Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-08-08
MARY ANDERSON
Returns TO New York, and. In the
Course OF AN Interview, Tells OF
her European Experience
Her Visit TO shakespeare's
Tomb and to sarah
Bernhardt.
ApprOaehinx-Her Dresses Made
for her by the Costumer OF the
Theater FrancaIse-What
she Learned on her
Trip.

New York Sun: Mary Anderson returned
from Europe yesterday morning by the steam
| ship City of Montreal. She sailed, with her
father and mother, DIR. and Mrs. Griffin, on
| May Goth, by the same steamship. Last
| evening she sat, with her mother, by the
| open windows of her parlor at the Sturtevant
house, where she could get cool breeze and
look out upon Broadway. For, with her new
| experience of European cities, she still comes
back, she says, fonder than ever of New
| York Miss Anderson hardly knew where to
begin when asked for some details OF her
| trip, and so she began with what she regards
as altogether the pleasantest experience that
she had.
| ''Oh, Paris she said, isn't that de-
| lightful place, and | was so kindly treated
there too. l met some charming people"
Had your reputation preceded you there"
| Eyes, | suppose it had. Miss Anderson
modestly replied: 81 wanted to see Mile. Sa-
Iah Bernhardt, and we went to the Theater
| Francalse. She sent for me and showed me
| the utmost kindness. You know she Is re-
garded as the greatest actress In France.
| One night she told me she was going to act
| right at me. We were In a box and she did
| so until she came to the climax. Then l saw
| her lips turn almost livid. She has strange
way of scratching her face, but it is wonder
fully powerful during the climax. After that
had passed she was so exhausted that she had
to be supported, and this exhaustion always
follows. She reminds me in some respects OF
Clara Morris. She is emotional.
Here Miss Anderson took from her souve-
mir little pencil of gold on which was en-
graved the name Sarah Bernhard. "This,"
she said, "Mlle. Bernhardt took from her
chain one day and gave me, saying that she
had carried it many years, and written her
name thousands of times with it. She thought
| might value it as a souvenir more than
ring, and | SHALL
Then Miss Anderson took group of pho
tographs representing Bernhardt in some of
her characteristic parts. "You see, she
said, "Bernhardt is not beautiful, but there
is great power in her face"
us it true, Miss Anderson" was asked,
''that Bernhardt was eccentric?"
''Oh, true. Yes, indeed. Her apartments
are, oh, so richly furnished, her bedroom In
black velvet, and ON the wall at the foot of
the bed hangs skeleton. Her rooms at the
theater are superbly fitted up. She took me
behind the scenes"
Ibid she express any wish to see you act?"
"Oh, yes; she was kind enough to compli-
company from London and play some OF
Shakespeare's characters in Paris"
1t was evident that Mile. Bernhardt had
expressed herself very warmly regarding Miss
Anderson's abilities; in fact, so much so that
Miss Anderson did not feel like repeating all
that was said. Her mother, however, de-
scribed Bernhardt's action, upon being
pressed to do so, when Miss Anderson read
the potion scene In Romeo and Juliet.
''Magnifque, excellent, superb" Bern
hart would say, as Mary read, swinging her
long arms IN peculiar way. One OF the
critics, member of the conservatory, ex-
presses himself also as greatly pleased with
Miss Anderson's reading. They said if she
would only consent to act IN Paris she would
make an immense hit there.
''But | am not ready to act there yet, said
Miss Anderson. smiling, Though must con-
fess l sould like to some time. As for Eng
land, that's away off in the distance.
"Oh," she added, as if suddenly remem-
bering another happy experience, 81 called
upon Ristori, and saw her and her family,
and 1t made me so happy to hear her speak
of the American stage and actors. She
thinks there is no one like Edwin Booth"
'You were in Paris how long?"
Gust month. 1 spent much time In the
Louvre, and we went out to Versailles with
the French critic one day. On, and then we
spent two days in Dieppe, and, oh, we went
to Rouen and stood right on the spot where
Joan D'Arc was burned. You know 1 once
thought of playing that part.
But she continued, as if "reminiscences
crowded so thick and fast that she hardly |
knew what to say, latter all l had the most |
impressive time at Stratford. We got there |
in the afternoon and stopped at quaint old |
inn, the Red Horse, and we, mother and l,
only stopped inside long enough to bathe our /
face and hands, then we went to the old
church; the organ was playing sweetly and
the cleaning was just coming on,
and | stood in the church where Shakespeare |
was buried. / can't describe the feeling that |
came over me there, but | wanted to be
alone"
Eyes, said Mrs: Griffin, Miss Anderson's
mother, az saw that Mary wanted to be
alone, and l left her there. She stood there
apparently unconscious of everything"
Ibid you receive impressions that will be |
of value to you in acting Shakespearean
partsP'
Eyes, oh, so many. But l can't put them
in language. I can only feel them. After 1
left the church we went out sailing in the
on the Avon, and all the time we
were on the water a swan followed our boat"
81 saw on the list of subscribers to the
Shakespeare memorial-at the head oflt-the
name of Edwin Booth. 1t sent thrill of
delight right through me-" Miss Ander-
son continued, impetuously; land, oh, Kate
Field has got me intensely interested in this
memorial, and l am going to play in Boston
for it.
81 went in London" she continued, ''the
irst thing to Westminster, and to the Poets
Corner. Now, when have my own house l
am going to have poets corner In our room.
But it made me sad to see Dickens's grave.
1t was the only one on which there was any
flowers. Poor people and rich go there every |
day and leave flowers on the slab, and l saw
some young men who looked as though they
cared for nothing except to have good time,
approach the slab over Dickens's grave, and
after standing there few minutes with their
heads bowed down, turn silently away, the
tears trickling down their cheeks"
Changing the subject, Miss Anderson spoke
Of some of the actors she saw in London, and
she said that in her opinion she has seen
far better acting in America. She saw Ir-
wing, and while speaking highly of his efforts,
Booth or John M'Collough. Of Patti, whom
she heard in concert with Nicolini and Capoul,
she said that she only wished Patti would
come to America. because her singing was
but Patti hates to cross the
ocean,"
Capoul, who was such favorite in New
York, did not gain Miss Anderson's favor at
all.
81 am real glad Genevieve Ward is gong
to play here" she said 81 heard so much of
her in England. and l believe that she will
be very successful here"
''But am so glad to get back" Miss An
deFsop suddenly answered red. as she eIgs glanced
summer, and really ought not to act so in
cessantly as l did last season.
This led to asking Miss Anderson about her
and she said: "Well l sup
pose that when the season Is over l shall
have acted as many times as did last season.
| open at the Fifth Avenue in Ingonaar,
August 18th, and play two weeks. Then l
have not made positive dates, but shall play
in Philadelphia, Boston, and then go to st.
Louis and the northwest.
Here Miss Anderson smiled, as if at sud-
den thought, and instantly explained it by
saying, almost shyly, az have had all my
dresses made under the direction of the cos
tuner of the Theater Franchise; therefore
they are absolutely what each part requires -
"Then the critics can not comment on your
dresses this year.
81 was wondering whether they would, be-
cause | suppose the Theater Francalse cos
tuner ought to know. But the critics have
treated me very kindly. much more than 1
had a right to expect.
1--WE did not know but you were coming
back as the wife of Lieutenant Fremont?"
Here Miss Anderson laughed SO heartily
that IL was Main that the rIlmor of her |