It was my pleasure to do
what I could to encourage the pastors and people of these small
mission churches and in other churches where I had sung before on
extra occasions. On September 1, 1901, on returning from St. Paul's
Church, after having heard the monthly programme of song, I met my old
Santa Cruz friends of 1864, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Metti and with them
walked to their home. After spending a pleasant hour with them Mr.
Metti escorted me to the San Pablo avenue cars. On alighting from the
car at the corner of Broadway and Thirteenth street the motorman
started up when I was but half way down and I was not able to hold on
firmly enough, consequently the car shot out and left me on the street
with a broken body. The accident closed forever my usefulness as a
public singer and rang down for me the curtain upon any future work of
this kind, to my great sorrow. Twelve long years I have borne this
unhappy condition of things, yet I have not been a drone in the hive
of busy humanity. I have fought the battle and won, and am still able
to wear a smiling countenance and guide the young people into the
pleasant path of song, and my success has been a compensation for all
the suffering which has passed. As long as I am a factor for
usefulness I will cheerfully do my duty. As long as I am able to
chronicle the best results as a competent teacher of voice, which has
been my vocation for over thirty years, I will be content.
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