The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-06-28
sARAH BERNHARpTs NAME.

Information comes from Paris that
Maurice Bernhard has applied to the
state council for permission to change
his name to Maurice Glairin. This is in
order, the petition sets forth, to con-
form to usage, which requires that
children should bear the name OF their
father, not the mother. This step is
said to have been taken at the instiga-
ton of Nine. Maurice Bernhardt who is
about to become a mother and dislikes
to inf1ict the brand Of illegitimacy
upon her offspring. Nine. Sarah Bern
hardt bitterly opposes this action, it is
said. NJ. Glairin. whom Maurice now
selects as his father, was the late paint
er whose infatuation for the divine
Sarah nearly caused a triple tragedy %
years ago.
Here is a piece Of snobbery for you!
Who is this woman who thought the
name of Bernhardt good enough to take
when she married the son of the famous
actress and good enough for her first
born to bear. but who now does not
hesitate to revive an old scandal for
the humiliation of her husbands moth
er and her children's grandmother? No
body ever heard of her before or would
ever have heard of her were she not
related by marriage to the woman she
pretends to scorn.
Sarah Bernhard is perhaps the most
remarkable woman the nineteenth
century has produced Aside from her
histrionic genius, second to that of none
of the actresses of history, she is an
amateur sculptor, painter and musician
of unusual attainment and might have
won distinction in any of these arts had
she devoted herself to them instead of
to the theater. She is an able writer. a
brilliant conversationalist. the friend
and conddant of statesmen, diplomats,
authors. actors, dramatists and scien-
lists. She has achieved the almost mir
aculous feat. for a woman. of living
down a serious mistake of her early
youth and is recognized and received in
the best society Of all the countries of
the world in spite of the generally
known fact that she is the mother of an
iuegitimate son. Sarah Bernhardt made
a misstep in her ignorant, neglected
girlhood that would have blighted the
life of an ordinary woman but she had
courage. will determination and rose
above it. The world says a woman
must 20 to perdition for a mistake, but
is it not to Sarah Bernhardt's credit that
she refused to go to perditien, that she
lbs AfeQ a uStluls uOu0taD4G Alle anu
in spite of terrible handicap has had
a brilliant career and Won a glorious
place for herself in the world that would
have despised and crushed her if it
could?
And now comes an insignificant Wo-
man whose only claim to distinction is
that through her marriage to the son
of Nine. Bernhard she has right to
bear the great actress name and pre-
tends that that name is not good enough
for her or her children. It is rather late
in the day to make that discovery. She
has been Nine. Maurice Bernhard for
years and has a son of the same name,
but she now influences her husband to
petition the courts to change it for that
of Glairin. And pray, who was Glairin
that Maurice Bernhardt should wish to
take his name rather than one which his
mother has made not only honorable
but glorious2 For one person who ever
heard of Glairin there are a thousand
who admire and bow to the genius of
Sarah Bernhard. What did G1airin
ever do for Maurice Bernhard? It was
Sarah Bernhardt who raised him. cared
for him, educated him and still supports
him and his family in luxury. Mau-
rice Bernhardt has had thousand ad-
vantages which his mother never had.
the fruits Of her labor and efforts. but
the world has never heard of him ex-
cept in connection with her. If he takes
the name of Glairin he will sink into the
obscurity to which his life and attain
/ ments would naturally entitle him.
If Maurice Bernhard is ashamed of
his mother it is in no way to his credit
Although he may object to his children
bearing her name he might well hope
that they inherit their grandmother
heroic spirit. marvellous ability, daunt-
less courage and iron viii. It is said
that those things usually skip a gener-
alton and it is very evident that they
missed Maurice
FOURTH OF .TTTT,v sTTceEsTrou