Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-09-06
10 be continued
A GREAT HISTORIC BELL.
A Tour Through the 2ost Celebrated Play
house in the World.

Tour Through the Most Celebrated Play
house in the World.
In the Theater Franchise at Paris we
pass the side wings that lead TO the stage,
and soon reach the foyes Ges Or istes or
green room, TO which the actors and ac-
tresses retire during intervals of their
parts IN the play.
It is the most celebrated room of its
kin2 III the world, says correspondent
OF the Boston Transcript. The ceiling is
low, the floor we'll waxed, she furniture
covered with dark green Utrecht velvet;
the high windows are heavily shaded with
faded curtains, which, like the chairs and
tables, recall the days OF the First En-
pire. The place has an austere, dingy
look ABOUT 1t. But the company is, no
doubt the real ornament Of the Rue de
Richelieu green room. Il should be
Iig hted up, perhaps, to look its best.
There, III recent days, privileged visitors
might have seen Nile. Brohan at her
knittlng; Mounet-Sully reading, with
tragic o, ebrows, some vellumbound edl-
ton Of the latest poet; Manbant, in his
moments OF good humor, playing cup
and ball; Worms, talking antiquities, and
Got agriculture. And, in former years,
when that demon of dlscorG, Mime. Sarah
Bernhardt, sweep IN with her train OF
courtiers and her courtly train, it must
have been an intere sting sight
My guide points out some of the chief
curiosities among the portraits and pic
lures of the room. Mignard's well known
canvas of Moliere, which some assert not
20 be the work of that renowned French
painter; beautiful portrait OF Mile.
Duclos; the noble Roman head Of Taima,
Rachel in her flowing, classic drapery,
etc. Portraits, in fact, here abound, to
each of which some romance Or story Is
attached. Godfrey has couple of ex-
ceilent paintings, one representing the
Theater Francaise in 1910, and the other
grouping the troupe as 1t Was composed
IN 1864, with M. N. Mauoaut, Coqueiln
and Got and Mines. Brohan, JouassiA and
Favart. The marble chimney piece, re-
presenting the apotheosis of Mullsre, is
nIarvelously well executed. Oae OF the
most curious relics of the past, was told,
is the bell which, now included among
the 'pro perties," once hung in the belfry
OF the abbey church OF ST. German FAUX
errOis, and on that terrible night Ia Au-
gust, 1872, sounded out the signal for the
massacre of ST. Bartholomew. When the
revolution came the bells from the
churcher were requisitioned, thrown in
to the crucible and recast into cannon.
By strange coincidence the company at
the Theater Franchise were playing
"Charles k" bell was wanting to toll
the signal of the Huguenot massacre, and
Marie Joseph Chepier asked the Conven
ton for the famous bell, which was given
to the theater, so that the iron tongue
which baoe our factors murder the
the other three centuries before spoke
again in tones of reproof to the actor
VINO played the weak king, standing by
his window OF the old L uvre, and start
ing when he heard the solemn toliing.
Che bell is seldom heard now. 1t was
taken out, however, and swung tenpora
rily when Victor Hugo'a drama of "Mar-
ion Delorme" was being performed.