The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-10-30

bigu Theater. the principal role was given
to an actress who proved herself very inca
pablo.
Il was discouraged" said Mendes, "and
one evening after rehearsal walked on tue
bOuevards, and seated at table before
the Cafe de Suede l saw a remarkable
looking woman.
Eureka L exclaimed. and | entered the
cafe.
"'Do you know this woman l said TO
an mDresarln, whom | saw drinking his
absinthe. Yes, she is second-class
danseuse without an engagement
Il Immediately approached her and said !:
viii you accept role in a play now
being reheaTspd at the Ambigu Tbeater 2
''SEe looked astonlshed, and Was sure she
thOughtme insane.
=" i am not joking | said, and then told
her who | was. at the same time giving her
ticket for the rehearsal next day. she
came, and gave her the role; she was SUI
perb, and her success great. mat woman
was Lima Munte, and she would have had
splendid career II she had not attempted
roles entirely beyond her talent"
Tie great alteration of Catulle Mendes Is
for Sarah Bernhard He says that this
actress Is the only one from whom he will
accept advice.
Catulle Mendes is an Israelite, who re-
semDles the Christ, and has written many
legends concerning tie youth Of the Savior.
When in Paris ne spends the Gay visiting
MS JULIUS anu III tUt evening ue
is seen eyerywheTe-at the theaterS, the
cafes, concerts and al the famous BrasseF ie
Pousset at Place ChAteaudun. At this
brasserie he is surrounded by Young poets,
and with them he plays chess until an ad-
vanced hour Of the night.
But Catulle Mendes spends the greater
portion Of bis time at his country home In
ChatoD. a little village on the road from
Paris TO Saint German. Here the poet
rises early and smokes on his balcony until
inspiration comes. He certainly does not
look very poetlcal, for he smokes an I'M
menSe pipe and is enyel0ped in a red and
blue striped dressinggown. Back and forth
he walks looking at the trees until these
in his mind take extraordinary forms
and lie Is transported TO other worlds.
lie dreams, and then he has only to
put his dream on paper. However. before
one word is written all is well arranged in
bis mind. This does not prevent much
erasing, for his paper is always divided, so
| there is q broad margin for corrections.
! Catulle MendeS is the terror OF typesetterS.
| for he grasses, writes under, over, above,
| below and on the line, so that his manu-
| script Is often illegible. But, he often says,
| Il can write like copperplate il l visit, but
| the difficulty is | do not wish to do So"
| CatulIe Mendes now only uses goose quilts.
| when / was poor used steel pens, and if
| l wrote simply Tor money | should still use
| these pens. bueit seems to me that the steel
| iu-Cii upbo INC lie mag
| netlc fluid that escapes from my thoughts is
more easily transmitted to paper BY my
| goosequills."
! Catulle Mendes cannot bear books in
| sight while he is writing, because they
might distract his thoughts. But his library
| Is well stocked, and many of the books are
| accompanied by autograph letters. The
| poet requires long time to write his novels
| tie commences and recommen2es and when
! finished they are printed, the proofs cor
rected and given to the journal in which
| they appear as serials. Once printed, he
completely rewrites them before giving
them to be published in book form,
The home Of Catulle Mendes at Chaton is
very simply furnished ; on the table OF ths
| little salon there Is plaster cast by Rodin,
but there Is not painting. not a work of
| arr. His sister and his three daughters
i've with the poet at Chaton; the eldest Is
| ~ years old while the youngest is perhaps
IL They are all pretty and all learned. for
| they are thorough Greek and Latin scholars.
| Catnlle Mendes is separated from his wife,
known as Madame judith Gautier. She is
daughter or the great poet and prose
| writer, Ibeophile Gautier. He had the odd
| fancy tnat MS daughters should learn the
| chinese language and for time Judith and
Esteile had Chinese tutor. Tintum Ling.
an oriental scholar, Duce professor at the
| COLLEGE OF France. Judith Gautier made
her debut as an authoress by lie Livre de
beaudeiaires limitations OF the Chinese.
Since then she has fried all styles of litera-
! ture; has written novels, art criticisms, and
! an essay on Wagner that has been
translated into English. In fact, both
Judith Gautier and Catulle Mendes are
wagner enthusiasts. and the latter has
| given many lectures TO prove That Wagner
Is the master Of modern music. Not long
ago judith Gautier wrote a companion to the
Livre de Jade" called "Poemes de la
Libellule.," illustrated by Vamanioto.
Her Marehande de Sourires" was the
hrst verltabie Japanese drama ever repre-
sented In Paris. All the costumes were de-
signed by Japanese artists. and the re-
hearsals at the Odeon Tbeater were super
intended by secretaries Of the Japanese
| Embassy.
Judith Gautier herself is like a marble
statue, always draped in a Japanese gown
embroidered in the most marvellous manner.
AT 80 hue Washington, she lives in the fifth
| story. Her salon Is unique. A lamp sus-
| pended from the ceiling throws Its light
| over bizarre pieces of furniture, immense
porcelain vases filed with excite plants.
carved bahuts, gigantic fans. strange divin-
tiles, sfstuettes, curious stuffs, embroid-
! cries, ETC., all scattered pellmel.
On the noor are embroidered straw mats,
| on the walls pictures representing birds
| ana nowers, the work OF Yamourote. the
painter or this temple Wagner is the god
On the mantel is his bust, above the piano
one OF his late photographs with dedica-
! ton. an autograph, "Tristran ct Yseut.
| an ugly story set TO music to give pleasure
to Nine. Judith Gautier- Wagner, a portrait
OF List with autograph, Puvis de Cha
| vannes. Baadry, a portfolio of autographs.
| among them verses composed by Victor
| Hugo for the tomb Of Theophile Gautier.
The most interesting corner of the apart
| ment Is q terrace OF palms, where lives her
| Chinese dog. Monsnie. This little animal
| feeds upon lilacs and Parmese violets.
| With Monsnip Jnfiith Gautipr spends most