During her recent stay in America Mrs. Bates-Batcheller has placed herself under the care of Georg Henschel, B. J. Lang, and Giraudet (of the Paris Opera), whose unqualificd approval she has been fortunate enough to gain. The artistic friendship most highly prized by Mrs. Bates-Batcheller is that of Madame Maicella Sembrich, who in every way with help and advice, on hearing her sing, has given the greatest praise and encouragement. Thus in course of years the warmest attachment has grown between them. Already in America Mrs. Bates-Batcheller's voice has attracted general attention, owing to her generosity in singing for charitable entertainments. Her debut in New York City was made at one of the morning concerts in the grand ball-room of the Waldorf Astoria, where she achieved the greatest success. This was quickly followed by an appearance at a concert given for charity by Countess Leary and Mrs. Astor. In writing of one experience, when she .sang to the little blind children of the Perkins Institute in Boston, Mrs. Bates-Batcheller said: "No audience has ever given me such applau.se, and I was never more anxious to please than when I sang to those poor dear little children. Their hands and feet kept time to the gay songs, and they hung their heads in sorrow and sympathy with the sad ones." After hearing her remarkable voice at the New England Woman's Club, Mrs. Julia Ward Howe dubbed the young artist "her nightingale," and afterward gave a delightful musicale in her honor. An added joy was given to this occasion by the presence of her college president, Mrs. Louis Agassiz, who remarked that she was most proud of her Radcliffe song-bird.
Among the many accomplishments of Mrs. Bates-Batcheller are to be reckoned an acquaintance with French, German, and Italian literatures and a fluent use of those languages. This desirable result was undoubtedly contributed to by her extended classical studies in Latin and Greek at Radcliffe College. Recently the singer has found leisure to write some excellent lyric poetry that has received the warm commendation of her friend, Mrs. Louise Chandler Moulton; and it is more than probable that these poetic flowers will shortly see the light of publication. As Mrs. Bates-Batcheller is still a very young woman, her career may be said to be all before her.
During a recent visit in Washington, Mrs. Bates-Batcheller, by invitation of Mrs. Roosevelt, sang at the White House. To meet the young artist, a most distinguished company, including Senator and Mrs. Cabot Lodge, Senator Hoar, Secretary Root, Vice-President Frye, were invited. Both the President and Mrs. Roosevelt were delighted with the voice of Mrs. Bates-Batcheller, who looks back on such a memorable occasion with the greatest pleasure. While she has already succeeded in winning the highest praise from the best French critics in Paris, she has overcome at her Boston professional debut a still greater difficulty — perhaps the greatest an American-born artist ever has to face — the gaining recognition of high artistic standing in her own city. That this fortunate result has been achieved beyond any question there is not the slightest doubt, for, as the foremost musical publication in the world expresses it, "the general consensus of critical opinion expressed at her brilliant debut has placed her at one bound among the first artists of the day."
HELEN M. WINSLOW, one of Boston's well-known literary workers and club women, is a native of the Green Mountain State. As her name bears witness, she comes of old Plymouth Colony stock of English origin. Born in Westfield, Vt., daughter of Don Avery Winslow and his wife, Mary Salome Newton, she is a descendant in the ninth generation of Governor Edward Winslow's brother Kenelm, who came over about 1629, and some years later settled in Marshfield, Mass. Miss Winslow's grandparents, paternal and maternal, were Orlando' and Salome (Hitchcock) Winslow and Curtis and Mary (De Wolfe) Newton, of Greenfield, Mass. Miss Winslow has been connected with Boston journalism for twenty years or more. She has written four books. The first of these, "Salome Shepard," is -illustrative of her ability to write a delightful novel, combined with a powerful argument on a vital
