The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-17

do him justice. On the last occasion he
shook my hand warmly and said, heart
lily: How do you do, Napoleon?n Such
cordially put me at ease and in sympathy
with him at once.
There is a great deal in this sympathy,
this magnetism. or whatever you choose
to call it. 1t is the kindred spark which
must exist between the artist and his
subject before truthful artistic work can
be done.
1t would be quite as extraordinary for
Sarah Bernhardt to be prosaic as it would
be for certain persons within the knowl-
edge of all of us, tee be original. Bern
hardt has endeared herself to me by call
ing me
"MON PETIT sARONY!"
My appointment with her was at l 80
p. m. She arrived, after her proverbially
eccentric fashion, at 1870. With her
came her valet and a number of trunks
containing costumes. When told that
another appointment should be made, as
the light would become too dim to do
good work before we were half through
with our sittings, she turned to my assist
ant and asked if what | said was true
He said it was.
''You have no heartr' she cried out,
striking her chest dramatically She was
imperious, inflexible; she demanded that
she nave her pictures made on that very
afternoon. We complied.
In the part of Cleopatra, l desired very
much to catch her expression as she
stamped upon the messenger who brought
unpleasant news from Antony
But | have no messenger" she de-
clared. Some one suggested her man.
She caught at the feasibility of the idea
readily and moment later the astonished
valet was dispatched behind a screen
with some drapery to array himself as
the imperial newsbearer Bernhardt pre-
pared herself in the usual manner to re-
ceive him. When he came in the bottom
of his trousers were visible below the
drapery.
Any other actress would have said in a
trousers. They are not consistent with
the ancient costume"
Not so, Bernhard.
| She was never more dramatic when
actually acting upon the stage.
Mon Dieu: But take off your trous-
ers, - she cried.
She was very anxious to see the proofs
and appointed an hour when might call
upon her at her hotel the other day. /
arrived a little before the time agreed
| upon. 1t was with considerable trouble
that induced the attendant to take up
my card at once. He returned to say that
her majesty wished the proofs sent up
with all possible haste, but that l should
| remain below. Her majesty was informed
| that the proofs and / could not be separ-
ated, as desired, on my part, TO see how
| she received them, a dramatic treat l was
| 10th to deny myself. The answer came
that since she could not have the proof
alone, she would receive both of us, and
| although she was in her wrapper, l was
| admitted to her presence. She fattered
| the proofs and called me "MOu Petet Sar-
! ony'' again and again.
| found Edwin Booth the most genial
| and good-natured of men. | could never
| associate the companionable, yes, even
the jolly Edwin Booth, who came into my
studio on so many occasions with the Ed
| win Booth, of Hamlet, and because of
| this he was the more admirable as man
than as actor. The portrait of him with
his pipe in his hand he disliked very
much. Yet he and his pipe were INSOFAR
| able.
| OF all men, l most enjoyed making a
| portrait of Edwin Forrest. His own
magnetism and vigorous personally put
me at my best. Richard Mansfield is a
realist; he appreciates the limitations of
| Photography; and unlike most actors, in
| stead of desiring to pose in a dramatic
fashion, he wishes to be taken so as to re-
veal the strong characteristics of himself
or of the part he is impersonating
Cnauncey M DepeW mas never been
| taken at his best. His smile is at once
wise and good humored, and. of course,
his chief characteristic. AS a sitter he
| is self conscious, strange to say about
him of all men, and it is impossible to
destroy certain makeup for the oc-
casion appear in his countenance. If
he coulo DO caught unawares in the midst
of story, during political speech, the
real Depew might be transferred to albu-
men paper.
For that matter, this applies in a sense
to all celebrates. To catch the eminent
person in moment of action of triumph,
means that he shall be perpetuated in
manner at once idealistic, and realistic.
That, of course, is a part Of the photogra-
piers art. Still the eminent person is
as sensible of the fact that he is having
his picture taken as is the ordinary NOR
tai NAPOLEON SARoNY.