The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-03-16
MELOORAMA IN PARIS
SARAH BERNHARDT AND CATULLE
MENDES FALL OUT.
BUSINESS VERSUS LOVE.
AS USUAL PLUTUs PUTS CUPID TO
FLIGHT.

CatuIle MendeS Takes His New Poet
zeal Drama, "Sainte Therese.v
From the COmedie Franchise and
Turns 1t Over to the ''Divine
Sarah," With Whom He Is i'm Love.
Sarah Does Not Give Him a Square
Deal and He Takes 1t BacI<-Then
This French Lover Publishes All
the Correspondence.
Paris, March 15.-The Parisians are
keenly interested in the developments
of pretty quarrel between Sarah
Bernhard and Catulle Mendes, the
author and poet, about the production
of the latter's poetical drama, "Sainte
Therese," which had been promised to
the Coincide Franchise. Mime. Bern
hardt heard of the drama, begged to
be allowed to produce it, and NJ Men
des withdrew it from the Coincide
Franchise and gave it to her. under
stipulations insuring a good run. M.
Mendes subsequently took it back,
when in full dress rehearsal, on the
ground that Nine. Bernhard had made
! arrangements to go to London, which
precluded satisfactory run for
''Sainte Therese." The story has been
told in a series of remarkable letters
exchanged between Bernhard and NJ.
Mendes, which the latter published.
The letters are most amusing with
| their mutual gushing compliments and
poetica1 forms of address, which, how
| ever, deteriorated into the chilliest ex-
presstons as the quarrel became enbit-
tered. Nine Bernhard first addressed
NJ. Mendes as My dear Beloved Poet"
asking to be allowed to produce "Sain-
tie Therese." and M. AIendes respond
ed to his 'Despotic Sovereign" offering
the piece for the coming season Nine.
Bernhard then replied to her Darling
Friends" promising to produce it March
l M. Mendes thereupon telegraph
ed as a reply: Dear Therese: The
play and the author are yours" But,
| later, he heard that Nine. Bernhardt
was making conflicting arrangements
| and telegraphed for explanations. This
! time Nine. Bernhard merely addressed
| him as Friend" and explained that
| her arrangements did not affect the
production of the piece M Mendes
|
leave the play with Nine. Bernhardt.
The rehearsals were begun, but M.
| Mendes says he found Nine Bernhardt
| had let her theater to an Italian COM
pany for a period which rendered the
promised run impossible. He realized
that all was not plain sailing for
"Sainte Therese," and got back his
manuscript, which, he wrote, The will
| place in a drawer strewn with red
| Of h ic .;
Sarah Bernhard, and with violets,
emblems of her fickleness."
The last communication of M.
Mendes was written in the third per-
son and was addressed to Madame
Sarah Bernhard"
Sarah Makes Her Defense.
Mime. Bernhard replied to the pub
l1cation of these letters by explaining
that M. Mendes was wrong about the
arrangements which he thought would
interfere with his play. She intended
TO give 1t run of twenty nights and
could not arrange for a longer run
because OF the risk of losing her Lon
ucn season, which brings her a large
sum of money, and complained that
M. Mendes resorted to a trick to get
pack the manuscript, which he said
was only needed for a few corrections.
Nine. Bernhard concluded her letter
as follows:
In terrible fit of despair and tears
drowned my illusions, hopes, adnira-
ton and my friendship for that man.
L came out of this crisis a physical
wreck, with my brain in a whiri but
my Will safe and sound. AS long as I
live L will never see Mendes again"
M. Mendes, on reading this, tele-
graphed as follows to Nine Bernhard:
rs it not silly for us to quarrel.
when in reality we love on another?"
The author-poet then offered to give
"Sainte Therese" to Nine. Bernhardt
if she would only promise to run it
while it was drawing money Nine.
| Bernhard did not even reply to this
communication, whereupon M Mende
wrote to the Temps replying to all the
points of Nine. Bernhardts letter. and
concluding, after fervid outburst of
admiration for her, that he would await
repentance in her dear, loyal, cruel
heart"
The matter thus remains without
hope of a reconciliation.