The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-06
HER ONE GREATPASSION.
MARVELLOUS TALENTS JOINED TO
DEBASING GREED FOB GOLD.

Her Ingenious Schemes for Extort-
ing Money from Her Admirers.
From the Nelo York Press
Many old theater-goers who have taken
dalioht in the performances of Mime. Bern
bardt will recall the advent in America of
another great French actress, Mile. Rachel
Felix. commonly known as Rachel. 1t was
the success of Jenny Lind in this
country that first gave the Felix
family the notion Of sending their
PRODIGY 10 the United States. The Swedish
Nightingale had taken from these shores in
a brief engagement the substantial sum of
ZOO 900 francs, and Raphael Felix, the
brother of Rachel, and the most rapacious
of an avaFicious family. thought to win
equal reward by taking his sister to the
Americans.
Rachel herself made Mammon her god.
and the stories told OF her grasping nature
are amusing and a trifle disgusting, but in
regard to this American tour she seems to
have had presentiment. She felt that she
was doing an unwise thing, and her pres
ages proved correct. The American tour
of Rachel not only was less profitable than
the Felix family hoped, but il was the means
of fastening the death of the actress,
Such was the greed of the members
of her family that Alexander Dumas said Of
the projected tour: SHOULD Mile. Rachel
succumb to climate, fatigue or disease. like
Mile Sontag, they would make the best of
the misfortune by having her embalmed
and exhibiting the body of Rachel to the
Americans, since they could not exhibit her
alive"
BERNHARDTs SISTER IN ART.
There are few points of resemblance be-
tween the characters of Bernhardt and
Rachel They we're sisters in art and in
race Bernhardt is thought to be uncon-
yentional in her personal life. Rachel was
also inclined to the same vagaries. There
seems to have been an element of meanness
about the earlier actress which is happily
lacking in the makeup of the divine
and erratic Sarah. People will forgive
Bernhardt her moral eccentricity as critics
deal forgivingly with her attempts at paint
ing and sculpture, while but few can read of
Rachel's knavish avarice without feeling
Of contempt Rachel was ''guyed" about
her thin figure as Bernhardt used to be be-
fore she grew tolerably plump. With her
aquiiDe features, her peculiar head, her
deepest black eyes, her long, lean figure,
she is described by Jules Janin as looking
''like serpent standing upon its tail"
There was a constant struggle In her nat
ure between her early habits Of parsimony
and the wish to be thought generous and
the love OF ostentation. One day she gave
dinner to some friends and she wanted a
pineapple as the top piece Of fruit dish.
Pineappes were rather high in Paris then,
and Rachel, rather than pay 20 francs for
one, rented q specimen OF the fruit, which
was to DO for show only aud was to be re-
turned. Unfortunately a mischievous
nobleman who was present and who knew
the circumstances Of the rented pineapple,
thrust a knife into the sacred fruit, where
upon Rachel shrieked and nearly tainted.
WAS the heart of Rachel hidden in the
yDip la2N Cd -koO
Although she made enormous sums in
France, thanks to her own genius and the
business sagacity Of Papa Felix, she re-
sorted to every sort OF vile to add to her
stores. On one occasion she found an old
guitar at the residence OF a female friend
and she begged the antique instrument so
ardently that it was given to her. What
does Rachel do with it? She decorates it
with ribbons and hangs it up in her boudoir.
A rich admirer calls upon her.
BAXTER STREET INSTINCTS.
"What is that old guitar, madamoiselle?n
THAT guitara My Oldest friend. That is
the instrument which l carried when 1 was
street singer in Rouen."
Such q treasure is well-nigh priceless
The admirer begs for it. and finally offers
so, 900 francs for it. With extreme reluc-
tance. initiated with the skill Of the actress,
Rachel consents to part with the instrument
for the sum named. The admirer gives his
check and departs with his treasure He
exhibits it to all his friends as the identical
guitar which the divine Rachel used when
she was u street singer. It is admired, and
the possessor is as happy as any collector
exhibiting his gems to envious friends.
Unfortunately one day he shows the guitar
10 the very woman who gave 1t to Rachel.
She recognizes it, and without malice tells
the truth of it. The chsgrin of the possessor
Of this base counterfeit Of relic may be
imagined.
Those who did not know Rachel thought
that she would make restitution. Not she
When the story was told her she only
laughed and said: 'How furious he must
be.n
This great genius of the stage had an acute
attack of gold fever. While she was under
age her father took her earnings and kept
her on short commons. When she attained
her majority the first collection she made of
her own earnings consisted Of 5000 francs.
She insisted on being paid In gold pieces,
which were brought to her in box. She
passed the evening in plunging her hands
into the gold pieces and playing with them.
VI felt" she confessed to friend, like
wild animal who has the long awaited prey
In his clutches"
She taxed her ingenuity to add to her
stock OF treasures. She sold her present
without the least scruple. Once she an
nounced to her friends that she had "a per-
ACNb DdSSlOu LOT etn0fdluS. One DOuRQE u
Good-sized one and exhibited it to an ad-
mirer as the gifts of his rival. lie, of course,
gave her much larger one. as in duty
pound. Other admirers-there were many
OF them-foliowed this example, till R tchel
mad some forty emeralds, the finest in Paris
Then she cultivated passion for rubies in
Ike manner. and when the list of admirers
was run through a sapphire craze was be-
gun. The stories told of Racheps thrift are
legion; these are but few examples of her
ruling passion.
VOICE WITHOUT HEART OR SOUL.
When she came to America the yellow
ieVer was raging in the south, and chart
tsoly Inclined persons were giving goodly
sums for the benefit of the sufferers
rachel was persuaded to part with 5000
francs on the ground that she would prob
aoly make great amount Of money out Of
the Americans, and could we'll afford this
as an advertisement When business was
1883 active than the Felix family had ex-
Pected this donation was the first thing that
rachel thought Of.
w nat was the use OF my giving thatm
sue SAID pathetically. at was Just money
thrown awayn
rachel differed from Bernhardt in more
respects than she resembled her. Bern
nuI'l1 Is woman of fine culture. Racheps
seIl'uS was SIMPLY intuition and voice. A