Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-07-16
sAEA's EHAarUL PROrEsT
Bsrnhardt Writes to a Cruel Critic and
Gets an Answer---Shs Resigns from
the cOmsdle Franchise.

Ing Ter eccentric pfanks III LOnuOn,
and, feminine-like acts hastily and
sends to the administration of the
Comedie Franchise her resignation as
societaire and member of the company
of artists. Her resignation, which is
yet to be accepted, does not interfere
with her present performances in Lon
don. The following letter, dated Lon
don. June %, is addressed to nj. Albert
Wolf, of the Paris Figaro:
And you, too, my dear Nj. Wolff,
believe in such ridiculous nonsense !
Who has given you such information?
Yes, you are my friend, for, despite
all the falsities that people have told
you, you have still a little Kindness.
Well, | give you my word of honor that
[ never dressed as a man here in Lon
don; | have not even brought my
male costume. give the most formal
denial to this misstatement. | have
been only once to the little exhibition
that | have given once only, and that
was on the day when | issued a few
private invitations no one, therefore,
has paid a shilling TO see me. | play
in private society, it is true, but YOU are
well aware that | am one Of the least
paid of the societaires of the Coincide.
| have, therefore, the right to make
up, to some extent, the difference. l
exhibit sixteen pictures aud eight
articles of sculpture. This is also
true, but as | have brought them to
sell, it is pretty certain that must
shcw them. As to the respect due to
the house of Moliere, my dear Nj.
Wolff. | profess to entertain it more
chan any one whatever, for | am in
capable of inventing such calumnies
to kill one Of his standard bearers.
Now, if the foolish tales that are told
of me weary the Parisians, and they
determine, as you give me reason to
fear, to give ma an %unfavorable recep-
ton, | do not wish any one to commit
such a cowardly act. and | will give
in my resignation to the Coincide. If
the inhabitants of London, justly
irritated by the reports spread about
me, are tired of me, and resolve
to turn their kindness into
hatred. | beg of the Coincide to allow
me to quit England, to spare it the
pain of finding a s~ooietaira Kissed and
hooted. | send you this letter by
telegraph. The value | set on public
opinion gives me the right to indulge
this within, | beg Of you, my dear M.
Wolff. to accord to my letter the same
honor that you have given to the cal
umnies of my enemies. | cordially
shake hands with you.
SARA BE%RNHARDT.
Mr.. Wolff, commenting on the
above, says This dispatch was evil
IDENTIFY written under the influence of
great emotion it is a cry from the
heart of an intelligent woman who
feels the ground trembling under her
feet. But she has singularly exagger.
ated the meaning Of my article. If it
could have caused Mile Sara Bern
hardt to be badly received by the
public on her return to Paris it would
never have been written. She has
nothing of the sort to apprehend her
talent as a dramatic artist insures her
pardon for all her pranks. Whenever
she reappears before the Partisan pub
lie the return of their prodigal child
will be feted with plaudits-that is
certain. The Comedie Franchise, be-
sides, would not allow Mile Sara
RerphaFdt to leave it either at Lon
don or Paris, and | think that the
worthy artist, after calm reflection,
will no longer entertain such an idea
she knows as we'll as we do that she
can nowhere find a public more dis.
posed to fete her than that which
constitutes her escort at Paris, Hav-
ing said so much, Mile Sara Bern
hardt will allow me to reply to an i'm
portant point in her dispatch. | do not
know, nor do | wish to know to whom
the artist alludes in supposing that my
a~aticle was inspired bysome rival desir-
ousof killingOne Of the standard bear
ers Of the Commedie Franchise If
had the honor Of an acquaintance
with Mile Bernhardt beyond that OF
a fugitive meeting with her at a mu-
tgal friends, she would know that the
'ChroniqqeT Parisiep' does not will
ingly lend his pen to the qualification
Of other peoples spite. Mile Sara
Bernhardt may feel ASSURED that nay
article was inspired by no one il
sprang, quite naturally In a moment
of impotence, out Of the continued
irritation ! had felt at the extraya.
CANT noise which Mile. Bernhardt'
doings outside the theater had made
for a long time past. | frankly con.
fess to the charming artist that thi,
feeling was also shared by the public.
nor will any one repudiate my asser
ton that the departure Of Sara Bern.
hardt from the Coincide Franchise
would be regarded as rather a disas.
ter. If, now, my article should hav,
the effect Of inducing Mile Sars
BerDhardt to abuse Partisan sympa.
thy a little less than she has hitherto
done, | shall not have lost my time il
writing IL"