The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-26
.BERNHARDT'S
LIFE STORY.
Intense Narrative Related by
Jules Huret's New Book.
History of the Tragedienne's
Early Trials.
HER ECCENTRICITIES.
Edmond ROstand Contributes a
Preface.
Her Energy and Her Grotesque
Pets.
HER ECCENTRICITIES.

Especial Correspondent of the Chicago
Tribune by Grace Corneau.l
| Paris, May 16.-"Sarah Bernhard"
| by Jules Huret, with a preface from the
pen of Edmond Rostand, is quite suff-
| Gent to give one the vertigo. What a
| woman-if we are to judge from Huret's
| description of her What a career.
| What a life! 1t is not astonishing that
the book has been received almost as
| a revelation, although the tragedienne
| has been a prominent Partisan figure
for thirty years.
Huret has chosen to make his work
| almost exclusively a collection of what
| might be termed the documents in evil
| dence," and it is in these documents
| that the principal interest of the book
| lies. What is rather extraordinary is
that Huret's work is the first complete
| volume that has ever been given to
the public concerning the great TRACE
dienne and contains valuable data about
| the artist which, almost incredible as
it may seem, has never before been
! published. In spite of its documentary
! style, however, the book makes an in
| teresting, intense, passionate story OF
| difficulties and struggles, triumphS and
| downfalls, passions conquered and con-
| Quering, enemies vanQuished and pun
| ished, and the heroine, still valiant and
| triumphant, hooking at time itself. pre-
| pairing to give the public one of the
! most extraordinary Hamlets the stage
| has ever seem
| STORY OF HER LIFE.
| Huret commences his book with
| touching description of the sickroom
! scenes during the dangerous time of
| PoZZfs operation Lying upon her
| couch during convalescence Sarah Bern
| hardt herself consented to relate to HUI
| ret the story of her life, experimenting
| har inform a rin7 substantial nrOOfS-
| precious letters and private papers.
! The story of her birth she tells fol-
1 lows:
| Il was born in Paris at 265 Rue st.
| Honore in. the home inhabited by Mime.
| Gurrard. who also-assiSted at the birth
| of my son and my granddaughter. My
! mother was a Holland Jew. blonde and
| blue a genuine head of the 'Nierge de
! la Chaise.' She spoke French badly
| and with a strong accent. She had IA
| children-I was the eleventh 1 was
! put out to nurse and left five years,
! then sent to a convent 1 was melan-
| choly and mutinous and my mother did
| not love me. 1 sent home from
! the convent several times on account of
| escapades. and it was finally decided
| that 1 should go on the stage 1 had
/ no vocation for dramatic art and only
| went on with my work because I was
| forced to do So"
! Then comes a description of how the
| Duke de Morny obtained a hearing for
| her at the Conservative.
! AT the end of the second verse of
the 'Deux Pigeons " said Sarah. '.Au-
Der made a sign to me to approach.
| Is it you who is called Sarah?'
| Yes, sir
| You are a JeW?'
by birth, sir, yes-but have been
| baptized
| APPROVED BY AUBER
| "She has been baptized" said Auber
| to the jury. 1T would have been
| pity that such pretty child should not
| have been.
| You recited the Deux Pigeons well;
| you will be admitted
| Beauvallet said:
She will be both tragedienns and
| Regnier said:
| She will be a coincidence"
Provost put in:
| She will be both traZedianne and
| Coincidence
| With Provost the young artist COM
| menced her studies Huret continues
| the description of Sarah's early sue
| cesses and creations. Finally an i'm
| portant part in her career is reached
| the success of lie PEASANT when the
| Odeon paid her the magnificent sum of
| $50.
| Sarah herself gives the description of
| her first interview with Dumas aine.
| Il remem Der it as if it were yeSter-
| day. I went to Dumas house, a maid
| opened the door and showed me into
| Dumas study There he was in his
! shirt sleeves with a woman leaning on
| his shoulder-tha famous Oceana-
| had been told not to leave Dumas with
| out a letter allOWlIS me TO play the
| role Of Anne Dandy in his new piece
| The role had already been assigned, but
| no matter. I insisted remembered
| my instructions. and so worried Du-
| mas that he finally gave me the desired
I authority to at least rehearse the role"
Then follows a series of criticisms
made by the critics of the French press
upon witnessing Sarah in the role she
wrested from Dumas.
| Sarcey said at the time: she has a
| sovereign grace, a penetrating charm,
! a something I do not know what She
| is an artist by nature and an incom-
parable artist"
| Later follows the description of the
| press campaign in Sarah's favor carried
| on through the papers in order to OBJ
tain her admission to the Coincide
Franchise
| SARAH'S ECCENTRICITIES.
With a particularly happy touch HUI
ret then gives an account Of her vari-
| dered her coffin, an exquisite affair, in
which she hid all of her love letters and
| amused herself by lying in state to
analyze the sensations. How she was
supposed to have thrown a little cat
| alive upon burning Goals How she
| poisoned two pet monkeys because they
displeased her How she cut off a
dogs head to try and solve the prob
| lem of life after decapftation. How she
| possessed a skeleton supposed to be
victim of her wrath. How she had
| Russian rabbits. dozens of dogs. three
cats, parrot, and cages of birds. Later
even lions
As legend after legend was related