The daily gazette., 1878-08-09
Mary AnderSOn'S Return
HER MODEST ASSURANCE THAT SHE is
NEITHER Welded NOR LIKELY TO
DE RIGHT AwAY-PLEAsANT HOURS
WITH BRRNHARDT IN PARIS.

BE RIGHT AWAY-PLEAsANTH HOURS
WITH BRRNHARDT IN PARIS.
Mary Anderson has returned from
Europe. She sailed with her father and
mother, DR.. and Mrs. Griffin, on May 80,
by the isame-- steamship. She sat with
, her mother by the open widows of her
parlor at the Sturtevant House, where she
| could get cool breeze and look out on
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 re-
CARDS as altogether the pleasantest expert
ence that she had.
''Oh, Paris" she said, 'Isn't that de-
lightful place, and was so kindly treated
there, too. | met some charming people" !"
"Had your reputation preceded you
there?'
eyes, suppose it had," Miss Ander-
son modestly replied. 81 wanted to see
Mile Sarah Bernhardt, and we went to
| the Theatre Franchise. She sent for me,
and showed me the utmost kindness.
You know she is regarded as the greatest
actress in France. One night she told me
she was going to act right at me. We
were in box, and she did do so until she
came to the climax. Then / saw her
lips turn almost livid. She has a strange
way of scratching at her face, but it ia
wonderfully powerful during the climax.
After that had passed she was so exhaust
ed that she had to be supported, and this
exhaustion always follows. She reminds
Inc in some respects of Clara Morris. She
is emotional"
Here Miss Anderson took from her SOU
venir little pencil of gold on which was
engraved the name Sarah Bernhardt.
This" she said, "Mlle. Bernhardt took
from her chain one day and gave me, say
ing 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 so l
shall.n
Then Miss Anderson took a group of
photographs representing Bernhard in
some of her characteristic parts. "You
see," she said, "Bernhardt is not beauti-
full, but there is great power in her face"
''Is it true, Miss Anderson" was asked,
'that Bernhardt is 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 a skeleton. Her
rooms at the theatre are superbly fitted
up. She took me behind the scenes"
"Did she express any wish to see you
act?"
80, yes. She was kind enough to COM
pliment me very highly, and said | must
get a company from London and play
some of Shakespeare's plays in Paris"
1t was evident that Mile. Bernhardt
had expressed herself very warmly re-
garding Miss Anderson's abilities; in fact
so much so that Miss Anderson did not
feel like repeating all that vas said. Her
mother, however, described Bernhardt's
action, upon being pressed to do so, when
Miss Anderson read the potion scene in
s.Roneo and Juliet"
"Magnifique, excellent, superb" Ber
nardt would say, as Mary read, swinging
her long arms in n peculiar way. One of
the critics "a member ofthe ConServ atory
expressed himself, also rs greatly pleased
with Miss Anderso as 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 L
must confess l should like to some time
As for England that's away Oft in the dis
tance,' .I % ftHHI 9HE E..
"Oh, she added, as if suddenly rcmenl-
bering another happy experience, 81
called upon Ristori, and saw her and her
tamily, and it made me so happy to hear
her speak OF the American stage and ac-
tors. She thinks there is no one like Ed
win Booth"
"Nou were in Paris how long"
"Just month. l spent much time in
the Louvre, and we wenr out to Versail-
les with the French critic one day Oh,
and then we spent three days in Dieppe,
and oh, the spot where Joan D'Arc was
burned. You know i once thought of
playing that part"
But" she continued, as if reminis-
cences crowded so thick and fast that she
hardly knew what to say, "aftrr all had
the most impressive time at Stratford.-
We got there in the afternoon and stop
ped at quaint old inn, the Red Horse.
and we, mother and L, only stopped in
81 lie long enough to batne our face and
hands, then we went to the old church,
the organ was playing sweetly and SOL
emmy, the gioaming was just coming on,
and stood in the church where Shakes
peare was buried | can't describe the