Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-01-22
81. Louis & San Francisco
A DETIlRONED QUEEN.
Earah Bernhardt's Wonderful Geniu,
and Phenomenal Meanness
Driven by Deaf aud Bind Passion
for 1ion.y-A Life or Cold Cali
Observation-Disclosures
sketch.
FPar;S Cor. New Dreams Picnyune.1

tFariS Cor. New Dreams Picnyunc.l
DID it ever occur TO sou that actors and
actrcsses ought not TO lie poor. While in the
heyaay Of their profession they gain enough
to insure themselves comfort in their old age
but like the lower clnsse. in England. they
prefer to live On charity in their latter days
TO saving mp something of trc;r easily
earned salaries Take Nine Sarah Bern
harit. for inStanc, Never has an actress
risen higher III her profession an never has
oae fallen into lower depths Of despair and
misery than she is sure to fall i.efore many
moons have goao ard come unless she put,
on the irakes very soon. Was there ever al
Other women with such history a. hers
has been, AMI which il not vet ended.
Her beginnings were difficult, aud
alrcaiy she was tormentei by debts:
but one day sine scored success, III
the PEASANT at the Odeon. success due
partly TO the tender charm of her yo.ce ard
partly TO Suggestive umbi guilty OF her
plasiipie. Then she entered ths Come .ie
Francai>-. where she sool came famoIs
She feted AMI applsu-teI no other
actress had been who ever appeared before
the Partisan public.
No doubt her talents are oil THE hishcs,
order and sis i original seductive ai4d
graceful IN her eyer movement. but shr had
the good luck II max. her appearance AT
time when tber- v.s- longer any rrIly
great actresses on the Iranch stage AMI when
there wars. very !.H !-,t aiuong the public
who r,rne,nherel Rachel and Augustine
Br.phnn. Her name grew and grew, and
soon il filed Paris. the provinces and foe gn
Lands No ca MAS talked about hui
her; she w.sS pinot 2-rayhoi, painted IL
oils. carve IN marble and eye-y one lid
their h--t - surround her with an armo,-
phere If eccentricities Her toilets we're
loole: upon n ,.nigmas; her sliChte.; gesture
was said - Conceala mysterious E.eauin :; her
hair to ren iar rh.7c mad who touched Il:
her flowers To- breathe forth r5is which
were h7r oniy food
Whom snr received. ncr salon was crowded.
with tha noblc-f name in Europe The aims
of Chr.stenInm bowed down before this
stage queen. Sh- wau' up IA n balloon ard
4 nation watched her a-c-ut in hruath!cSS in
;ercst ,ha wrote book for which TIE puJ
fishers contsnaed. he ~ 10 statues and
painted picture which the a lmiring pubic
declared rGasterpiece,. /, SEEMED a. if her
brain must burst under tn" Tremendous pres
sure Of her inspir.Iti p. that hnr soul was
shaken like n rcci by :. FlNiai of cres-
ton.
Ali NJ once the Tun.ic learned ttay she had
eft the Coincide Fran as, and MES setting
forth on a victurioEs toar over the face Of the
earth. then cam, tn W. 81 Ter trIulBl hant
progress. 81 tbs dipio-i t;ic incidents which
she was the cau5e Of She was in America,
in Russia. IN London. In Italy; millions were
poured in:" her ian. To- surprise herself n
well L. the puh.i- she got married. and then
unmarricd she bOugh, al ;aa theatres thai
came in her way, and hardly entered into
posse sion before sc r.l.n4ui he'd them
agan. Now sic Ia, i mel n contract with
this manager now shn has broken the one
that bound her t. another; everything that
she touches fails IN pieces. she lives in an at
mo phere Of lawsuits and executions, and
wherever she go,s long string OF creditors
cling 10 her skirts. and at last she is NJ
longer able to keep them at bay
| know that there are people who pity
Sarah Bernhardt, and declare that IT is her
love " tire ideal which has been her ruin:
they say that IN tho>e days 81 prose and
nrtistic corruption she has devoted herself 10
pure ar; aud that it IS her etlur;s TO redeem
the stage that has proved her rum. For my
part can find nothing Of all this in the life
of Sarah Ec-nEardt ! see in that life n
great deal If calculation, Of crasiinS after
the main chance. a cold and Intentional folly
anl above ali thirst after money. There is
not an &C; in the life OF Sarah Bernharit
which has not money for its motive; il seems
as If she felt that mountains Of gold would
not suffice for her extravaGHnceS. and she is
forever driven 10y deaf aud bind passion
for moncy.
Ii was this that lei her - leave the Thea
tire Francois 81 abruptly. and that led her into
all the acts which have made her SO much
talked abou; because she knew that what
kept her before the public would maze tho
pahlic willing "a pay their money 20 see and
t. hear her. Rut there l. a limit 10 all things
and 81. VIII find this out II her cost when
she Soe, back 10 TIE United States as she in
tends Gaii under Ahtey'S mana cement next