s to act out the character I attempted. So I
sang _I Puritani_, with as much success as could have been expected of a
young singer with so little experience. Something awoke in me at that
moment. From that night I was never called a 'Broken Tenor' again. I
made a regular engagement at two thousand lire a month. Out of this I
paid regularly to Vergine the twenty-five per cent which he always
demanded. He was somewhat reconciled to me when he saw that I had a real
engagement and was making a substantial sum, though he still insisted
that I would lose my voice in a few years. But time passes and I am
still singing.

RESULTS OF THE REVELATION

"The fact that I could secure an opera engagement made me realize I had
within me the making of an artist, if I would really labor for such an
end. When I became thoroughly convinced of this, I was transformed from
an amateur into a professional in a single day. I now began to take care
of myself, learn good habits, and endeavored to cultivate my mind as
well as my voice. The conviction gradually grew upon me that if I
studied and worked, I would be able one day to sing in such a way as to
satisfy myself."

THE VALUE OF WORK TO THE SINGER

Caruso believes in the necessity for work, and sends this message to all
ambitious students: "To become a singer requires work, work, and again
work! It need not be in any special corner of the earth; there is no one
spot that will do more for you than other places. It doesn't matter so
much where you are, if you have intelligence and a good ear. Listen to
yourself; your ear will tell you what kind of tones you are making. If
you will only use your own intelligence you can correct your own
faults."

CEASELESS STUDY

This is no idle speech, voiced to impress the reader. Caruso practices
what he preaches, for he is an incessant worker. Two or three hours in
the forenoon, and several more later in the day, whenever possible. He
does not neglect daily vocal technic, scales and exercises. There are
always many roles to keep in rehearsal with the accompanist. He has a
repertoire of seventy roles, some of them learned in two languages.
Among the parts he has prepared but has never sung are: _Othello, Fra
Diavolo, Eugen Onegin, Pique Dame, Falstaff_ and _Jewels of the
Madonna_.

Besides the daily review of opera roles, Caruso examines many new songs;
every day brings a generous supply. Naturally some of these find their
way into the waste ba