A Charming Romance.

Otago Witness, Issue 1244, 2 October 1875, Page 20

A Charming Romance.

It is a popular saying that "all the world loves a lover," and it may hold true that all the world loves to read of lovers. Some years ago there appeared in the Chicago Inter-Ocean a sketch of a singular marriage. It was related that the bride sailed for Jtaly and the bridegroom started for Arizona, within two hours after the wedding ceremony was concluded. The sketch, widely c»pied at the time, was true in substance and detail, but the romantic colouring of the marriage, so to speak, was in the lirst blush. The lapse of time and the changes of fortune having brought one of the parties of the singular wedding to California, and placed the other well on the r.»ad to his trionic fame in Italy, it is now in good time to give the continuation of the romance. Briefly told it is this : About four yeai-3 ago, a young Army officer, Lieutenant Philip Reade, who, by the way, is a nephew of the immortal Ben Butler, attended church in Topeka, Kansas. There are living witnesses to this assertion, however singular it may appear that an officer of the army and a nephew of Old Ben's found ' his way to the sanctuary of grace. He did go, and while there one voice of the choir impressed him as sweetly sympathetic: The music touched his soul, and his heart went out to 'the rustic vocalist. He sought her acquaintance, obtained an introduction, and for months whiled away the hours unconciously in the cheerful sunshine of her presence. He learned of her ambitions, and listened with all the fervour of a youthful enthusiast to a recital of her aspirations. She longed for fame in the great world of the opera, but there stood poverty, that twin companion of obscurity and enemy of genius, interposing obstacles in every path promising to lead to the goal of her ambition. Yet she did not despair, and had planned a girlish way of her own to reach Italy and study under the inspiration of great masters in the land of poetry and song. She had already begun to give musTc le33ons, and even had saved a few dollars, as the beginning of the fund. The young army officer admired the heroism and applauded the daring pluck of the noble little woman. He had faith likewise in her future, believing that her talents would some day engage the song-loviusr world. Richer in purse than most army officei a, and generous withal, he proferred her the money to complete her musical education, which she in proper pride declined. However, she obtained means by singing in local concerts to pursue her studies m Boston, and little waa heard of her until the Eastern paper, as intimated, announcing the wedding of Lieutenant Philip Reade, U. S. A., and Miss Minnie Beals of Topeka. It may be inferred that the marriage was the condition of her accepting money to pursue her studies in Italy, and it is true that more thau three years time has elapsed since the matrimonial event and neither one of the pair hai seeu the other. In the meantime she applied herself with all tho patience and diligence of feminine nature to constant study under renowned teachers, finally making her debut, and winning words of praise from the most emment critics.

In a recant letter from Italy to her husband, who is now in i^an Diego in charge of the military telegraph line*, the iady herself tells the rest of <tfao story in the charming candour of girlish simplicity. Although permission is granted to give the exuberant epistle in exienso for the education of our raaders, the substance thereof wdl suffice the purpose. Tiie letter la dated at Milan, Italy, June 12th, and after the customary and very ap. propriate greetings of Mrs. Lieutenant Philip Read© to her husband, opens with *h9h 9 mnnhnmwt ft** «he fa jwt

signed an engagement for four years, at a splendid and increasing rate off salary, with Scalalerini, a celebrated Italian impressario." The debutante opens at the Poglie^o Theatre, Florence, in Auber's new opera of the' "Prodigal Son," prccluced for the first time in Italy. After this season she is to appear successively in all the leading theatres of Italy, and will thence extend her triumphant travels to other parts of Europe, probably visiting the United States before the expiration of the present engagement. Other evidences are given of the marked success of this deserving lady, and a brilliant future is before her. Her finishing instructions were received from Signor Gilli, a famous Italian teacher. Such are the ultimate results of the pious turn that incidentally befel a nephew of old Ben Butler one Sunday morning, and led him to mtiude into a quiet sanctuary of worship in a Kansas town. — Han Francisco Bulletin. ■»