New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-20
NINE. BERNHtRD1"S SEASIDE HONE.
"A LONELY AND ROMANTIC DWELLING ON TIIH
ISLAND OF RELLEIsLE; EN- -MER.
From The ST. James's Budget.

From The St James's Budget.
Hundreds Of miles from Paris. at the most
lonely end of the rockbound island of Belle
isie-en-Mer. near Brittany. stands the extremely
unpretendnG hut romantic summer home TO
which Sarah Bernhard flies each year for
health and res The savage seagirt shores To
which the tragedienne has tranferred her rural
household goods so remote that Paris is for
gotten there. At IL Fort des Poulains Tor as 1t
is usually called. Les POulains') artitice. and
sometimes even art gives place To nature The
charming woman who welcomes her guests so
prcttily and eiusively on their arrival AT Belie-
isle has for the time being. put the footlightS
out OF her MINI and transformed herself by
some miracle into an dealized peasant.
Driving. fishing. shooting and crab catching
/ harefooted among the gigantic rocks piled up
around her house are the chief pleasures IN
dulged in at Les Euu!ains by the theatrical
queen. She varies them from tim" 10 time by
taking long tramps over the cliffs and through
the hamlcts which are scattered here and there
between lie PalaIs and the seaport at when you
land after ten miles Of tossing up and down IN
the preposterous little steamboat plying between
Bcllcislc and Quibcrcp. on the ma inland, IN
Brittany The peasants within several miles or
her diminutiyv and barren estate a! know ana
speak in glowing terms of the belle dame who
is SO fond OF distributing sweetmeats and apples
and cakes to the children who may cross her
path. Monsi ,ur L. Cure. over at LIE Pala!s. and
Monsieur e Marie The also priesU speak even
more highly of che devout and generous woman
who is constant an attendant at mass on
Sundays. Notwithstanding her Semitic origin
Sarah Bernhardt Is a sincere. If sometimes rather
careless Catholic. The rude fishermen and fish
/ wives who make up the greater part OF Mon
scur L. Cur6'S congregation were slightly
startled at first by the strange costumes and
the curious ease II The Dame des Poulains. But
thcy soon got used to her.
Mine Sarah's chateau is a very primitive ar
fair: a plain two-storied oblong building. with 4
parapet tonce lined with frOwning guns). Until
some years ago il was genuine fort occupied
10y forty and a few officers. There are Al
Ccrian suggestions In the white stone walls and
brown brick facings Of the cdifcc. I'm front u
thu fort which lies in deep hollow near the
w-ather-heaten. stormy Pontc des Poulains,
stand like Twin sontines. two mighty porcelain
StOrks. The waves rage ceaSelessly about the
base II this strange residence. Enormous
b0Wldcrs moulded into the rough likeness or
monsters grim and horrible. surround the house.
No human hahitati1ns can Ice seen from any
corner Of the building with the exception Of
melancholy lighthouse and small cottage
owned by the rustic OF whom Sarah bought the
five or ten desolatc acres which adjoin her
rocks.
The interior of the fort although less Spartan
and severe than tn" exterior. is simple. one
long broad, lofty vaulted hall-fOrmerly the
Sale du Corps des Gardcs-serves the TRACE
dienne as dining room and studio combined. 1t
is wanscoted with pinewood and adorned with
ten or twelve by means valuable paintings:
on a buffet near the dining table Is an array or
the quaint Breton faience exclusively affected
by the fair chatelaine at Les Poulans. huge
fireplace and the Indispensable chairs, a rev
lounges and two artistic couches draped
with soft Oriental stuffs make up the furniture
Tens OF millions of francs have been earned by
the great actress since old Auber heard her re-
go tenderly." Yet at this moment all the prop
erty she owns earth is probably this one rude
storrn-swept dwelling on the remote shore or
small Breton island