Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-10-06

La Fora del
Destaao" IN the Metropolitan Opera
House. Mother was. there with my sis
ter Garmella. but fathers business in
Mer1den, 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-
mars to acknowledge 1t. But I was
not really satisfied until the papers ar
rived next morning with the critical
fesfews. No one who has not received
2 verdict In the dispassionate form of
cola print can comprehend how 1t at
Iects one to read of success in attain
ing ones hearts desire. With the grey
light OF dawn creeping in at my apart
nent windows, I read each criticism as
= starving person might deyour sud-
denly acquired food.
Sing 40 a Child.
Now that ! have made that confess
slcn, I feel that I can tell in order how
It I'll came about. As a little girl I
used to sing, and ! also studied the
piano. At the age Of twelve I san
Tor the first time in the choir Of the
Church Of Our Lady Of Mount Carmel.
IN my home town, Meriden, Conn. By
>-tae>ttne I was fifteen I played the pi-
a90 fairly well, and one day the pro-
pr1etar Of a Merlden motion picture
theater offered me twelve dollars a
week to play the plano and sing a few
SONGS while the pictures were being
shown. ! obtained my mothers per.
mission to accept, and made my FIRST
debut, q wildly excited little girl, in
that little motion picture theater.
Several months later the owner of
the rival Meriden motion picture the
alter, offered me fifteen dollars a week
TO appear In his place Of amusement,
! accepted. Very shortly I won nv
mothers permission to sing twice a
week In a theater in q nearby town.
Cabaret and Vaudeville.
BJ the time I was seventeen I had
progressed to singing in the daily mu.
steal programs given in a New Haven
{Conn.) hotel at several times nv for
aer salary. My next forward step was
INTO vaudeville at the age Of twenty.
With my sister Carmella 1 prepared
an net which we played together In
what Is known as 'small time' vaude.
Vile. I loved the applause-and we
got Il But at times. when | realized
that ! was not singing my hest, the an.
plause somehow hurt. I did not want
TO be applauded out of Kindness.
What ] longed for was appreciation
that was deserved.
Finally I sang a solo. and the audi.
enee made me happy with shslr Il.
prevail. But the eject Of their al
plsAse vas 70 make ms work harder
tha9 eveF. It aroused Hithln ma a.
abidlnS ambition 70 strive at ali times
% k1se my best. Fer the public
should hsve every consideration It Is
aiways entitled to the artists best ef,
Tsks etnsirs LsasasA
At 10 and Of ous arst year Carmella
eFaApAted asaatya shls tiHaen yauda-
Vile. Q4F salary DaN eaahled M to
trayal With eyerY cemtertsand 10 save
q iitfle Roney. eneh 4 condition Is
conclusive to mental ease, which q
help9A n ambition, no matter what
me tbesrists say sbnout Starving genius
y a1 attic. 4hs Senius dFfyes ne
stafy1Ae man g 1sfA, INT De ptarya-
uop Aces not stimulate the sgenlus.
taM1a 0 planning 9e3altsiy feyp
a Neel singing career, but / was al.
- euspicdous Of teachers. Ono day
ateeAAer heard - stag n . NewsYork
sap0evfls theatsF; and induce4 Car.
mtl1e - taks soHs isssoeA when /
$1,000 ber marked t&r11veensat after
~ ~. been studying len 1tssu ttyse
Ml consented ta O. u ~ him
l But to fndpcs hIu q atve ~