The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-09

LOT Sarah's mother TO place the girl in
! me conservatory. 1t was the only thins
| Whlen was possible, so to the conserva-
tory she went Ii was there that she
met Marie Columbier, who afterward
| wrote The Memories of Sarah Bar
num- book which made a horribly
VICIOUS attack upon Bernhard, ana
| caused three duels before it was sun
pressed, besides gaining for the author
ess a horsewhipping from Sarah her
| sell. Columbier and Bernhard, had al
| Nlded the second prize for elocution at
! the conservatory, but no one believed
that Sarah could possibly keep pace
| with the other girl Columbier was
considered to be by far the more promis-
! ing OF the pair. Bernhardts vastly great
er success may have been what really
caused the scurrilous book to be written
/ French women have been known to be
| Jealous. Bernhard was born about 1870
| her father was an attorney at Havre
and her mother a Dutch Jewess Of AM
sterdam. Her early youth was passed
| IN the latter city, where, after the death
| OF her father, she lived with her grand
| father. From this home she was sent
| into the convent of the Grande Champ at
| Versailles, where she was educated in
/ the Catholic faith. At Is the life Of the
convent was exchanged for the life of he
/ conservatoire.
1 have never thought that 1 was born
to be an actress. l have always known
that l was born to be painter and moth
| ing else. If l had had my way l should
| have been a painter. OF all things in this
world love painting best and did love
| II best then, and always shall love it
| best. But circumstances made an act
/ ress of me, and at first a very bad act
| ress for all the critics could not have
been mistaken, and there was not one
who did not join in my condemnation.
l sank into complete obscurty, but ]
worked. What was before me l did not
| like, but 1 would not consent to being
/ failure. l was forced to do something
which I did not wanf to do. but 1 made
up my mind to do It we'll l played minor
parts at the Gymnase sang in the chorus
| at the Porte st. Martin, and did general
drudge work. But 1 never stopped my
! study for moment. At last 1 got an
other chance. It was the night of Jan.
IA, 1867. 1 played Arhalfe In Les Femmes
| Savants.' l succeeded mildly. ! was no
| longer utterly obscure. Two years later
l won a real triumph in the part of Ear
nette at the Odeon.
This was really the beginning of the
time when the public saw fit to be good
| to me. There has been no cessation Of
| its pleasantness since then, some of it,
/ think, have deserved some OF it know
l have not deserved My place in the
/
after l had created the part of Marie de-
Neuborg in 'Ruy Bias by Victor Hugo.
After 1 had played the part of Donna
| Sol in the same writer's Hermann, he
sent me a little note saying: I wept.
Accept the homage of that tear of the
| old poet That was the most welcome
praise 1 had ever known.
| Since then there IS scarcely writer in
the whole world she knows so well who
/ 4. L, u
| Hugo then. The greatest playwright Of
modern times-Victorien Sardou-has for
years devoted his best brain for her. He
/ has written nothing without considering
her needs and her capabilities; he has
| placed himself ard his pen at her service
absolutely. She is considered first All
| other genius comes second in his mind
| That is tribute worth the gaining.
| Bernhardts greatest triumph is unique
She has triumphed over time In all the
world to-day there is no woman actively in
| the public view who has lived so long, and
who has lived so much during the years
| that she has lived She may be So she
may be 50, yet she looks 80, and that not
only on the stage, when she has all the
| accessories of arranged lights and hidden
/ paints to gloss the ravages of time, but in
| her own reception room at midday with
| the light of the sun shining brightly in,
and with the visitor so close to her that
| powder and rouge could ill deceive him.
| There is in her wonderfully mobile face
not one wrinkle. Her hands are as soft
| and as smooth as any young miss could
wish her own to be- 1t is only in her
wrists-those remorseless clocks of the
human frame-that the tale of her years
is told And she wears long laces about
| them. which conceal them except when
her gestures, free and graceful as the ny
| ing of a bird, disturb their folds and re-
veal the little tracks upon her flesh Her
voice has not in it one of the cracked hlga
notes which one expects in woman VINO
has passed the meridian of life, and jour-
neyed well along toward the time when
the sun must set, and along a rough and
rocky road, at that, but is as full of the
round, full, wonderful tones, the rich, pence
trating, mesmerizing cadences which have
charmed audiences and intimates from
the day when she first swept the pubic 10
her feet with her performance OF Zarnette
in Coppees PEASANT" When | told her
now America admires her her laughter
came out ripping and musical-it was the
laughter of a young girl, not that of an old
woman When she leaned forward and
told me how she admires America, the
pretty words were spoken in the voice OF
a maiden-a maiden who hesitates and al
most bushes before she gives rein
to her impetuous enthusiasm. And If she
/
after | had left her.
IF YOU were to name the very great
est part that has ever been written for
presentation on the stage, what would
YOU answer" 1 asked, after she had tod
all our merits as a nation, and refused
to acknowledge that we have any faults
worth mentioning. She hesitated for
long time, toying with the fur of her
wrap and twisting big tassel which hung
down from it. Finally she said, reflect-
| lively:
For men PROFESSIONALLY the great
est part is Hamlet. l am anxious to hear
what Alexander Salvinf who is to play
il in America soon, will do with it. For
women the greatest part is that of Lady
Macbeth. If you turn to comedy, the
! greatest part is in AS You Like 1t. But
aside from that one l rank Moliere with
Shakespeare as a writer of comedy Look
a. the School of the Women, The School
of the Husbands and Amphitryon-all
grand. II had to give preference among
! Moliere's comedies, it would be for Tar
| tuffe of the Wise Women"
and the greatest single emotional sit
uation?" ! persisted.
ooh. there are so many SO many
lsbe exclaimed. There is the last act in
T Camille. There is the third act in La
] 4.