The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1881-11-12
BERNHARDT.
How America Looks to the Leading Lady
of Her Company.

paris Correspondence New York SUM-
Marie Columbier, actress Bohemian. and
a woman OF considerable wit, has taken adj
vantage of the revival of Partisan life to
publish her dairy of the American tour OF
Sarah Bernhardt, whom she accom- panied
in a professional capacity. Some of these
letters have already appeared in a Partisan
journal. The volume. entitled THE Tour
or Sarah Bernhardtin America" is preceded
by preface by Arsene Houssaye,
and illustrated by portrait OF
Marie Colombier by the impressionisi
painter, Ed Monet and by productions OF
twenty or thirty American caricatures OF
Miss Bernhardt. 1t is really curious record
of nomad artistic llfe---a kind of nineteenth
century Roman Comique," of which the
scene is laid III what the French call the
Country of Dollars. Marie Colombiers con.
cluson is that America is fine country
seen from affair." and that Sarah Bernhard
and herself are glad that they are back again
in France. Miss Bernhardt starts from
Havre with the conviction that she is going
to gain a million, and at the same time that
the Americans are going TO come to see her
as they would go to see white elephant or
a tricephalous calf" The expression is her
own.
In America, probably, nobody cares what
Marie Colombier's impressions of the coun-
try were, but here in Paris what she says
will be taken by many for gospel. After
all, Marie Colombier is no fool; her book is
bright and amusing, and people read it and
talk about it. Moreover, she is journalist
She is now on the regular staff of smar
daily paper. the Henry ". and her col
leagues in the Partisan press will not be
sparing of puffs. This being the case.
shall ask leave to quote briefly few Of
Marie Colombier's remarks. Speaking o.
Clara Morris performance in Alike" she
sIys:
No, it is impossible for Parisians to figure
to themselves the American star. Imagine
a woman who could give points to Sarah fol
leanness, angular, having no longer any age
and who can never have had any beauty
youth perhaps, but long time ago. Her
mouth is a black hole. Her teeth look like
cloves stuck in sealirg-wax. And people
pretend that America is the country OF
dentists! Shriveled up, mummfied, she
wears a cherubim wig. At the dramatic
moments she sobs with her head in her
hands, and you can see her long fingers
adjusting the locks of her hempen- blond
hair.
In short. Marie Colombier pronounces
Clara Morris to be without spark of genius
'She does not know how to talk or how to
walk-a strolling mountebank."
Marie Colombier and her companions are
inexhaustible in their unfavorable criticisms
of America and the Americans. AT Hart
ford she laughs at the intelligence of the
audience who followed Frou Frou in the
translation of Phedre. She describes one OF
Mr. Abbey's Secretaries as "a former slave
driver and spy during the War"
Here is her description of the Capital:
Washington els dull, dead-alive town,
with broad streets. Happily. the European
residents here form a society superior to
that Of any other town in America. Listen
to that, We Bostonians, who said in your en-
thusiasm, Come again, Marie!" At least,
Marie, in her book, says that you did, The
monuments, and they are numerous, resem
BILE Savoy cakes; the palace of Congress and
that of the President are models of bad taste,
and all the people of the country are very
proud or them. The ladies of Washington
are generally pretty, although, like their sis
tiers of New York and Boston, they have not
vet been able to learn from their French
dressmakers to wear the Paris fashions as
they should be worn.
The tour of Sara Bernhardt, which began
so ioyfully an | brilliantly, ended, as the
reader will remember, in the most common
place manner and amid general indiffer-
ence. She had come to earn money and not
to win glory, and many page in Marie
Colombiers book shows in what slip-shod
way the performances were given. Well,
how much money did she earn? Accord
ing to her companions account she earned
$4,000 francs (S177, 560) in 166 representa-
tons. Out of this Jarrett took 100000 francs
| 1919 300); expenses amounted to 200, OOO
francs 1888 ,600); her creditors and lawyers
i'm Paris took 100000 francs ($77, 200). and
she brought home with her a check on the
Credit Lyonnais for 1900 francs ($42. 400.