The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-10-31

hsr peculiar habit Of wrapping herself IN 4
tight-fttinR dress drapsd in straight vsrti-
Oal lines. and her long trains, the strange
sca6olding Of her hair, etc.
due.
Madame Doche. who crsatsd Camille,
wore dressss. which altogether cost only
$4,000 francs, surely enough, but Bern
hardts outfit cost zoo. 600 francs.
Tho only time / met Sarah Bernhsrdt
personally was under very strange cir
cuustances.
Ny uncle having married a cousin OF
Rachel, enjoyed quite nh extensive nc
quaintnnce in theatrical circles. 30 II canne
70 pas that on New Years eve, about nino
o'olosk, . company Of about twenty-four
villa. ness Longiumenn, In tho park OF
which stRsd6 the town whore Adolphe
Adams composed his "Postillion.''
Sarah Bsrn1ardt was the hostess, my rel
atives having placed the grounds at her dis
posnl for tbs evening. She arrived, accom-
hardt, q handsome but notwithstanding
man, who spends his mothers income NJ
quickly a. she earns y. Che suppleness
bequeathed TO him.
/ watched her descend from the carriage.
Simply the way In which she managed her
skirts breathed an atmosphere of the
French theater and Partisan salon. Enter
ing she threw aside the domino. She WAS
dressed In a go-called Bernhardt gown, 4
loose. dark-blueoashmere with a high COL
lar and two rows OF black fur down the
front and q V-shaped belt.
That exquisite touch OF grace and light
ness she displayed in each OF her movo-
ments. She moved MS IL she was playing
q new role, having invested 1t with a hun
dred cunning and original bepuilements.
lcr conversation, sparkling as champagne,
~-o - 49, ar a.xrs ~,r&a ~ ~ ,r7 - ,x ~ a Il I "a
drawls OF satire at the expense Of others.
Her speech ia emphasized by pathetic ac-
cents and expressive mimicry. but only a
few gestures. II silent she has always an
air OF being slightly bold. Despite her
genuine Partisan extravaganza. she be-
haves like the most refined. society lady,
and all her intimate acquaintance say that
she il sedate and even reticent. The cause
Of our assembly was a secret, but we knew
that there was a surprise in store for us.
In the courtyard a heavy wagon was
standing and several footmen were busy
carrying its mysterious contents to the slOp-
ing before the villa.
The time passed quickly in gay conversa-
ton around the dinner table. Toward mid
night, we we're requested to don u out
door garbs to take a walk in the park.
Some Of W could not help shaking our
heads at the prospect of leaving. q warm
room for the snow-coyered park. Yet we
wrapped up as best we could.
Outside an unexpected spectacle awaited
US. A large number of logs were heaped
in a huge pile and set fire to. A number
OF camp chairs were spread out on the
ground. Several large silver bowls, half
flied with ice and rum, were placed at
random; they were waiting to be filed with
chnrnpage.
1t was now a few minutes to midnight.
We all waited a breathless silence for the
stroke of - from the clock of the village
church. The champagne was uncorked and
poured into the bowls, and at the same
time very strange drinking vessels were
banded to us-human skulls plated inside
with silver. A murmur of establishment
mingled with the night wind. Even Sarah
Bernhardt's most intimate friends were
surprised, though it is generally known
that she has ornamented her rooms with a
dozen of skulls.
The drinking vessels were filed to the
brim, and now Mime. Bernhardt raised hers
high above her yellow head. At this mo
ment the clock began to strike IL, one-two
it rang out clearly in the frosty New
Years morning, and then our hostess cried:
Ladies' and gentlemen; may all Of you n
Joy life in the new year!'
We all shook hands wishing one another
a happy new year.
Having overcome our first aversion to
drinking from human skulls, the strange
vessels were filled again and again. and
conversation waxed louder snd more boist-
erous. The flames rising from the burning
pile filled the grounds with the quaint
shadows of the surrounding trees, and threw
a rudy light on our animated faces. At
last. when the bowls were empty, all
mounted the old-fashioned staircase Of the
tower.
There Law the country wrapped in snow
in the dnsk of night, a white plain under a
starlight sky, dotted here and there with a
stretch of dark forest land, liRhtened here
and there by a torch of color, the lights of
a neighboring village. and at the horizon
the reflection of the innumerable illumina-
tions Of Paris. ~
Then the party broke up, mounted their
carriages and started off at full Rallop over
the deserted country roads to the nearest
depot, from whore a special train took them
to Paris. r..