Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-07-09
From Our Regular Correspondent.
Paris Letter.
PARIS. France. June II. 1879


Bernhardt, who has long been one of the
wonders of Paris, short sketch of the
great actress professional career will
doubtless be perused with interest by your
readers. Sarah Bernhard is of Jewish
extraction; her father was an advocate at
Havre. her mother was Dutch. She en-
tered the Conservative in 1861, and was
pupil Of the actor Beauvallet. Mdlle.
Bernhard pursued her studies with such
success that she gained the first prize for
tragedy, and was in consequence entitled
to debut at the Theatre Francois. The
d,6ut. however. was n failure; and her
next attempt-this time at The Gymnase-
proved complete ftSco : so complete,
indeed, that after the second representa-
lion the discounted actress fled from
Paris, and, in a farewell letter to the
author Labche. wrote, "Aytz pile dune
pauvre petite toquce." Qlave pity on II
poor little actress.) Returning after a
snort interval to the capital, Mile. Bern
hardt performed at the theatre of the
Porte S .int Martin; but here again she
failed to please. Undaunted by misfor-
tune, Sarah Bernhardt paid visit to one
Of the directors of the Odeon, and asked
him to receive her. This was NJ. Dd,
uuesnel. and to him she said, ~ have
been turned away everywhere, but try me.
[ assure you there is something here
pointing. not to her head, but her heart.
And they soon found at the Odeon that
there was something there" Sarah
Bernhardt made her debut at this theatre in
the role Of Sylvia in the "Jeu de Amour
ct du Hasard.' In this character she did
not shine; but when Alexandra Dumas
entrusted to her the leading female part in
| his Kean," her success was assured;
aud, although the play was i'll received,
the house rewarded her with a perfect
storm of applause. During the war.
proving that she had a heart for sterner
realities than those of the stage, Mdlle.
Bernhardt assisted with the ambulances,
tending her wounded countrymen with
untiring care and devotion. Then came
the peace, and on February 2. 1872. the
curtain rose on "Ruy Bias" with Sarah
3ernharlt rs queen oil Spain. Her tri-
lnph was Immense, and M. Victor Hugo
declared that she realized the type of
which he had dreampt for Dona Maria
The Theatre Francois took Mdle. Bern
hardt almost by force from the o leon
but at first her success was comparatively
slight. She was not fortunate in the
parts allotted to her; and even now
although all Paris rings with her varied
lame, she has h I'd fewer original charac
ters to create than have fallen to the lot OF
fur inferior actresses. But Mile. Bern
lardt proved, in several of r ,cne's trag-
dies, that she alone of living French
.rtistes is caplble of wearing with gra re
hat mantle that slipped more than twenty
years agosfrom the shoulders of r .chel
Vt length, ia al, File de R)land,' the
.alented lady, who had for SO long been
ceiling her way upon the stage of the
francais, found a congenial character, in
which the charm of her voice, the bright
Intelligence of her diction, and her statu.
,.que grace, had full opportunity of dis
,lay. Her success was immense. and it
sealed the future of an author who hal
vaited even longer than his Interpreter
or public recognition. No one can have
watched Mdlle. Bernhardt, as La Full,
lie Roland" winds her arms around the
venerable form of c lnrlemagne. withou,
linking what an exquisite Cor,lelia she
would make, and without regretting that
shakespeare is practically punished fro =
he French stage. Her next tragic crea.
ion was that of the blind Poslunia, in
Rome Vaincue;" and here, ag lin, i,
vas her remarkable impersonation that
edeemed the dizziness of Il heavy tragedy
Her part in the Etrangere," although
inferior in interest. and even in impor
,ance, to that of the Duchesse de Sept
nonls, was Il distinctly individual creation.
md many will have an opportunity OF
deserving tonight in London, where she
IS now playing, how completely this gifted
lctress contrives to merge her own indvid-
ltlity in that of the character she inter-
cts Even in her accent as Mrs. Clarkson
here is just the faintest possible Indication
If her foreign origin. Into the details of
Willie. Bernhard's private life it would
lot be right 10 enter were it not that all
Ter mullifarious occupations are as much
public property as are the days of IN
american president. Those admitted to
he privilege of her acquaintance have
eason to laugh at the stories of her EN-.
,loying Others to do the work. in sculp
IRE, painting and literature, which goes
ortiz to the world in her name. For all
Ter work is done more or less in public.
Ter studio is generally filled with friends,
ind it is in their presence and in the midst
If bright conversation that she paints
her pictures and moulds the clay into
,hapes that will live. If she wears
ricketing costume, it is only when she
employed on some colossal statue,
UGH as that which has been set up a.
Monaco; but when she is working on
Dust she receives her visitors in ordinary
.tiire, and in the superb studio which is
I'll that an artist can dream, Mile Bern
nrdt has the ftncy of having her colli
.lways near her, but this constant com
,anionship with the idea of death does not
.ast II shadow over her gayety. ami many
will agree with her in thinking that fami-
rarity with the inevitable is preferable to
craven fear of the future. The skeleton
Which is in every household occupies
post of honor in that of Mile. Bernhar,lt
For his bony arms embrace the cheva-
glass in her bed ROOM and when she
studies new part, she makes this dumb
Jrompter hold the manuscript of her p IN
his fl shless hind. This is one of the