The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-15

when a woman IS that way she always | takes it out on her husband.
 "It wouldn't be 10 bad if there was general agreement on the subject of her voice, but you will find usually that about half the neighbors say well, she has a good voice, anyway, while the others cry goodness, did you ever in all your life hear such terrible ex- cuse for a voice and why will the girl persist in singing? Anybody who would take money for teaching voice | like that is a criminal, they say, and something ought to be done about 1t.
 ''The pros got mad at thef obstruc- tiOnists and insist that they know a voice when they heaT it, and there are qualities in that Higherup girls voice which remind them very much ot Gal1- Curci or maybe it is Melba. And those who dislike her singing say, All right, all right! If you feel that way !" All negotiations are off between whatever two families are the principals in the discussion.
 t0The worst controversies arise, how ever. from quarrels among the popu- lace over whether Miss Higherup sharps or flats. There isn't one person in ten who can detect a note off color, any way, and clever people realize this and gain great renown by shuddering and saving, Mercy! When she hit that top note a half tone off it just sent shudders through mel Every one is impressed, because one always IS im- pressed at finding people smarter than oneself.
 "WelI, all the neighbors are out on their front verandas when Ceclle dign- erup begins rendering Boomskls La ment to the Moon or something like that, then the run begins. Goodness, chirps Sally Dreamer, who took one whole term of piano lessons, did you hear her flat? My dear,' eorrects the thin lady whose second cousin once sang in a church choir, that note was sharpened, not flatted l have a very keen ear for the slightest deviation and then the war'is on.
 'aThe situation really is exceedingly delicate. I recall one of my boyhood | friends who married a girl from an- other town and brought her back to our village. Isn't it nice,' people said brightly to each other, that Willy Prinkle is marrying such talented girl and he is so popular himself? What an interesting couple they will be, to be sure! She sings, you know!
 "When the bride arrived and she and Willy were first invited our people has tened to ask her to sing and that got her in the habit of expecting to sing, SO wherever she went she took along a bunch of music. The truth was that the girl couldn't sing. Willy's bride had a sort of singing complex, you know, and nothing could stop her.
 .'She is still singing down there, l hear, and enjoying herself, but every i once in a while some man bOils over and picks a fight with Willy on the plausible score of politics or neckties of any old thing, and everybody knows Willy was beaten up just because his assailant had stood just as much as he could of Mrs. Willy's voice and had to avenge himself.
 "Of course if a wife is singing most of the time her husband gets time to read his paper in peace and knock ashes on the floor without being called for it, but those advantages are slight. And the worse her voice is the more elaborate care she will take of it, with fur coats to protect it and expensive guards like that"
 But this girl is engaged to another man," sighed the impressionable room mate who had not heard much his friend was saying. t"Just my luck! :"
 'Ill say so!''' feeyently agreed the H skeptic.