The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1897-04-24


her" said my godfather. 'She will be
at home among ribbons and chifrons.
There is no danger OF her going bad;
there Isn't enough of her."
But one OF the old friends of my moth
er, who was then minister, thought that
the theater offered some chances of sue
cess to me, says Madame Sarah Bern
hardt, relating the story of the beginning
OF her career. That was also my moth
er's opinion. I was not homely. / had
soft voice and pretty teeth that would give
me an opportunity to smile. would grow
and put on some flesh, he said. He never
imagined, poor man, that my thinness
was bound to AFFORD amusement to sc
many journalists. Finally he concluded
that should be presented to NJ Auber.
nj. de Girardin, who was coming to see
my aunt the next day, would arrange
the matters with him.
My mother being stranger, and know
Ing nothing of what was necessary to do
in order to make an actress of me, was
obliged to have the thing explained to her
In Dutch by my aunt. They spoke rapid
ly and for a long time. My godfather and
M. X. left the two ladies and commenced
to talk in a low tone. I was alone, stand
ing at one extremity Of the large room.
An indescribable fear came over me.
What was the future? The dream of
happiness in the picture danced before
my imagination. The ringing laughter of
my two sisters in the adjoining room fell
like flood of sobs into my heart The
hard accents of the Dutch language
grated upon my ears, while the mysteri-
Gus voices of the two then troubled my
imagination. I began to cry. The four
personages in the scene approached me.
What are you crying for?" asked my
mother, taking my head gently in her
hand and kissing my forehead. Don't
you want to be an actress?'
II want to be a num-" said, sobbing.
How stupid you are!' said my aunt,
struggling her shoulders.
What idiotic things girls are!' added
my godfather.
Come, come, go and dress yourself"
said mother, land stop crying"
1 embraced her. She caressed me gent
ly. That Gained me and left the room.
They prepared a whist table for the
guests. My sister Jeanne was playing
with my sister Regina. The game was to
find out which one could fall the hardest
on the floor without crying. They made
me referee. Quarter of an hour after
ward I thought of nothing but making
myself as pretty as possible to plague my
godfather, who insisted that was home
ly. In the evening at dinner, after having
drunk the health of my mother, they
drank to my future triumphs and the old
minister, patting my cheek, said: You
will thank me one day, little one"
Poor man! May the clay rest lightly
on him!
Girardin, who said that I was charming
and that I looked little like Rachel. He
promised to take an interest in me. He
kept his word. Two days after my mother
was notified to bring me to the conser-
Vatoire on such a day at such an hour.
They sent for the dressmaker, who re-
ceived an order for black silk dress for
my presentation. On that great day they
called in the hairdresser, who dressed
my hair as we'll as he could, turning it
into puffs and curls. 1 had never before
looked so homely. That was also moth
er's opinion, but my godfather declared
that at least looked like a young girl
and not like a little mad-dog. A short
dress allowed some of my embroidered
undertaking to be seen. My little, thin
arms hoated in sleeves altogether too
large. They were made expressly to i'm
prove my figure. My long neck was or
namented with a coral necklace They
put powder on my face and my eyelishes,
eyebrows and ears were full of it. l was
simply hideous, and when was present
ed to Auber among a lot of pretty girls,
white and rosy, and all Of them older
| than 1, because they were intended for
| the opera, he shrugged his shoulders,
| murmuring, "Gfrardin Is crazy" and he
| turned his back upon me. My governess
| told me that the presentation was over
and we started to leave. M. B., the clerk
| of the class, took my name and address,
telling Mdlle. de Brabender that the ex-
| animation for admission would be held in
| 10 days.
what must learn, sir?" I asked
Anything you WISH" said he. And he
| passed on to another.
| When I got home I told at the dinner
| table of my presentation to Auber There
was a lively discussion over what I should
| learn for my examination. My mother,
who spoke very little French, did not en-
| deavor to express her opinion. But my
| young plano instructor, whose father was
| a celebrated singer declared that 1t was
necessary to learn some verses.
They finally settled that 1.-THE Two
| Pigeons" should be- recited on: the great
| occasion. The event eliminated at home
and in the presence of select audi
ence. OF this particular incident Nine
Bernhard says:
What an evening! My God, it remains
| In my recollections, the type of every
| thing that is comic, burlesque and hides
cribable! After five minutes reading my
godfather and a grouty old fellow began
| to dispute violently. Each had heard
Rachel. The old fellow said he knew her
This was the way she said it and this was
her gesture. And the two old fools. in in.
describably ridiculous contortions, en-
| deavored to give their limitations Of
Rachel in a tone of voice that was abso
lutely Supplying. Everybody began t.
laugh My mother, almost choked with
laughter, begged them, for heavens sake
to stop. Then my aunt, a refined and in
telligent woman, also read, but with {
pronounced accent which spoiled thu
pretty lines Of La Fontaine. I thanked
her. She had made hit and my frs
lesson in defamation was, finished.
determined to forget as quickly as pos
sible the points that had been given t.
me.