The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-12-16
THE BERNHARDT GUsH.
"PUCK's" SOULFUL YOUNG MAN GIVES HIS SWEET
IMPRESSIONS.
I have seen Her.

A wOman-a fragile, delicate woman VlDran
with the impulse of genius-utterly ana su
premely vibrant.
When first heard that She coming here,
wept awhile. Then went to my sister Ludovica-
she who comPrehends me me best of all.
"LudOvica,n / said, 'She is coming"
l showed her the journal-the paltry, vulga
sheet immortalized and glorified by the mention
of Her name. / mean the name of Sarah Bern
hardt. When l write her, l mean my sister
When l write Her, mean Sarah Bernhardt.
crown her with capitals. Would | could have
Hyperion" she replied, pressing the sheet t.
her bosom, 1--WE have never lived until now"
"Ludovca," 1 said, "we have lived; but w
! have not pulsated.n
rushed to my father. He does not comprehend
me, my father His soul is strangely gross, con
sidering that he is my father. The sordid dros
which furnishes with means of subsistence h
earned-I blush to own it-he earned in servil
trade. Pork, think it was-he traded in the life
/ less flesh Of swine in some barbarian WesterI
/ tOwn-Cincinnati, meseems.
| told him all. Heaven alone knows what i
/ cost me to express to him my desire in that com
monplace language which alone he understands
When ii was done, he frOwned. i knew m
would. He thought at once of DrOss. His words
| low unesthetie, still ring in my ears:
Season tickets, sixty dollars. Seven in family
Seven times six is forty-two. -Four hundred ant
/ twenty dollars. It's powerful dear, Abe"
He always calls me Abe. My first name i
Abraham. 1t is his. do not recognize it. NJ.
/ mother gave me the name OF Hyperion. Tha
! \
/ Hyperion Gush. But my father has never passe
/ beyond the Abraham stage of culture. My who'll
/ being quivers whenever he utters the hideOu
word. But what can do? ] have not a mine
that can descend TO low, material money making
| cannot free myself from his gold. must suffer
/ to subsst.
told him that he need not go to see Her. H
could stay at home That would reduce the paltr,
sum. He coarsely replied that four maidens ant
a matron needed an escort.
"Am not an escort%' ] asked.
"NOri he said.
But he yielded. Ludovica wept, and ne yielded
The base preliminaries were accomplished
know not hOw-and the hunger OF my soul wa
satisfied.
The supreme night drew near. The day dawned
/ rose llid-feverous-thrilled. / went dow
stairs. Breakfast was on the table. None of u
ate grossly, except my father. LudOvica wa
garbed in sage-green. Ludovica's soul is like L
mine. COrisande, my second sister, has a soul
| but it expands more fully in ecclesiastical wise
| She said
81 would not PROSTATE myself az Her altar, Hy
perion, it not that She has a face strangell
and sweetly like st. Ermengarde's. 1 take it 70
| a symbol"
Joan is my third sister She said
"Ths woman has brought men to her feet. Sh
has asserted the supremacy OF Woman. Therefor
| love Her.
Joan thrills for the supremacy of Woman. l d.
not thrill for it; but it is beautiful. My younges
| sister is named Jane. Ii is paltry name, and sh
deDaSeS IL by allowing nerSelt 10 be called Jenny
My father pronounces it jimmy. Jenny has ver
little soul. She is almost devoid of soul She said
"If you are all going to be aesthetic and cry,
had rather stay at home with papa"
! ] mention this only to show how little soul sh
has. How coarse the words look, written.
When the evening came on, l felt divnely fee
BILE. When Ludovica came to me in my dteiier-
for | follow i'm the divine footsteps OF Jones'
Burne-Jones-I paint-when Ludovica sought m
! in the dteLier, swOOned. I.udOvica comprehend
my soul. She swooned with me- When we re
vived, I said
"Iudovica, l fear this is too much.r
"Hyperion,n she said, 'I fear it utterly is"
/ ate no dinner Jenny brought me up som
beef on plata china plate-but waved he
away. She said l would be i'll if took no noul
ishment. felt that she was material, but rgh
/ therefore read poem of ROssetti's-"The Love
Moon''-and was stronger.
When my father announced the hour for leavin
the house, | said to Ludovica:
"LudOvica, what if we pray to some sweet sair
To purify us for this sublime delight?r
Hyperion" she made answer, lit were well.
We prayed to Saint Ethelrida, and supremel
strengthened, went out.
When we sat in the theater, my soul Wa
wrenched In the first act of the play She did nC
appear but Others did, and the irTetrievably an
intolerably hippant audience about me mad
comments on the players. They were holy to me-
those players. They had seen Her i'm Her dali
life; they had even touched Her hand-had locke
in Her eyes.
She came.
. i inlnk tne Dase IOlk ABOUT me peat Jnelr nanC
together and applauded. / was dumb. VIII;
word or sound had wherewith to fitly greet I'll
large and liberal benefieence of Her genius? Wit
what movement OF hands or rhythmic beatin
feet, with what utterance of lips, could hail H,
vital and various intelligence, Her depth an
ardor of feeling, Her fortnight inspiration?
And in what words, combination OF word
shall describe the unfolding of Her supreme il
comparable perfection? Low and blunderingl
presumptuous critics have dared, in their il
famous and unspeakable insOlence, to qualify tn
wholly sweet and sad matchlessness Of Her tr
umph.
What of that?
Has She not pungent and fiery fidelity
artistic truth a stainless pathOs?
And is it to be received as a contingent or col
ceivable possibility that these last offspring of l