“Well, so it went until, after several years of study, Madame Maretzek thought I was getting pretty well along and might venture some important public singing. We talked about different ways of appearing, and what I would sing and so on, until finally Gilmore’s band came to Madison Square Garden. He was in the heyday of his success then, both popular and famous, and carried important soloists with him. Madame Maretzek decided that she would take me to see him and get his opinion; and so, one day, toward the very last of his Madison Square engagement, we went to see him. Madame Maretzek was on good terms with him also. I remember that she took me in one morning when he was rehearsing. I saw a stout, kindly, genial looking man who was engaged in tapping for attention, calling certain individuals to notice certain points, and generally fluttering around over a dozen odds and ends. Madame Maretzek talked with him a little while and then called his attention to me. He looked toward me.
“‘Thinks she can sing, eh? Yes, yes. Well, all right! Let her come right along.’
“Then he called to me:
“I WAS TRAVELING ON AIR.”
“‘Come right along, now. Step right up here on the stage. Yes, yes. Now, what can you sing?’
“I told him I could sing almost anything in oratorio or opera, if he so wished. He said: ‘Well, well, have a little from both. Now, what shall it be?’
“I shall never forget his kindly way. He was like a good father, gentle and reassuring, and seemed really pleased to have me there and hear me. I went up on the platform and told him that I would begin with ‘Let the Bright Seraphim,’ and he called the orchestra together and had them accompany me.”
“You must have been slightly nervous.”
“I was at first, but I recovered my equanimity and sang up to my full limit of power. When I was through, he remarked, ‘Very good! very good!’ and then, ‘Now, what else?’ I next sang an aria from ‘Somnambula.’ He did not hesitate to express his approval, which was always, ‘Very good! very good! Now, what you want to do,’ he said, ‘is to get some roses in your cheeks and come along and sing for me.’ After that he continued his conference with Madame Maretzek, and then we went away together.