THE WOLF GROWLS.
It was a busy life for Camilla. As the winter advanced her hours of
study increased. More practice at home and more difficult lessons at the
school. Studies from Rode, Baillot, Fiorillo, Viotti, Kreutzer, Sporha
and the great masters of the violin, were taken up in turn. It was
designed that she should become acquainted with all the master works of
the day. In addition to regular studies in scales, finger exercises and
the like, she went through all the works of the masters that she might
become familiar with their style and learn to appreciate the best art.
There were no trifling songs, no silly pieces designed to show how fast
she could scrabble through a great many notes. Nothing of this kind
allowed. Solid work, grand concertos, sonatas and solos passed under her
hand in review and in an artistic atmosphere, she began to grow to the
stature of an artist while only a child.
The boys in the class soon laid aside their rude manners and forgot
their jealousy in admiration. Massart laughed at them and said: "Fie!
Boys! The hen is beating the roosters." Much truth was hidden in the
master's pleasantry. Camilla was rapidly distancing them all. She was
the favorite scholar. She had the advantage of Massart's private
instruction three times a week and exhibited an aptitude for the work
that advanced her quickly to the head of the class. This was an honor,
for it must be remembered, that these boys had been selected as the
cream of all the candidates. Each had displayed marked talent for the
violin. Had it been otherwise they would not have been in the
Conservatory.
All were like Camilla, quite poor. Some were even supported by pensions
from their native towns, and nearly all of them afterwards became good
players. There was Lacham, Leon Regniér, and Isidor Lotto who afterwards
became so famous, and several others.
Henri Wieniawski was in the class before Camilla, but at the time was
still about the school. They often met and there began a friendship that
has continued to this day. Of Massart's pupils, three, Camilla, Lotto
and Wieniawski have become famous the world over and are among the great
artists now living.
Besides her regular studies Massart advised Camilla to join a quartette
in order to perfect herself in reading music at sight. Once a week she
spent an hour or two in playing with three others at the Conservatory
and in this way heard much fine music and accustomed her young eyes to
read the notes quickly and taught her slender fingers to interpret the
music at command.
Not all of her days were happy. Massart was dreadfully cross at times.
He would detect the slightest flaw in the work. Once he marched a stupid
boy out of the room by the ear and told him never to come back again. If
she should be treated like that it would really break her heart. She
would try her best to attend to all that was said and to do everything
just right. Massart might storm and rage about the room, but it should
not be from any neglect on her part. Altogether it was not a very lovely
life. Try as hard as she could it did not always please, and some days
it was really pretty tough for such a very small girl.
Another trouble came. Mother would bend over that dreadful embroidery
all day long, and things did not seem so prosperous as in Nantes. Father
was busy looking about for new rooms and almost before Camilla was aware
of it they were ready for a change of residence.
They could not afford the rent of the rooms on the Rue St. Nicholas
d'Antin, and they found cheaper quarters in a flat just under the roof
in an old house on the Rue Lamartine, and up six flights of long, dark
stairs.
It was a sad change from their comfortable home in sunny Nantes. There
was nothing to be seen out of the windows save steep, red roofs, the
sky, and sundry wild cats that roamed over the tiles. The streets
thereabouts were narrow and crooked, with mean little sidewalks hardly
wide enough for one.
It was not the Paris of to-day. The wide and handsome Rue de La Fayette
that now passes near the Rue Lamartine and the beautiful Square
Montholon with its trees and gardens was not in existence then. Camilla
first knew Paris as a city of short, crowded streets lined with tall
houses and cheap shops and crowded with work people and small
householders.
They had only been settled in the new home a few weeks when a greater
trouble came to them. The wolf began to growl in the echoing entry way
of the tall house. They began to think he would climb the stairs or come
in over the tiles and scare even the starved cats away.
