture the ster offered me fifteen dollars week to appear in his place of amusement. I accepted Very shortly I won my mothers permission to sing twice a week in 2 theater in nearby town
 Cabaret and Vaudeville.
 By the time l was seventeen 1 had progressed to singing in the daily mu- sical programs given in New Haven (Conn.) hotel at several times my for mer salary. My next forward step was into vaudeville at the age of twenty With my sister Carmella prepared an set which we played together in what is known as "small tfmer vaude- vile. I loved the applause-and we got 1t But at times, when I realized that I was not singing my best, the ap' piause somehow hurt. I did not want to be applauded out of kindness What I longed for was appreciation that was deserved.
 Finally I sang q solo, and the audi. ence made me happy with their ap proyal. But the effect of their ap piause was to make me work harder than ever. It aroused within me ar abiding ambition to strive at all time: to give my best For the public should have every consideration 1t fl always entitled to the artists best eff forts.
 lake Singing Lessons.
 At the end of our first year Carmells and graduated Into "big time" yaude vile. Our salary now enabled us ts travel with every comfort and to saw little money. Such condition fl conducive to mental ease, which fl helpful to ambition, no matter wha the theorists say about starving geniu in an attic. The genius drives th' starving man to work. But the starva ton does not stimulate the genius
 l was now planning definitely fo s real singing career. but l was al wsys suspicious of teachers. One da, . teacher heard us sing in New Yorl vaudeville theater. and induced Car mella to take some lessons. When heard her marked improvement afte she had been studying less than thre weeks. consented to go to see bin myself. But to Induce him te give m