New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-10
MILE. BERNHARDT IN ILL LUCK.

PANS Anril 2S-Mademoiselle Sarah Bernhardt
regrets having broken with the lustrious dramatic
companv. of which she was last week member.
She has come back from Versailles Win
trailing wing, if not soied glory. There
she went to act in Coppee's Passaht
in the role of ZdaettO, in which she won Oh
the boards of the Od6On her first laureis H'"e'o
is an Italian BOY after Oaidas own heart lie IS
musician TO his fingers tips, artist and mas 10
| sleen OH the vayside for want of copper coins TO
nav for n bed in a low clearinghouse. This humble
plOw-vorm raises his eyes to the balcony OF
palazzo and there sees Juhet WHOM
he has in his harp-paying rambles noticed
and loved - for his music aroused hcr
sympathy. and his poverty her compassion. SaTah
had expected that the BOuevards would nave Deeh
torn up by the roots and preciptatcd on NersalleS
They were not 4 few newspaper reporters nah, De-
fore the play began, the largo dining-room
of the Hotel dies Reservoirs all to them
selves. The audience was provincial one
and what was Versaillst was boWJoo8
rs it could be- The Prefect-a nullity-who IS by
Gambctta's grace at the Prefccture-and the Mayor
frured in the official box. A Project i'll the dull
deserted city in which the German Empire was pro-
claimed is a very "heavy-swell," indeed, ana tho
Mavor particularly, when he is rich and n deputy
| an important parsonage There was an array III the
nit Of wealthy stockholders who had the bouquets
they intended to present to the heroine OF the oven
ing in their hands. Sarah Bcrnhardt was III state
of febrile excitement, but played well her part ana
| in seeming to weep at Zanetto's woes shed tears
| plentcously at her own. She was horrihed at the
dressipg-room under the slates to which she was
shown 1t had u skylight window, and her cheVa'-
glass was cracked and held together with Jumps of
| putty The actress was not sOothcd, on descending
TO the stage by the aspect of the house. But as ii
| opplauded with all its might and main, as a pro-
| vincIal audience always does applaud theatrical
star from the Capital it was soon forgiven its con-
try aspect. The stage accessories Jared upon her
nerves however Sarah found bench with caned
| scat on which to lie down in the square OF the
| Italian city. 1t might have been borrowed
| from tho cafe hard by, and was very
| plain. The audience was often enthusiastic III the
wrong place. Actors and actresses lost their COM
posture at finding themselves On the stage with the
| ex-associate of the Francais-thc cast-do"n ldoi
| of Paris and Belgravia-and they mouthed their
parts or split the ears of tho groundlings. Every
thing Jared; everything was out of tune.
Zauetto over, Sarah renppeared in white satin
dress and Chinese Grape scarf wound round and
round about her and falling in graceful drapery
She was tumultuousy applauded and pelted with
| bouquets by the ladies in tho boxes. The Mayor
| and Project did homage in tho dressing
room, into which they wero followed by Il
crowd of Yersalist nota5ities. SaralPs nostrils
| expressed supreme contempt for the Bohemian as
pect Of the garnet in which shd was. But she sald
that liberty was always bought at a great sacrlhce
and that she preferred wretchedness to the ieelng
| that she was all her life to be n bird IN cilded
| cage. This was a telling phrase, and it told How
| ever, at Brcbant's in the small hours. Sarah
who met there at supper anumber Of literary boule-
vardiers some of whom are well-knOwn theatrical
| critics was very anxious to know whether NJ.
Perrin could be induced to leave the cage door open
so that she could fly into 1t again. She did not need
to be pressed 10 hold out to him an olive branch.
| Naturally she refused to follow Sarccy's advice
aud humble herself but she was willing TO express
| sorrow at what had happened. and she and her
| friends concOcted letter at the supper table,
| explaining that nobody was so astonishcd as sue
was herself to read in the papers how In moment OF
irritabity she was so hasty TO send in her resig
nation She really did not know what she was about.
A woman surely ought not to be too closely pinned
to contracts, or too severely punished when she
breaks contract wonder what Mile. Bcrnhardt
would have said to her clever Abigail if she pleaded
| her womanhOOd as an excuse for running oil III a
| huff just when her mistress stood in need o. her
services between tho acts of q play lin five cos
| tumcs'2
Thus far, Sarah's wish to make up tho breach
has not been met with a forgiving spirit at tho
Com6die Fraucaise. The gifted actress is cordially
disllked by the inmates of Mollerc's house. An ad-
mirable woman in some points, she is not lovable
woman. In the Old Testament times the Hebrews
would, in her business relations, have called her
daughter Of Beia She is Overweenlng, domineer-
inc and absorbing, and does not go on the live and
| II live principle 1t IS all for herself aud tho
tn, world well lost. NJ. LoclrOy. the most
| amiable man alive, cannot endure her because OF
her arrogant selishness; and she is so antipahctc
| to him that he never passes an evening so miser-
| ably as when obliged, tho adopted son of
Victor Hugo and the stepfather of the poets
| grandchildren, to listen to her at theatre
cal celebrations at the FranGais. He and
| ~ Angler underestimate her talent. Lockroy
| saws "She plaques me horribly" Angler, III his
letter to NJ. Perrin, Insinuated that she was hum
bug, and only granted her the merit of a sweet
| voice often badly directed II she has been over
rated by the fashionable world, she is unfairly un-
derrated by dramatic artists aud comedi-
ans who have had theatrical relations with
her George Sand was nevertheless heI
enthusiastic admirer to the end Of her life. But
she was such quiet, easy going Old lady; so free
from vanity or from any wish to shine; so slow 70
resent vanity in others, and 80 quick to
discern merit, that her exceptional consistency
to the gifted actress proves nothing but
her own goodness of disposition. self
made woman, who has had hard fight III forcing
Fortunes hand, Sarah eXaggcratcs her own merits
and the importance of her conqucsts. self-madC
people are rarely amiable, in the start in Europe
When old age melows them, and places everything
in Its true perspective, the softer virtues which
were kept under In the struggle for personal sue
cess, begin to appear
FEAR AND EXPECTANCY.
Sarah Bernhardt trembles, know, at tho posi-
bic consequences of her hasty resignation, which she
anticipated she would have been implored to with
draw She is neryously excited. crying and laugh
ing alternately, and often consoling herself will
the reflection that French gallantry has not de
sorted the courts of law. She will plead