Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-02-19
SARAH BERNHaRDT'S PASSION.
What Sardou Has to Say Of the Noted
Actress-Her Violent Rage.

What Sardou Has to Say Of the Noted
Actress-Her Violent Rage.
Paris Cor. New York Tribune.l
When Sardou was asked whether Sarah
Bernhardt was playing tricks, he said: Il
think not / have had great experience with
women Of her class, and think know when
they are not counterfeiting, and when they
are acting a part She was nearer to q
demon than any woman l ever saw when
went to call on her yesterday. She is not,
observe, young; she knows that her power
Is woman-1 do not speak Of her prestige
as an ectress-is on the wane, and she finds
herself deserted by man who had acquired
over her the most absolute asceniency that
love can secure. He might insult her.
trample upon her feelings, give the rein u
any amount Of ill-humor, take any liberty
before strangers in talking at her, criticise
her sharply, and yet not cool, in any wise,
her passion. She was magnetizei by his
powerful masculinity. He was disappointed
that she didn't carry all before ner in
England as Lady Macbeth in his
translation Of Shakespeare's tragedy So
was She. Indeed. she was annihilated by the
GOODNESS with which she was received She
Is a creature entirely without ballast and
exnggerates every thing. She is like one
possessed Of an evil spirit when she gives
herself up TO hatred, which she often ,e~.
The spirit lodged in her rends her and can
not be exercised. Although she does not
shrink from doing under all circumstances
just as she likes, she can not half express
those violent emotions even when she gets
into fits Of choking rage"
Sariou says that Sarah has the tempera-
nent OF the Jews of Jerusalem between the
nativity and the taking OF that city by
Titus. She has notion that she should be
n law unto herself, or indeed that she should
lie subject to no law except that OF her own
whimsical will. She is, though convent bred,
utterly without religious feeling or belief
and yet very superstitious. Her supersti-
tons are the reverse of consoling. She
will begin no task, enter into no engage
ment, attend no rehearsal, set out on no
journey on a Friday or on the 10Th Of any
month With that, she is an avowed atheist
and ready To give the fullest possible value
to Richepins "Blnsphemies7 by reciting
them in Ter richest and sweetest tones Sar.
dou claims tender pity for Sarah. No doubt
he is right. Those effects she produces on
the stage exhaust vitality with terrible
speed. All artists, literary or other, charm
through cerebral congestion. When they
most delight they are most consumed by the
inner fame to which they owe communi-
cative warmth
Sarah's affairs are in utter disorder When
she earns n lot Of money She filings it away
She overrates her strength to make engage.
ments which she is unable to keep, and gets
herself entangled in ruinous lawsuits Sar-
dou visited her just after Richepin had let
her know that deep gulf vas irrevocabiy
opened between them and that lie was GO
ing to Newfoundland She was rolling on
the floor, gnashing her teeth. breaking and
biting everything that came in her way,
screaming. sobbing, imprecating, and wish
ins her elf annihilsted. When her nervous
power was spent she was "like a rag and
implored her visitor to have compassion on
her and not press her to rehearse the charac
ter Of Theodora-thc Brizantine empress,
who had been a circus-rider AMI profession
ally gallant before the Emp error Justinian
was bewtched by her and MARRIED her.