A PRIMA DONNA AND HER LOVERS. Recollections of Patti's Early Life.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 65, 30 August 1884, Page 4

A PRIMA DONNA AND HER LOVERS. Recollections of Patti's Early Life.

A well-known actress, who is also a professional beauty, was one day exchanging a little pleasant banter on the subject of her lovers. On being questioned politely respecting one of them, for whom she was supposed to entertain a more than passing fancy, she declared, with an easy laugh, "Woll, I did love him madly, while we playing at T , and it wa3 very pleasant j but in the course of time we went on to . Z , where I saw another whom I liked better, and I forgot all about the first one." And so, perhaps, it is with most actresses and prima donnas, whose fancies are as many and as fleeting as their admirers. The world hears of these things ; sometimes it is the divorce court, sometimes a volume written by a friend, which reveals the secret. Some amusißg recollections of Mdme. Patti's early life have just been published by Fraulein Louisa Lauw. This lady, we are told, lived with the great prima donna from 1863 to 1877. The record begins with the appearance of the seventeen-year«old prima donna in London, and is carried down to the time when the disturbances in the domestic affairs of the Marquis de Caux appear to have caused a separation between the two ladies. Fraulien Lauw begins by telling how the Patti family made the acquaintance of a venerable Italian, to whom Patti became so attached that she called him her "dear papa." She was at his home nearly overy day, and there one evening at dinner met two young Milanese of very engaging manners. With one of these handsome young fellows she fell in love. "Papa Patti" was consulted, and gave his consent, but on one condition. " Wait," he said. The betrothed lovers had to accept the unbending decision of the father, and put up for the time being with the privilege of meeting each other twice a week in the house of the papa. Adelina continued her career of triumph, but while the public performed almost impossible things in its enthusiasm, Adelina's betrothed sat in his chair as if on coals ; his eyes flashed llames and daggers in all directions. But it was not the public alone whose enthusiasm enraged the young Othello ; the lava of his jealousy poured also over the artists who supported her. When the great Mario, as Romeo, kissed his Juliet, it seemed as if the jealous one hunted in his pockets ior a bomb with which to de&troy his supposed rival. More and more consumed by jealousy, the young man declared to Adelina's father that he would wait no longer, and must incontinently marry his love. His insane behaviour led Papa Patti to fear that if married to such a man Adelina's lot would not be one of roses. The two men quaraelled. Adelina was beside herself, and wept bitterly when she heard of the rapid conclusion of her love idyll. When a few months later they learned that Signor M. had failed in business, " he was no longer mentioned," says theFraulien in winding up the episode. The story goes on to tell of the Sunday evening meetings at Patti's house during: the winter after she had returned from her London season to Paris. From these gatherings Nilsson was seldom absent, and among the most diligent visitors were Gustave Dord, the Vicomte Daru, Baron St. Armand, and the Marquis de Caux. Adelina looked forward to the meeting with the Marquis with glad excitement. One evening — it was after a performance of "Traviata" — the Marquis remained with us after a few friends had departed from Adelina's dressing-room. As he always repeated conscientiously the town gossip to us, Adelina turned smilingly toward him asked, "Well, Marquis, what is there new —what is Paris talking about?" "The newest thing," was the answer, "is that we are engaged. " I must admit that this answer startled me, and that 1 looked at Adelina with my curiosity on a tension. Her features teemed enlivened by an inexpressible loveliness. Smilingly she said to the Marquis : " Ard why not? I hope it a\ ould not be unpleasant for you ?" At first embarrassed, then joyfully moved, the Marquis was only able to stammer the words: "No, certainly not, I would be the happiest of mortals if it were true !" Blushingly Adelina extended her hand to the Marquis, who was almost beside himself with joy, while she said : "I, too, would be happy." Wildly the Marquis pressed the proffered hand to his lips ; intoxicated with joy, he clasped Adelina in his arms, then hurried away speechless; But Adelina, in a long, warm embrace, whispered the sweet confession to me : "I am very happy !" It is said that Patti at first took a strong aversion to Signor Nicolini, " because of his habit of boasting of his conquests." Fraulein Lauw tells incidents of his breaking of contracts and making new engagements in order to sing with Patti. The domestic catastrophe in the house of the Marquis de Caux is described as follows :—: — When the Moscow season was approaching its end the Marquis learned that Nicolini intended to come from Naples to St. Petersburg, and, after breaking his contract at the tormer place, had offered to sing at the latter twelve times without compensation. Immediately on his arrival in the Russian metropolis the Marquis demanded that "Romeo and Juliet," in which opera Nicolini was to sing the part of Romeo, should be stricken from the repertory, and that there should be no joint appearance of this singer and his wife in the season. The directors assured the Marquis that his demands should be complied with ; constrained, probably, by the two artists, they nevertheless permitted the announcement of Nicolini's appearance in " Traviata. '■> In his rage, because of this duplicity of the directors, the Marquis sent word to Impresario Ferry that he was determined not to permit his wife to appear at all. In his despair Ferry promised to substitute Massini for Nicolini ; but when the curtain rose on the evening of the performance Nicolini nevertheless appeared on the stage. The continued excitement threw me upon a sick-bed. The physician declared that a speedy^change of air was the best medicine fer me. The Marquis understood only too well how this prescription fitted my illness ; he felt that my recovery in his house was not to be hoped for. " Adelina received the intelligence of my imminent departure with indifference," says the Fraulein, sadly. " Our farewell was exceedingly cool and frosty, as if it was with a stranger instead of a friend, a sister. In her I had lost the dearest thing on earth. A few weeks later the Marquis de Caux shared the loss with me."

S. Paul's Cathedral, London. — The Guardian, speaking of the Cathedral services, says : — Those who are in the habit of attending these services most regularly bear strong testimony to the devotion of. the great majority ; and they, as well as occasional visitors, continually express themselves as much struck by the growing reverence of the throngs who daily, and. almosj hourly, pass into the most frequented church in England.