Birmingham state herald., 1895-12-29

ply are, but she knows well how to hide them. She laughs at Father Time and laughs merrily, too-not the wheezy cackle of the old woman. but the musical laugh of the girl Laces always cover her wrists and portions of her hands. and some wonderful fabric is always wound round her neck when she is off the stage Her throat immediately below the chin and her wrists may be heavily wrinkled, but no one knows it but her self. Her eyes have the liquid sparkle of the school girl, her figure has the delicate curves of the society debutante, she walks with the grace and vigor of a Diana and she takes a healthy active interest in everything.
 Volcanic Temper.
 Her temper is as volcanic as ever. It takes but a little to cause the divine Sarah to explode with the force of a 10O-ton gun She takes pride in the last ing qualities of her temper. Her rage is not the impotent grumbing of old age, but the mighty war whoop of an aroused Amazon. Bernbardt does not want her temper to diminish. She would regard it as an advance sign of physical and men tai dissolution. Many years ago she horsewhipped a sister actress who wrote a nasty book about her, and if occasion again demanded similar action on her part those who know her best say that sine wouid meet the emergency.
 But with eccentricities and strangeness galore, Bernhardt is diplomatic, and her diplomacy is as artistic as everything she undertakes It is dollars to cents that when she meets the crowd of New York newspaper reporters on the arrival ot he steamer in port she will ex- claim:
 ''Ah. how glad I am to be back here again. America is so new and fresh. It is an inspiration"
 Her Early Career.
 At this particular time 1t is interest ing to look back upon the early stage career of Bernhardt. She was 15 years old when her mother took her out of the Convent of the Grand Champ at Yer sailles and placed her at the Conserva- toire Bernhardts mother was not bur dened with riches at the time, and the child knew that she must earn her own livelihood. She worked hard, but there were few indications in her early life of the genius which was to distinguish her later on. She managed to divide the sec ond prize in elocution with her chum, Marie Columbier although every one agreed at the time that Coumber was entitled to it in its entirety. It was Columbier who in later years wrote the book which caused Bernhardt to chas- tise her in public.
 Poor Actress a First
 Of her first appearance Bernhardt has said: "I have never thought that I was 
 known that I was born to be a painter and nothing else. If I had had my way I should have been a painter. Of all things in this world love painting best, and did love it best then and always shall love 1t best.
 "But circumstances made an actress of me, and at first a very bad actress, for all the critics could not have been m staken, and there was not one who did not join in my condemnation. I sank into com plete obscurity, but I worked. What was before me did not like, but would not consent to being a failure. I was forced to do something which l did not want to do, but made up my mind to do 1t well.
 T played minor parts at the Gymnase, sang in the chorus at the Porte St. Mar tin and did general drudge work. But never stopped my study for a moment. At last got another chance It was the night of January IA, 1S67 I played Ar halle in Les Femmes Savants.' suc- ceeded mildly. I was mo longer utterly obscure. Two years later l won real triumph in the part of Zarnette 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 it's pleasantness~ since then. Some of 1t, think, I have deserved, some of it know have not deserved. My place in the Comedie Francaise was offered to me after had crested the part of Marie de Neuborg in 'Ruy Blas.' by Victor Hugo.