RURAL PERSON. "--So I says to the usher, 'If you think I'm a countryman
who don't know what's what, you're everlastingly sold.' 'I'm from
Philadelphy,' says I, 'and we've got singers there that can knock spots
out of your NILLOGGS and KELSONS and the rest of 'em.' So he just--"

RIVAL MANAGER. "My tear fellow, you shust mind dis. MAX vill lose all
his monish. NILSSON can't sing, my tear! She vanted me to encage her a
year ago, but I vouldn't do it. Dere ish no monish in her, now you mind
vot I says."

DISTINGUISHED TEACHER. "You call her an artist! Why, look here, if one
of my scholars were to phrase as wretchedly as she does, I'd never show
my face in public again. Her voice is so-so, but her school is simply
infamous."

CELEBRATED TEACHER. "Well, I don't mind saying that I never heard her
equal in point of quality of voice. She gives you pure tone, which is
what hardly any other singer does."

NINE TENTHS OF THE AUDIENCE. "She is perfectly lovely. There never was
anybody like her."

CONNOISSEUR, _(who really does know something about music, but who
actually has no prejudices.)_ "Her voice is such a one as MARGARET must
have had when she sang by her spinning-wheel, before fate threw her in
the way of FAUST. And these professional musicians will tear her
reputation to pieces among themselves! Why should musical people be, of
all others, most fond of discord?"

CRITIC. "There! those fools are determined to make her sing again. I