Page:Woman of the Century.djvu/632

Rh Oriental on Long Island, the Neil house, Columbus, Ohio, and the West Hotel, Minneapolis, Minn. Then she went into the white-ribbon work and took charge of the Woman's Christian Temperance

Union Coffee House in Minneapolis, Minn., a little unpretentious structure and a business that every one said would be a failure. The women of the Central Woman's Christian Temperance Union realize that it was through the untiring energy and ceaseless endeavor of their manager, that the large restaurant and boarding-house has been brought to its present standing among hotels, a restaurant that furnishes from sixteen-hundred to two-thousand meals per day. She was made superintendent of coffee- house work for the National Woman's Christian Temperance Union in its convention in 1891. She will have charge of the World's Fair Temperance Hotel, located in Harvey, Ill., during the exposition. Mrs. Russell's great energy gives form promptly and successfully to all her philanthropic conceptions.

RUSSELL, Lillian, operatic singer, born in Clinton, Iowa, 4th December, 1862. Her maiden name was Helen Louise, and she is the fourth daughter of Charles E. and Cynthia H. Leonard. In 1865 the family removed to Chicago, 111., where, fortunately for Nellie, music was taught in the primary schools. Coming from a long line of musical people, the child gave early promise of her brilliant artistic career. When six years of age, she imitated closely her older sisters on the piano in the music of the old masters. At seven she was placed under her first instructor, Professor Nathan Dye, famous for his success in teaching juveniles, and he laid the foundation of her musical career.

At the commencement exercises of the Sacred Heart School, when she was nine years old, Nellie personated a stolen child, in which role she sang, danced and played the tambourine so well that the Lady Superior remarked to Mrs. Leonard: "She will one day be a grand prima donna." At ten she was quite proficient on the violin, and at fifteen she sang in the choir of St. John's Church. Prof. Gill was her instructor in church music. At one of his recitals she sang "Let Me Dream Again," and received complimentary mention. She next studied under Carl Woolfson. who expected to make of her an oratorio singer. In one of his concerts she sang "Hast Thou Ever Seen the Land?" from "Mignon," and the comments which followed in the daily press brought Madame Schoenburg to Mrs. Leonard to secure Nellie as her pupil for operatic training. Nellie was studying painting under Madame St. John, and she felt unwilling to assume the added expense of vocal culture. Madame Schoenburg adjusted the matter by an exchange that was satisfactory to all concerned. Some of Nellie's paintings were transferred to Madame Schoenburg's apartments, and the musical work was successfully carried forward. After Lillian learned the premier part in four operas, Mrs. Leonard decided to go to New York, and later to Europe, to prepare her daughter for the operatic stage. When the "Pinafore" craze was at its height, Ed. Rice engaged Nellie, and soon afterward she became the wife of Harry Braham, leader of the orchestra. She next appeared in San Francisco with the Willie Edouin Company, afterwards returning to New York. It chanced that in the parlor of a mutual friend Mr. Pastor heard her sing the "Kerry Dance." He said at its close: "I would give forty dollars per week if you would sing that on my stage." The following week "Lillian Russell" began her engagement under Mr. Pastor's management and christening. At the end of a month Mr. Pastor put on the "Pirates of Penzance," somewhat abbreviated and slightly burlesqued Miss Russell had the part of "Mabel." Among other managers who heard that opera was Manager Mapleson, who was greatly pleased with