Morning journal and courier., 1888-12-07
wITR SARAH RERNHARDr.
Fresh Views of the Stages Greatest
 Woman.

N GeBn W1OWB Vk t00 Sb&&G'B %KV@ecR%
 Woman.
 From St. Jemes's Gazette.
 A lady contributor to Vienna newspaper gives an interesting account of 8 pleasant little interview which she has had with Sarah Bernhardt, who is now delighting by her performances the gay inhabitants of the Austrian capital. Mime. Bernhardt, we are told, likes, after the French fashion, to re- ceive and to chat with visitors behind the scenes in the intervals between the acts. "1t refreshes me,o she says. 1n this, remarks the writer, she differs from Austrian actress es. The majority of these are so nervous that when they are engaged to play an in- portant part in the evening they never re- oeive 8 visit during the day nor converse with any stranger. Mime. Bernhardt "does the honors" with the utmost suitability.
 She instantly surrenders the only chair which her private room contains. Approach ing the mirror, which she has surrounded with half dozen candles in order to study the effects of light, she quietly finishes her toilet It never occurs to her to make sea oret of any one of it's thousand little arts; and 1aughingly replies to the visitors anx~ ious question whether her presence disturbs: fWhat an ideal. There are no secrets here. Everybody knows that we paint and powder for the stage" Meantime she chats away about ali sorts of things, and willingly con- fesses that she is aattered when any one praises her dresses 1T love my dresses" ]" she says; s'I take such interest in them; it makes me glad to think of them and to ar- range them" Mme. Bernhardt relates that she Gin this how unlike most other women has for years remained true to the same dressmaker, and has never had @ quarrel with her.
 Here the business manager arrives and in- forms the artiste of the distinguished per- sons who are to be found among the sudi- ence in the theater. Mme. Bernhardt had had requested this information, for on the occasion of her debut in "The Lady of the Camellias," she was in despair because, through ignorance of their presence, she had not made special bow to the Grown Prince and Princess, who had honored the performance by their attendance. She in quires carefully each evening whether any actor is present from the Imperial theater, and always asks to be informed where the artists of that establishment, when present, are seated, as also as to the whereabouts of the newspaper critics, so that she may bring them beneath her glanees during the progress of the play. And now comes in l the stage manager, to announce that the stage is all ready to begin. The interviewer l has still time to ask the actress what she | thinks of the toilets of the Vienna ladies ! The answer was crushing. Mime. Bernhardt 1 found that the Austrian ladies' style of dress | was bold and startling "But," she added 1 Automatically, 'tit suits them; and, more 1 over, they seldom exceed the bounds ot gooe l taste."
 l The actress here left for the stage, hel maid supporting her train and an sttendan following with small glass containing glyo erine, which Sarah declares an unfailiBs means of strengthening and clearing thu l voice. tIt is really not bad, she says, as il I friendly fashion she offers few drops tt those around to taste, anSoffer which no on
 seems disposed to avail himself of. Her the actress catches her stage cure and hasten forward after hearty "au revoir." Sh ] plays without the aid of prompter, wh nevertheless is at his post, but only for tn
 assistance of the others. A quarter of al
 hour later the actress returns to her dressin
 room trembling, deathlF pale, real tear
 coursing down her cheeks, and says faintly
 ''Like Ghe Lady of the Camellias, I hay often wept whole nights" But her weak
 ness soon disappears, and five minutes late
 Mime. Bernhardt is again the pleasant hostes
 in her room amid her magnificent dresses.