The store of money they had brought from dear, old Nantes had melted
away long ago. There was "little to earn and many to keep." M. Urso
tried and tried, but could get no permanent position at any of the
theatres. There were scores of flute players in the city. As for
organists, there were a dozen for every organ. Once in a while he had a
chance to play for a single Sunday, as a substitute. Occasionally there
was a party or other gathering where a few francs could be earned by
playing.
Even mother had to help. At Nantes she had spent many a happy hour in
fancy needle-work and embroidery. In Paris the work was followed for
twelve hours a day that she might earn two francs and so help keep that
terrible wolf from coming up the stairs. Aunt Caroline kept house and
made the children's clothing go as far as possible. All helped as well
as they could. They must stay in Paris. Camilla must keep on at the
Conservatory. There were two years more of study before her. She had put
her hand to the plow and could not turn back. They must all stay and
help her through.
The Winter passed away and the Spring came. Absorbed in her studies
Camilla hardly noticed it except to observe that her thin clothing was
more comfortable. It cost less to live in the Summer, and when in June
her ninth birth-day came and she was eight years old, they became more
hopeful. Perhaps they could pull through after all.
It was in vain. With the Summer came the dull times in business and
their case grew more and more desperate. There was no wealthy friend
near to help them. No grand Prince stood ready to pay the bills, after
the fashion of the good Prince who helped the young Haydn on in his
studies. They had not a single rich friend in the world.
Camilla might get on very well through the warm weather with her present
suit. But, to study or practice she must have good food and plenty of
it. She looked pale and pinched enough, poor child, and her dress was
too small for comfort. Something must be done or they would all starve.
They must take her away from the Conservatory or find more money.
In their distress they applied to Massart and the officers of the
Conservatory. The master was very angry. "What! Go away for six months!
Give concerts! It was a shame to lose so much time just when she was
doing so well."
No. If Camilla left the Conservatory she could not come back. That is
what they said. And so it was all over and this was the wretched end of
all their trying. It was hard to give up. What could they do? The Summer
term was almost over. The summer vacation was at hand. Camilla might
give a few concerts during the vacation. The money might help them along
another winter and then they would be in want again. The vacation would
not give them time to accomplish all they wished. They hoped by making
an extended tour to earn enough money to support them a year or more.
It was the only thing to be done and after making proper representation
to the authorities of the Conservatory permission was given. Camilla
might be absent six months and then resume her place in the classes.
This was a great concession. Only Camilla's undoubted genius, her desire
to study, and her poverty caused them to break over their rules in this
matter. Massart too, gave his consent and said he would resume her
instruction without charge when she returned.
Now she was to prove what she could do. It was a pity to interrupt her
studies. Her education was not half finished and she must appear in
public before she was really ready. If she succeeded now, how great
would be her triumph when the three years at the Conservatory were
finished.
It was impossible to break up the family, and the entire household
prepared for the expedition. As they had no money they must move slowly
and cautiously. Salvatore Urso would play the flute and accompany
Camilla on the piano. Her mother could sing. That would make three
performers, and with two pieces for each they could give quite a
programme. To make a variety they should have one more singer. So they
hired a gentleman to join their Company and sing buffo and other songs.
Aunt Caroline would stay in Paris with the boys. When all was ready
Camilla and her father and mother packed up and started off in search of
fame and money. They must do something, and this seemed the most
feasible plan.
The first journey was a short one and they landed at the town of Verdun.
As soon as they were comfortably settled in lodgings Camilla and her
father started out to present their letters of introduction. These
letters were to wealthy amateurs who might be interested in the child
and her playing.
The good people received them politely and after they had made a short
call they were formally invited to call soon and spend the evening with
a few musical friends. This was all that was wanted. If the ladies and
gentlemen once heard Camilla play they would be pleased and perhaps
they would take tickets to her concert. Things move slowly in France and
several days, perhaps a week, would pass before the musical party would
come off. In the mean time Camilla lost not an hour. From six to ten
hours a day she went through her exercises and studied such pieces as
she intended to perform in public. Her father was constantly with her,
guiding her studies, overlooking her practice and aiding her in every
way possible.
