Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-04-20
BERNHARDT'S BOOK.
What She Was as a Child aud What
She Desired TO Be as
Woman, and How
she Was Criticised by Her Relatives as
10 Her Ambitions and Cravings
in the Direction Of Art.

s 10 her Ma We de Theetye, this is what Sara
will have TO say shout the way in which she
came 10 go upon the stage:
when | was still quite girl my eharsc-
ter suddenly underwent a charg-. l Iell
into The most violent fits OF anger when soy- |
thirg displeased me, and i attacked with my
fists anyone wSo coutTsdicted my wishes.
One day my godfather, my mother and Mr..
X we're shut up together, and l had
present nlent they we're talking about me.
When Inc door opened my mother told
the governess that / wss TO have holiday
for the rest OF the day.
"'WeH, my DEAR said my godfather, alb.
ruptly, what do you intend to become You
have no dot, and you will have to work in
order to gain ONE
"sPshsw interrupted one of my aunts, a
very handsome and stylish brunette, who en-
tered the room ST this moment she will
never do anything
"My mother, who wss a bloBde, and as
grave and pretty Sc Que of Rapbaei's virgins,
but as imperious az one of Rsuoeps's Mad
eleines,' motioned her 10 be silent, As for
me, was frozen and stood trembling in the
midst OF the sreopsgus that had been thus
| suddenly formed. WIS silent and my eyes
were fixed on a copy of the picture OF
Hsmou tnowu by the title, 'R.ve de Bon
| hsur,' that hung on the wall Of the salon.
| All sorts OF happiness was depicted ID this
picture, and l sought in it for the realiIA-
| ton Of my dream, for the hope of my future,
| but there was not one OF them that answered
| to my aspirations. In the middle OF the
| picture a young mother was playing with
her naked children, but ] did not want 10
have any children, since marriage was
forbidden me on account of nv not hav-
ing a dot. l thought at that time that
| children were ONLY born 10 married
people. On one eide of this mother young
f1ncec, crowned with flowers, was leaning
her head on The bosom OF her betroihed,
aud an old man with long beard was
extending his hsnds over their heads and
blessing their union. That, also, was a Joy
that was forbidden me. On the right a
young woma was pouring out wine for a
very dark young man, but 1 could not ex-
actly see what wss the pleasure they found
in this. Then there were two young girls
singing and playing on hsrps. This re-
minded me Of tbs convent, but though L re-
GREETED the convent had no desire TO return
TO it. In one corner there was a young man
painting picture aud young girl smiling
on him as she watched his work. That sug-
gested something to me, so said:
"'You know, msmma, how fond am oil
painting
"A .trade 10 starve oup exclaimed my
godfather.
"'You will never be painter, in spite OF
the fancy that you have got in your head
that you have a talent for painting. Look
at this daub,' he added, pulling out my easel
from lis hiding-plsce behind the piano, l
was working over pastel copy OF La
: Cfuche Cassee, 'by Greuza. Ny pretty aunt
went into convulsions OF laughter, and with
the point OF her p,rasol she pointed ou
that one eve was higher than ihe other. The
| II 10 fah
the pastel. l turned white and would like
, | to have struck her. Our old friend Mr.. Y
| toak pity on me, and declared that ther'
was come merit in the work after all, anC
that / certainly had an artistic tempera
ment, and, he added, with An air OF triumph
as though be had hit upon the very thin
. for me:
, "'The thing that will suit yeu is the stage
!, You should become an actress
"'An nciressp said my godfather, why
, | she is as ugly as sln.' -
= "fUglyv exclaimed my mother, my dsugh
| ter ugly! Yeu are crazy, she ia charming
She has somewhat strange appearances, bu
look at her eyes; they are magnificent. An
:, this curly hair and she took hold OF m
bush hair with both hands; 'Uglyl You ar
crszy, my dear sirp and, very much bur
tmy mother began TO pace the salon mu
"'She ia scrawny, email and always sick
continued my brutal godfather, make
dre,smaker cut of her. and he lifted up m
srmp, which were too long, and gave me
slight push in order to show that l was nc
very solid on my thin legs. According I
him, 1 looked like badly Matched CHECKER
make dress maker out of her; that wi
suit her. She is too much Of child TO tur
out badly But old Mr.. Y. remarked this
the stage offered me chances for success, an
that was also my mothers opinion. Besid,
had a gentle voice and very pretty teetl
1 had not yet done growing, aud / woul
grow stouter Finally Mr.. Y. insisted thu
l should be presented to Mr.. Aub,r, ssyiu
that he would arrange the matter with M
De Girardin."
have not yet seen the psges which rela
TO the presentation OF Sarah TO Emile de Gi
ardin. If it was through his influence tn
she went upon the stage, the fact will help
explain the long HaisOn that existed betwee
| them. Girardiu not only admired the a
tress, but if he WIS the first 10 discover h
talents, he probably admired in her his ou
discernment as much as he did the woma
herself.