The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-02-04
THE GREAT ACTRESS
Bernhardt Says She Speaks
English "Vera Well"
SHE ASKS WHAT RATS MEANS
Theatrically it Means the Show of a Success.
full Rival-She Thinks 'Thermidor"
was Rightly Suppressed.
Especial to THE HERALD-Examiner Dispatch. ]

Especial to THE HERALD-Examiner Dispatch I
New YORK, Feb. 3.-When people see
Sarah Bernhardt this year let them not ex-
pect to gaze on a delicate, thin wasted
woman. Sarah is fat. Your spondent
was one of the party which went to Quar-
antine on the Laura M. Starin to meet La
Champagne, the steamer which brought
Bernhardt again to the shores of New
York, but the French captain wouldn't
allow any of the Starin's passengers to
board his vessel and it was only by clam
boring up the sides of the revenue cutter
and subsequently following the customs
officers that the reporters managed to tread
| the deck of La Champagne before the liner
locked.
Sarah was in her stateroom. She looked
very pretty in q loose fitting scarlet colored
dress with girdle round her waist. On
her left breast she wore a large ieweled
heart. After introductions, which were
made by Grau. the Bernhardt sat on the
edge Of her berth and began to talk in
French. There was little table in front
OF her and Sarah placed both her tiny feet
on it so that the toes of her slippers just
iOoOuOu OfCl tut GCp VI GuG IdUle. I16F
taWny hair was worn in the style familiar
to all who knew her, Psyche knot behind
and the lnterminable frizzes, low down on
ner forehead they crept and over her head.
Her ears were almost concealed by them.
Her eyes, blush gray, and her even teeth
glltteIed together while she talked so
volubly that even Mile. Seylok, the soub-
rette, who occupied the suite with her, tried
to check her flow of speech by interfering
remarks.
The actress was much interested in the
reports given her of the reception of ether
m1dor'' in Paris and thought the govern
menG did wise thing in suppressing it
alter the first performance as a revolution
might have followed if the play had been
continued. She was visibly affected when
told that Meissonier was dead, as both art
ISIS had met only three days before the
Champagne sailed. Myrtah, while.this com
pany was being entertained by Bernhardt,
came out from under the bed and rested his
mead on Sarah's knee. Myrtah is an enorm-
Gus Danish hound. Sarah also brought
with her monkey which she calls Papil-
lion. The lady was asked whether she had
brought her asps along.
"Asps!" she laughingly replied, 'Why, l
wouldn't think of having asps about me.
My assistants in Cleopatra are lizards;
they are harmless. Can get any lizards
here! suppose could borrow one from
the Central park keeper"
Then Sarah was asked about her jevelry
for cleopatra" She had lots of it, all of
ancient pattern, but as it was stageje welry
she did not know its value BY
this time the big steamship had
toward her dock and Sarah went out into
main saloon followed by Myrtah, who was
told peremptorily to go back to bed, COM
mand which he obeyed by calmly sitting
down and looking up at his mistress with
lazp insolence. Bernhard laughed at this
and Myrtah recognized the laugh by one
patronizing wag of his tail.
While the steamer was being tied up the
actress noticed young man sketching her
She went to him aud looked over his shout
der ut Is not my arm she said imperi-
ously, and the young man hastily filled it
out symmetrically. THAT is better" she
remarked, and sitting down in big arm
chair she looked at the daring youth. She
had been talking in French before "Can
you speak English she said. VERY we'll
so he say" pointing to Mr.. Grau. But
somebody tell me what MIR. Grau means
when he say rats 1t is vera bad and he
says it vera often"
Then Sarah sat down at one of the dining
tables at the end of which was seated a
good looking custom house official and to
him she contided the mysteries of the
things she had brought over. 1t fell to
the lot of Colonel Storey and Inspector
Williams to look after this part of the
work. She had 107 trunks and ten
other pieces of baggage. The trunks, she
declared, contained the wardrobe of her
self and her company. She signed her
name with little theatrical gesture and
then retired to her cabin again. She spoke
pleasantly with the custom house officers
but seemed very much fatigued even after
signing her name. She left La Champagne
shortly after the ship had been moored to
her dock and was there welcomed by Mr..
Abbey and his party, who failed to meet
her aboard down the bay Then she got
into her carriage and was driven to her
hotel. Forty members of her company
arrived with Bernhardt-