The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-03-16
TOOK BACK HIS
SAINT THERESE
Author and Playwright QuarrsIS
With Divine Sarah.
--A-
SPAT AMUSES PARlSlANS
TICKLE STAR AND MEEDES Elk
CHANGE LETTERS.
SPAT AMUSES PARISIANS

nARIS, March 15.-The Parisians are
keenly interested in the develop
ments of a quarrel between Sarah
Bernhardt and Catulle 8Iendes. the au-
thor and poet about the production of
the latter's poeticai drama, "St. The
rese. which has been promised 10 the
Coincide Franchise. Nine. Bernhardt
heard Of the drama, begged to be al
lowed to produce it. and NJ Mendes
withdrew it from the Coincide Fran
eaise and gave it to her. under stipu-
lations securing a good run.
NJ Mendes subsequently took il back.
when in full rehearsal. on the ground
that Nine. Bernhard had made ar
engagements to go to London, which
preelUded a satisfactory run for st
Inerese.' The story has been told in
series Of remarkable letters ex-
changed between Nine. Bernhard and
M Mendes, which the latter published.
The letters are most amusing with
their mutual, gushing compliments and
pOetical forms of address. which. how
ever, deteTiOrated into the chilliest ex-
pressions as the quarrel became en-
FILTERED.
Nine Bernhardt first addressed NJ.
Mendes as MY Dear Beloved Poet. -
asking 10 be allowed to produce st.
Therese," and that NJ. Mendes respond
co to his 'DespOtic Sovereign" Offering
the piece for the coming season. Nine.
Bernhardt then replied to her Oar
ling Friend. " promising to produce it
March /. NJ. Mendes thereupon teIe-
sraphed as a reply:
Dear ThprpSn-Tha NAV oy,d tho a.,
thor are yours"
But later he heard that Nine. Bern
hardt was making conflicting arrange
mentS and telegraphed for explana-
tions. This time Nine. Bernhard mere
" addressed him as Friend" and said
that her arrangements did not affect
the production Of the piece. Mendes
was not satisfied, but was induced to
leave the play with Nine Bernhard.
The rehearsals were begun. but M
Mendes says he found Nine. Bern
hardt had let her theatre to an Italian
company for a period which rendered
the promised run impossible. He real
lied that all was not plain sailing for
st Therese" and got back his manu-
script Of which he wrote her:
I will place in a drawer strewn with
red roses, symbols of my admiration
emblems Of her fckleness."
The last communication of M. Men
des was written in the third person and
was addressed to NINE. Sarah Bern
hardt-' Nine. BeTnhardt replied to the
publication of these letters by explain
ing that NJ. MeRdes was wrong about
the arrangements, which he thought
would interfere with his play. She in
tended TO give it run of twenty nights
and could not arrange for a longer run.
because Of the risk of losing her Lon
don season, which brings a large sum
OF money, and complained that NJ.
Mendes resOrted to a trick 20 get back
the manuscript, which. he said. was
only needed for a few corrections. Nine.
Bernhard concluded her letter as fol-
lows
In a terrible fit of despair and tears
/ drowned my illusions, hopes, adrnira-
tion and my friendship for that man.
L came out Of this crisis a physical
wreck with my brain i'm a whirI. but
my viii safe and sound. As long as
live viii never see CatUlle Mendes
again
NJ. Mendes, on reading this. tele-
graphed as follows to II. Bernhard:
Is it not silly for us to quarrel. when
in reality we love one another"
The authOr-pOet then offered to give
st. Therese' to Nine. Bernhard if
she would only promise TO run it while
II was drawing money. Nine Bern
hardt did not even reply to this COM
munication, Whereupon NJ. Mendes
wrote to the Temps, replying to all the
points of Nine. Bernhardts letter and
concluding, after a fervid outburst Of
admiration for her that he would await
repentance in her dead, royal cruel
heart "