Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-01-03
UP IN BALLOON.
Sarah BerHhardt's AeeOuut Of her Ex-
eursloAs In the air.
Parls cor. Of Ii. London T~el.rrspL.l

Paris sOr. Of the London telegraph
There has been published to-day a
book which will certainly be the sen
sation Of the Paris winter season. Ii
: an account, written by Mile Sarah
Bernhardt, of an ascent she made last
summerih q balloon. This prosaic de-
scription Of the dainty volume gives.
however, ne idea Of It's contents.
Dams les NuagSa, az the book is styled.
purports to be = record Of the person
al experience Of certain old cane
bottomed chair which stood in the in
closure of the Tuilsries whence the
captive balloon was wont to make its
frequent ascents. The chair is Of an
obseryant turn Of mind, and amone
the visitors 1t particularly remarks " a
Young woman who wal thin aAd rather
pale, She was playing with a little
cane, aAd she talked horribly fast.
The lady, who is sallsa Dona Sol, in
sllusion to the character represented
by Mile Sarah Barnhardt in Der
manu. same day after day to the
TuilerisE, and went up in the captive
balloon several times in the same day.
The emily excuse she savs fer this
strange behavior was that her chest
was rather delicate, and she breathed
so well mp there in the air but her
conduct was much criticised. and very
humorous is the sketch given BY the
charming author Of the wonderful ac-
cusations brought against her. The
chair tells how somebody who sat down
upon it declared that DoAa Sol had no
talent as an actress. Somebody else
spoke her parts, while she only gesticu
lated. A poor fellow DYING Of hunger.
and whom she concealed in the CUP
board, made her stAtueafor her, and az
for her pictures, everybody knew who
painted them, alluding By aun 10
NJ. Clairin, the companion Of the
lady 8 ascent, and the artist who has
illustrated the record Of her aerial
journey. The chair, although very
rickety, is thought strong enough to
support the light weight Of Doaa Sol
IN The excursion she makes in the free
balloon but it is found to incumber
the car. The lady wants to throw it
over, when her hand is stayed BY the
warning that it might kill somebody
in its fall, and the chair is reminded
of the terrible stories it has heard of
her fancy for burning cats in order to
eat their flesh Of her favorite dish
being lizards tails and peacock's
brains, sautees su beurre de SINCE
and her favorite amusement to play
croquet with dead mems skulls. 1t
must be explained for the benefit of
the English reader. who is not in the
habit Of seeing Partisan journals. that
Mile Sarah Bernhardt's slimness is
the theme of ne~ver-ending Jokes. and
that she is credited with all sorts of
extraordinary tastes. She has the
sense to turn the laugh to her advan-
tage, as when, for instance. she de-
clares that the effect Of her getting
into the car was the same as if they
had thrown ont ballast. 1t is needless
to follow the aerial travellers through
all the adventures they encoun-
tered. Enough that the chair is
taken home by Dona Sol and carefully
preserved as the memorable of an event
full day. But before concluding the
chair takes a to give a vivid de-
scription of the artists sumptuously
and artistically appointed studio and
house. The word-painting of the mar
rative is supplemented by an immense
number of full-page illustrations from
the faeile pencil Of NJ. Clairin, whose
graceful figures must be remembered
by every visitor to the Grand Opera.
All the faces in the volume. down ia
those Of Mile Bernhardt's friends
and servants are portraits; 30 that the
handsomely printed volume has all the
attraction Of actually. A for the
author, she has here proved that she
can use a pen with the d%elieacy she
exhibits in her acting, and With the
force that is manifested in her scrip
turs. Rarely, indeed, have such
varied talents been combined in one
person, and still more rarely have
they been worn With such EASY grace.