When the important evening came her long, brown hair was braided in two
long braids and secured with bows of blue ribbon. With her new frock and
simple manners, large blue eyes and thin, pale face she presented an
interesting appearance. A little too quiet and sober for such a young
girl. She seldom spoke, and was reserved and thoughtful. Her life had
not been a very happy one. Had it not been for her intense love for
music, had her heart not been bound up in her violin it would have been
a sad, dull life, full of toil and wearisome labor. In after years, when
the showers that fell so steadily during her younger days, cleared away,
the bright, animated and merry side of her nature came out and the
demure little girl became a vivacious and sparkling woman.
It was small wonder that the two or three hundred people who met to hear
her play were delighted. She seemed so earnest, her large eyed intensity
of expression, the bold and striking method of playing, the masterly
sweep of her bow captivated and charmed them all. She gave such pieces
from memory as she thought most pleasing and then after some little
conversation about her music they asked if she would give a concert in
Verdun. Yes, in a few days. Would they not take some tickets? Oh! with
the greatest pleasure. They would all attend and bring their friends.
Were the tickets ready? Yes. Her father had them. So they crowded round
her father and bought some ten, some twenty, some fifty, and some a
hundred. So most of the tickets were taken at once and success was
secured in advance.
To American eyes this seems a strange fashion. The idea of playing at a
private house and then selling the tickets strikes us as peculiar and
perhaps unpleasant.
The Ursos did not think so. It was the custom of the country. It is the
custom now. All the great players and singers have taken just such steps
as this and it seems quite proper and so no one thinks ill of them.
Then she took her violin again. Felix Simon knew what he was about in
Nantes. Massart's instructions had not been thrown away. Camilla was an
artist in little. If she had not the expression and feeling that comes
with maturity, her playing was brilliant, strong and powerful. The tones
were pure and steady and technical difficulties seemed to be of no
consequence. She went through it all without effort and as easily and
gracefully as can be imagined.
The audience was charmed with her simple manners and her wonderful
playing. They fairly overwhelmed her with endearments and attentions.
Was there any thing they could do to gratify such a dear little girl?
One offered her one thing, another something else. She had a delightful
lunch with her new friends and at last went home laden with bon bons and
presents.
Then she must give a concert. They would ask all their friends and
really it would be quite a grand affair. Of course all this took time.
There was the permission of the Mayor to be obtained, and the hall to be
engaged, the tickets to be prepared, and posters and advertisements to
be sent out and tickets to be sold among the rich families of the town.
Her father must attend to it all. There was no one to help and he had to
attend to everything.
In a few days the concert came off at one of the small halls in the
town. There was "a good house," as they say. Camilla played the violin
while her father played the accompaniment on the piano. Her mother sang
and the buffo singer gave some of his songs. The great attraction was
the pale little one with the long braids. How she raced through the
rapid passages and drew her wonderful bow with a great sweep that made
the tones roll out full and grand. Then those strange, airy harmonies
made by pressing one finger firmly on a string to give one note and then
lightly touching the same string a fifth above so that the lower note
was partially obscured by the note above it. Double stopping they call
it. We know it as harmonics. With either name it is difficult enough for
even a man's hand. It was small wonder that the people cheered and
cried bravo! bravo! and threw flowers on the stage and actually filled
her arms with comfits and bon bons. Verdun was a great place for sugared
sweets and candied fruits and they thought they were doing quite the
proper thing by presenting some to her.
The next day they counted the money, paid all the few small bills and
found that they had four hundred francs left. Really! Things were
looking up. Their prospects were improving. Camilla was certainly a
great success. Collecting such letters of introduction as they could
obtain, they packed up and started for the next town on their programme.
Where was the wolf now? Nobody knew. Camilla had driven him away with
her violin.