Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-01-05
SARAH BARNUM,S MEMOIRS.
a Glance Through the Pages of Colon.
bier's Notorious Hook.

4 Glance Through, the Pages of Colon.
| bier's Notorious Book.
''Never has anything more abominable been
written in any language says Albert Wolf in the
Paris Figaro OF the "Memoires de Sarah Barnum.'
| lnlS DOCK Is the cr0wEing point OF the nauSeOuS
literature amid which we are living. After this
there is no reason why all the secrets Of the family
should not be publicly sold. Be 1t truth or lies,
there is no more security II these are the conse-
Guences Of liberty of the press If the magstracy is
disarmed and the police cannot protect us, evant
the horsewhip. the dagger and the revolver"
| glance at the little book copies Of which have
just reached America, win quite justify this out
| burst The identity of "Sarah Barnumn is evident,
out the story but from burlesque portrait of the
famous actress which figures in exaggerated thin
| OF defamation and surrounded by the implements
OF her multifarious pursuits: her palette and
brushes. guitar. etc. The book is entirely and
| INTERESTINGLY Scandalous. and truth and fiction are
! 81 mixed up with well-hnoWn details OF dramatic
history which relate to nobody but Madame Bern
hrdt that the object OF the libel would be evident
even were there any attempt to deny it, On every
| plge mere are inputatons Of immortality and ref
stance in regard to the heroine that can be nut I'm
| bad light Is made the worst OF with remarkable
inganilty. Sarah Barnum Is declared hot even to
| ne truthful In complaining OF a Consumptve ten
dcncy and her splitting blood is attributed to the
effects or some obScurely limited at surgical opera
| ton.
THE LIFE OF TIE ACTRESS.
Nine. Bernhardt is followed from baptism to the
grave with perSeyeTlng malignity. 1t is explained
that she was san essentially practical person. IN
| whom baptism had not destroyed the inherent
commercial Intelligence OF her race" This intelH-
gence she displays according to the story, by
gravely consulting with her relatives, when
eighteen years of age. TO how She can most adj
recital we have an account Of theatrical differences
with the penSiOnnaireS and ocietaireS Of certain
theater where her disobliging manners and gener-
ally outrageous conduct led the director to demand
he: resignation. TO her disappointment the occur
renee made no stir and 1.-THE Coincidence only de-
| splSed the Journalists a little more than before
Hungerng for nooriety, she professed for the In
strumcnts OF putting absolute disCilin the fnso-
| her spite"
BIT OF FEMININTTY.
In the next chapter we are told something OF the
Barnum'S associates: "TO kill time she kept the
company of the fashionable members of the demi-
monde. She was seen at the house of Cora Pearl
and others Those relations, however, proved of
small utility. Her nOtoriety remained nil; her
beauty had nothing attractive :bOut it and she did
not know how to set it off to the best advantage
she only looked we'll in high dress. and of this
She was not aware-just she did not know how
to make the most of the charm Of her eyes and
Or in part OF ecccntricies which at n later date
were adopted by the fashion. but which at this
period simply rendered the originator OF them ride
ulD'tS. sue again sought an engagement. took
thousand fruiess steps TO obtain one, but was soon
Discouraged. tired Of finding herself everywhere
by necessity she fell so low to appear under a
false name in IA ieerie at the Porte-Saint- Martin.
She played the part of Princess Souci. and as it
required dress open at the sides, she relied upon
securing triumph by means Of nesh-colored
tights"
TIE AMERICAN TOUR.
These extracts from the least unpleasant chapters
OF the book will serve to illustrate the temper in
WHICH Mile. C0l0mbier relates the history of her
former friend. The American voyage is narrated
at great length and here we have probably the
CO" OF me book 1t is made TO appear that Sarah's
Z ~ nj 1pnor
pealed to ''her dear Martha' TO help her in this
predciment which the guileless actress consented
story which follows Is long and complicated 1t
reiatss chiefly to disputes about salary with
cannot have much interest except as Colon
hiers version OF a now historic quarrel.
a5d IS na as va Of kind
the crown on a life OF general frailty on the
point OF returning home the female Barnum for
got her promises and, although enriched by her
lucrative tour, even refused her companion loan
countryman whom Martha met and who advanced
her this sum the actress could not have paid her
hotel bll at Rio Janelro and embarked on the
packet without abandoning her baggage! This
time, at least, she determined. AS to sarah she
remained serene and triumphant. as If it could not
De possible That deVntednesS at length ceases and
the more severe"
T the barnums predcament on her return to Paris
Is thus described: "IIer situation one OF real
disaster, a complete wreck. Bills poured in no.
tlceS or seizure came from every side. and her de-
serOn by her friends was such to discourage the
most careless or most philosophical OF BOhemians.
IL seemed as II In leaving the Corneille theater
Sarah had parted with her luck. On one and the
same day the actress received protested bill Of
2oNO francs and dined at II o'clock at night be-
ecG4ltimeS worth OF bre and the butcher francs
worth Of outlets"
Under the head OF "Greatness and Decadence" an
account is given OF theater built expressly for the
hGvni Had
Sarah struggled with the energy OF despair but
without success ''She tried every trick but could
not save her theater' Reference in then made to
momehtary idea OF committing suicide in ro-
mantle fashion, from which she is saved by her in
stnct1ve cowariice. Reference is also made to her
loss of good looks through cares. and her addc-
Corneie thcater, but refused an engagement
"A repulse which caused her ~ double her dose Of
wh SS but not to lose any OF her arrogance
thing to tempt an impreSario In spite OF what
she had gone through she sim had talent only
she was ont of fashion. People reading her
posters Shrugged their shoulders and exclaimed:
THAT old bore again" Old! She was Old Infnri-
lines in her face of which cream was capable OF
soitenlns the liyld wrinkles Then again. her bol
low eyes with eyeiids gone and her hair discoored
roots on the forehead these and her increasingly
heart"
After this we have among other easily recog-
MED incidents glance at the Barnuin Installed
the physical graCeS OF young actor This att icl-
nent, which continues happily for time ends in
her abandonment and despair, and the historian
concludes her book with a DARING glance into the
future. which probably expresses her own wishes
fGr the end OF d checkered career.
THE END.
The closing chapter OF this remarkable mOnu |
ment OF female spite is as follows:
Zone morning In the autumn Of 1S- appeared in
lie Chdntecidir, under the heading sLActuaiite'
the l0loWlng paragraph:
"'Can ANY one in Paris, where fame is as fleeing
as fashion, remember the fetc by which was naug-
urated six years ago. the FoeS-Bergere. then the
Grand Theater Sarah Barnlnl? We remembered
something OF that Incompatible evening. when ac- |
connanytng TO its last dwelling the remains the
poor but great artistic. Sarah Barnum.'
"After some lines relating to the life and success
OF the deunct, and the various steps OF her deca-
dence, LIE Citd3ttrcidii proceeded:
"'One cIi:l now speak freely as to the reporters
Who respect nothing. have discovered tie true |
causes OF death; la Barntm did Kill herself |
Abandoned by the man whom she loved, who was !
we are assured, a worthless character the poor |
woman sought forgetfulneSS in alcohol. On Thurs
day last She made a last attempt to lure back her
lover, and falling OF success returned home In de-
Sa1r. At her request the cO1Scierge bought her a
bottle OF abSintLe. Sarah'S eyes, this woman de-
clares, red; but she did not otherwise betray
any emotion. She gave some orders for the morrow
and then locked herself in her room. On Fri,
day. the door remaining still Shut the pOrtereSSba-
came alarmed and ran to summon the police The