# Rachel (1887 British Edition)

Part of the Eminent Women Series edited by John H. Ingram, concerning Rachel Félix (Mademoiselle Rachel), a French actress.
Eminent Women Series
EDITED BY JOHN H. INGRAM
RACHEL
RACHEL
BY
MRS. ARTHUR KENNARD.
LONDON: W. H. ALLEN & CO., LIMITED, 13 WATERLOO PLACE, S.W.
1894.
WYMAN AND SONS, LIMITED, PRINTERS, LONDON AND REDHILL.
PREFACE.
We offer this sketch of the life of Rachel to the public without comment or palliation. The great tragedian's name is one that still arouses varying emotions and reminiscences in those that knew her, or remember to have seen her on the stage. To the outside public she was a Fury, a Pythoness, almost superhuman in her passion and her genius. To her intimate friends she was a lovable, fascinating woman, in spite of all her faults. At times generous, loyal and devoted; mean, jealous, and vindictive at others. To her family and children she was ever an affectionate, self-sacrificing daughter, sister, and mother, and it is this side of her character that has been revealed to us by the correspondence lately published by M. Heylli, from which we have given numerous quotations, hoping by their charm and the warmhearted affections they evince, to engender a kindlier and more charitable view of her stormy, unhappy life.
From Jules Janin's Rachel et la Tragédie, we have collected most of the information concerning the professional portion of her career. Arsène Houssaye, for some time director of the Théâtre Français, and an intimate friend of the actress, has, in a volume just published, given some piquant anecdotes to the world, which are amusing, but not always distinguished by loyalty to the memory of his dead friend. Madame de ​B.'s Memoirs of Rachel are avowedly hostile, and therefore to a certain extent valueless as a trustworthy biography. All other information respecting the tragedian can only be culled from the columns or the newspapers of the day, and one or two contemporary pamphlets. We fall back on her letters, therefore, as the true key to this extraordinary woman's character. Written in moments snatched from the arduous duties of her profession, or in the rare periods of rest she allowed herself from the fatigues of her unceasing wanderings to and fro, they show no signs of premeditation or pedantry. She wrote, as we imagine she talked, easily and wittily. How deeply pathetic and sad they become, however, towards the end, when touching on her own suffering, her disappointed illusions, or her fears and hopes for the children she loved so well!
We have tried to extract the poetry and romance there is to be found in this life, rejecting what is base and unworthy. There is something that ever kindles enthusiasm in energy or devotion to an object outside the area of our petty cares and thoughts. And surely there is enough poetry in the mournful history of this genius and passion burning up the body they animated, as a flame burns up a candle; enough romance in the perseverance and constancy of the little Jewish girl who, uneducated, unbefriended, unbeautiful, made the world thrill with her name, solely by the might of her inspiration and eloquence.
Nina H. Kennard.
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.
The longest-living author of this work died in 1926, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 97 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
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