The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-04-14
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

The music lovers Of Birmingham are again indebted to Mesdames Richard F. Johnston and Orline A. shipman for giv- ing them an opportunity to hear artists of the first rank.
 The Romaine-Costese concert at the Jefferson on Monday night brought out a brilliant assembiage. It was an audi ence made up of the most<cultured men and women in the community, and in itself was tribute to Miss Romaine and Mir. Cortese.
 I have been to many concerts where the performers were world renowned. but too frequently from the mere fact that the selections are from the classics and the musicians celebrities, creates an at- mosphere that to say the least is formal if not downright cold and critical. But Monday night while many of the numbers on the programme were taken from noted operas. yet there was g sprinkling of pieces in a lighter vein tc give relief from the strain of listening to the more ambitious ones; and this ir itself evidenced the fact that those re. spensible for the evenings entertainment wished to please the amateurs as wei as the educated
 | It is hard enough with the aid O scenery to create home-like atmos phere but l was as much struck by ths social power of Miss Romaine to turr 1 the stage into a drawing room as 1 wa in her capacity to assume the various roles she sang and give them life bl her histrionic as well as vocal ability for there have been some stars wht could sing but who could not act. 1 st
 | I sat on the fifth row, and was clos enough up to get good look at Mis- Romaine when she came out. I comics! that having been so often fooled abou the personal appearance of singers ant actresses. I was not prepared to fint the gifted soprano living up to al the press agents had said about her, fo even Dolly with all her descriptiv ability, had not been able to set out he real beauty.
 Say what you please, but beauty il itself is gift of the gods and deserves to be worshiped; and blessed are th they make their living by appearing be fore the public. I do not know how oth CTS feel, but to me the sight of a prett. child, beautiful girl or lovely matrol is always an inspiration, but in admttini this I am conscious it may provoke ; smile.
 I It's going to be a little hard for som folks to believe this, but frequently whe1 I see person of rare beauty, mother daughter or babe, I wish that I coul' look at them as one looks at picture a painting, or piece of sculpture, with out being thought rude by staring.
 am sure that it is possible for maj to pay tribute to the loveliness of tn Iother sex without it's being personal. I realize that I am treading on danger
 ous ground, but what's the use of
 column like this unless there is absolut
 sincerity in what I write? I simply tr
 from day to day to write down the wa
 Men, Women and Things impress m It is intensely personal, and is intende
 to mirror forth life as it passes befor
 me and affects me. and therefore, UT less you are interested in what I SC
 and do and feel just skip it, for ther is lots of good stuff in the paper. 1
 | Back to Miss Romaine. From the mt ment she made her initial bow until tn curtain fell she had the crowd in tn hollow of her hand. Her very daintines
 was appealing When I first saw he
 I immediately thought of a Dresde
 statue; size, coloring, dress all added
 the likeness. Then, as she sang or leane
 against the piano, I imagined her
 Japan with parasol and fan fitting in'
 the scene with the cherry blossoms
 bloom overhead.
 But there have been other beautif'
 women starring here, and you have
 right to ask why I have singled ol
 Margaret Romaine for such tribute? have done it because she has more tha
 mere beauty, for she has charm of mar ner, and that indescribable thing whic
 we call personality" I remember seeir
 a beautiful woman with marveio'
 voice fail utterly to win the sympath
 thing lacking.
 Now, Miss Romaine not only measure
 up to all the critics had said about u
 clear, ringing timbre of her voice and its agreeable and telling quality, b she went far beyond what had been for told about her power to project her pc
 sonality over the footlights, making ea' | one feel that she was singing to him her alone. The capacity tP do this better than art. for by so doihg the arti : makes herself at home with the>sudienc 1 ss -
 : forgot that I was in theatre. a , around me were friends, and 1t seem' : as if a most captivating and gifted your r woman was entertainings party 3 guests There was an absence of all r l straint, the people seemed as much ' ease as if the whole party were on isrending weekend" at some count home. How. did Miss Romaine do it?
 will suggest that it was her girlshne and naturalness, for she was absolute