The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-07-15

ing, vibrant fountain of rilling, trill.
ing loneliness. Apparently Aline was
one of those women whom love literal
ly enriches, body and soul. Her voice.
where it had been full and fine before,
now became soaring thing of aston
ishing vitality.
The maestros and the wiseacres con-
nected with the opera company began
10 wag knowing heads about her.
watch Aline Angelow was the
word that went around. Magnificent |!
The sensation of tomorrow. Watch |!
Well, this is what happened, and Gu
riously enough on the very day that
Aline was cast to go into rehearsal
to sing Butterfly in a gala perform
ance.
On that very day, Blau received his
commission to go to Pacific island
directly south of Manila for a first
hand study of leprosy in a colony of
those afflicted with it.
And if you think there was ever
even any conflict in Aline about it, you
are wrong. Whatever of hesitancy,
trepidation, conjunction Blau himself
may have had about it, was swept
away by the quality of her exuber-
ance.
In vain he expostulated that, in any
10
fered with. Then, since the idea of
his ignoring this great opportunity to
perfect his work was repugnant to her
and started her off into an actual hys-
terra of tears, his suggestion was that
he go alone. That, too. reduced her
to even stOrmier hysteria.
In vain her friends, advisors, ad-
mirers, teachers. patrons joined with
Blau in remonstrance. On the eve of
her Butterfly. On the eve of her sue
cess! Madness!
But never for a moment did Aline
falter. Her decision was fixed and
clear in her mind. 1t never faltered.
1t never wavered.
Two weeks before she was to have
sung the coveted role of Butterfly in
the largest opera house in the world,
Mr.. and Mrs. Blau put foot on small,
one-class steamer bound for Manila.
Five weeks later, two rather Devil
dered young people took up abode in
bamboo bungalow half a mile removed
from a government leper reservation.
Hot rains came down their first five
weeks there, and made rancid.
steaming hades of the place. Insects
swarmed through the nights and the
long motionless days sapped vitality.
All day, changing his clothes and
securing with disinfectants before he
came home evenings. Blau worked at
the colony. Aline's sole companions
were her two Hawaiian servants and
the pretty and homesick young wife
of one of the English physicians also
engaged in laboratory work.
The first year. it sometimes seemed
to Aline that she would go stark. raw
ing mad Often, just to walk to the
colony and stand outside the railing
watching the wretched people inside
go about their duties, was pastime
Blau, worshiping her for the quality
of her character and the quality OF
her sacrifice, did all in his power to
make less tedious and less narrowing
the slow passing of the days. but once
there, his heart famed with his pas
sion for his work Life was vibrant,
significant search after truth.
After six years at the colony, one
steaming foetid night Blau came home
staggering, trembling, almost crying
from the over-wrought nerves result
ing from thirty-eight consecutive hours
spent in his laboratory.
Blau had won!
The final test had been given to the
efficacy of his leprosy treatment.
Blau had won.
Aline. by this time little fat, gray
haired and with her singing voice
dead thing in her throat, met him at
the door so that virtually he fell into
her arms. half fainting.
Blau had won.
There are those who still regard
Aline pityingly. as woman who
threw away her life.
Aline, who lives very happily with
Blau and their five children in a small.
pretty house near John Hopkins uni
versity where Blau is the head of one
of the great research departments.
feels that the secret of life is within
her hands.
She feels that part of Blau's great
discovery for the alienation of the
suffering of mankind is hers.
Blau, who kisses her hands some
times with reverence that is damp
ened with his tears, feels that prac-
tically all of his great discovery is