The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1891-05-19
THE ARGONAUT ON SARA BERN
HARDT.
Can the Artist BE Isolated from
tke Woman

peawuee O.. the hrSt number Of
Thar admirable journal, Harper :
Weekly, the play OF Camille, by
Alexandra Dumas fils, was hr>t
uroduced before an American audi
ence: and the late Theodore SedS-
wick. who was under contract 10
lnish leading articles for the new
paper. chose, rs the subject OF MS
initial leader, the mOnSrous neon
sistencv involved in the rush of the
best ana most moral people Of New
York 10 witness . play which, as
he said. was IAN apotheoSlS o. q
poor pulmonary prostitute. Il
was George William Curtis, now
leading editorial writer Of the
Weekly. who observed that II must
possess extraordinary innate vital
1rv 10 have survived It's frst lead
ne article. And. indeed, neither
the eloOuence nor the honest lndlS-
nation Of Mr.. Sedgwiek have avail
ID the popularity OF Camille. II
holds The boards 10 this day as
firmly Is il did thirty years ago.
Maideus and matrons, 10 whom
he calling Of Camille Is not 70 be
whispered. and who glide serenely
through life unconscious Of the
medium IN which she foaJei. 20 10
hear each successive lragedienne IN
The part, and compare them with
compl2cency.
The anomaly recurS IN the pres
eut rush 10 hear Sarah Bernhardt.
The adv has lived in such : E-~re
Of light that i did not need the
memoirs Of d. sara Barnum 70 en-
tighten the world IS 70 her sntece-
dents. Her SAD -irlhOOd, her mad
wOuanhood. her eScapades Innumer-
able. her bold defiance Of social
law. the paternity Of her son, the
l.reuus.ances Of her marriage, are
al known 10 every one. There Is
20 scandal about her, because
scandal implies . doubt. She has
lived her life IL the lace Of men 50
d-a-en.v that there : 10 doubt
abou. anything. Everything has
been revealed. she mas hidden
nothing. Every page Of her shame
tul career has been opened N broad
iav. 50 that he who ran could read.
She has lifted up her face, with the
stamp on her brow, with defiant
Indifference % what people might
Say Of her.
And yet The purest and most
modes. ladies Of San Francisco
nave been for : week rumbling
over each others feet. IL : fierce
rage for tickets, 70 see this person
play the part Of another prostitute,
who only differed from Camille il
.hat she was not pulmonary.
The incident implies 81 ethical
distinction which deserves 10 be
4nalvzed and explained. Not one
Il the ladies who have crowded
aud are c-owdinE the Opera House
would for = moment think OF ad-
hitting 70 her drawing-room : per
son q the class 70 which Bernhardc
belongs. Il = man should introduce
. woman Of loose life into : house
cz which he had the entry. ne
would be kicked into The street. Il
me person found her way into =
Gathering q ladies, the police
would 5e called % remove her.
Coa-2c- with her would be poI.U-
-ion. Conversation with her would
OS-@c-ze any who venCureG On /.
Society places her ana women like
ha- On the footing Of lepers and
smallpox patients, who mus, be
treated By ISOLATION.
We are then 10 infer ,ha1 the IL
fanny Of association with Soiied
doves springs not from the stain
-hev bear. but from the uediCm
through which they are viewed.
Seen IN = drawing-roOm. by the
light Of = chandelier. the dove Is so
Io4tbesome that the sight Of her Is
iefIemeut. But seen 2croSs = row
Of .oOtGEhts. on 8 background q
painted Oriental scenery, she Is az
interesting Object q ar, upon
which the chastest eve may dwell,
with pleasure. L : al : question
u locality and environment The
woman : The same, whether IN :
WCr-1 dress - : reception or II :
roll q Persian St1E on the stage.
Sat the glamour q stage acces-
SORES and the license q art con
verts that which : simply revolt
NJ IN the one place 70 that which
: attractive IN the other. We lay
down the rule th2t an redeems
everything, and reeoneiles Us 70
cSke our daughters 70 see on the
>,Sse = woman, 70 gaze upon whom
under any other Circumstances
would & 81 unforgiyable SIN.
These rules are after 81 mainly
conventional. L Is not USGSl IN
-he United Stztes for young ladies
% take the SIR II s simple costume
O 5Sck comb snd slippers; but
Young ladies Of the same sge Sn6