New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-05
AUGUSTINE BROHAN.
"REMINISCENCES OF An ACTRESS ONCE IA
MOrs IN THE COMEDIES OF MoLIERE.
Paris. February ! I.

, ~
Paris February Z.
For some years past an elderly lady misht hi'c
been often seen in weather in Fare DC N'"',-
ccau. leaning as she walked on the arm OF @oo''
uatured mddlc-agcd woman evidently Ia W.
pendent situation. The former set her ioo' COW"
with tbe uncertain step which is sign OF coming
paravsis When she sat on a bench she iretted AM
fumed. and must have often tried the patience
of her companion. Her sight being gone. shc
could not see what was passing around her. mnch
lcss read or sew Being read TO seemed to NeN
her. her ear was so easy to offend She wore
respirator This was rot TO prevent her from
breathing cold air but because time had told on
mouth which was crst famous for the slvery tones
that came from it in speaking or in laughing anu
for the power it's smiles had to light up incly
proportioned face False teeth were hore, anu
the resprator when they were not used LII 'he
toothlcssncss of tho gums Yet there was much l"
the old lady that was out Of the common Ohe
felt that she was parsonage, ana re'harNa''.
one too She had fine bearing when she SAT
down and gave herself up to her rc'cctiohs !"
speaking she expressed herself in short and often
caustic phrases Pecvishness was her most con-
slant humor But she could b. funniy lronlcal
and she had talent for hitting nails on the h'an
Her dress handsome originally, was carclesSiy pun
and SHABBY, more, one SAW, HUH
rs TO how she looked than from want of means,
for she was too snf-wlcd and independent III
her words and ways to b., what is known as a de-
cayed gentlewoman.
The subject of the above sketch WIS Angus
tine Brohan, daughter of another famous comic
actress, Suzanne Brohan or Brown, ana sister of
the not less wel-known Madeleine Brohan. Her
Eiccc and in some respects the hcrcss OF the
Wis comica Of the whole family was the lat"
Nine Samary OF the Francois, tie only thea
ire in which any Of the Brohan kindred ever
played. They were an example OF the
benefits OF mi-ccgcnation, Suzanne being thc
daughter Of a Scotchman by scmi-Italian semi
French Jcwcss. She was. to us" French
cuphcmism, the friend of Prince Benjamin d"
Rohan, who was one Of the dandics Of the Rrs'o-
ration, and she lived IN Lcr early c.ayacting
DAYS al the old Hotel dc Rambouill"t, in the then
UNREASONABLE district of Saint Antoine, where by
the way the mothcr OF the Empress Eugene re-
sided early in the thrti"s. Suzanne mad" out OF
Brown and Roan TIE composite name OF I'!ohail,
under which the births of her daughters wcr"
registered. Augustine was born nj the Hotel d"
Ramboulct and was brought mp in In" now a.
moshcd street Of Rue Saint Thomas du Louvre
She took for her motto when 4 star Of III" ffan-
cais: "Brolan 10 sus." an adaptation of the
proud one OF the III EO!ili> AUgH>lHl'
was thrust into the Conscrvatorc at the age Of
ten. and much against her will. Scotch blood
showed itself in the horror in which sh' held the
stage Her mother had endless difficulty IN
keeping her at the Conscrvatoirr. There was
daily fight between them Tor five years. Aurus
tine being DESTROYS Of religious life SuzanH'
Brohan had been icr first theatrical teacher
She next passed under ia" tuition Of Samson. Of
whom the great Rachel WAS n pupil But the pre-
cept,r who held her soul was h'r cat"cilsf, III"
Ahbc Paravcy. Of Saintc Fustachc.
Al the ace Of fifteen She ran away fiom l"mc
10 take refuge in a convent. from which her
mother succeeded in Withdrawing her. IN" Abb"
writing 70 Augustine 80 honor those whom God
had in the natural order set over her. This
bappcncd q few months after sh" had won In"
second prize Of comedy nj the Con-crvatorc
year later she won the first prir" in tho part 81
Dorinc in Lc Bourgeois Gentilhommc. soon
after she was presented by hrr mother AZ III" Ih"1-
tire Francois candidate fer IN "ngas"m"nt
Though inexperienced in playing before III" public
she scored brilliant success on h." first appcara'c
there and was 1T once given salary - 5000
francs year, large one for girl Of sixteen ard
for the time AZ which il allowed her. Her
surface nature led her 10 what was gay and joy
Gus. and She chiefly played tn" parts Of soubrcitcs
Of the classical stock plays and her physique
helped her forward in this genre inasmrch n her
teeth were rows of evenly set pearls ard her
checks dniplcd is she snilcL Everything about
her hctokcnc1 brains and Of the lest sort. When
she talked she was as witty comedy of Shcr-
dan The suhStratum Of her mind deeply
serious and nobody felt more than Sh" did what
il awcsornc in human life. Her bcttr nature in
her immoral surroundings made her 70 unhappy
that TO b. able 10 live in peace Of mind shc
crushed il ont Her voice. IT once soaofons ara
silvcry and her clear dction were natural gi:te
improved by cultivation. and were enough III
Themselves 70 make her the most fetching
dicnnc that ever played perhaps at the Francar.
Augustinc's yivacity was delightful Whenever,
in Louis Plilippc's time, she asked 10 play
AZ the Tnilcrics or the Chateau dEu, she appeared
there as Toincttc in "I.o Maladc magna:ir."
One day on arriving at Eu. 10 play before the
Queen Of England and her husband. the young
French princes after her shouting "Toinctt',
Toincttc" She went and bought the biggest doll
she could find She sat up all night dressing il
in Toinctic costume and sent it next morning ~
her royal admirers to signify that she regarded
them as silly babies. KccpiHo much in the Mo-
licre comedies. her talk was Moiercsque. Had her
conversation been set down by Shorthand
writer II would have been clever any dia-
logue that she gave an actress She did not
fear strong language. Sometimes she was very
Gaulois, hut managed not TO bc gross. Alfred d"
Nussct who forsook George Sand for her, wrote
for her q dramati2c1 prOvcrb in which she was Il,
her best IL was all sparkle. and was she.
Augustine Brohan inspired tie elder Dumas :
prologue to "Ic Testament dc Cesar" aud sh"
recitcd it when il was "A theatrical novelty. lie
Paplon" Of Sardon also written for her. One
of her brilliant triumphs in MalGIlc's Les
DeuX Vcuvcs
Augustine Brol an had a touch Of dour Scotch
elasticity Her smart sayings and her power TO
draw striking and suggestive word portraits and