New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-11-22
SARDOU TO THE LAST
Incarnation of the Theatre to End
of His Career.
Paris Nnvemher 10.

,..tnr conversation was fascinating as ever.
tn the end Of his career he continued TO be the
very incarnation OF the theatre. The finest char
scter in all his works was sardou himself. In
his speech. when he succeeded Autran at the
French Academy, he said that the true test Of
che dranatist was TO everything through q
theatrical focus" This beautiful landscape
what splendid stage scenery This charming
eonversation-what a fetching dialoguei This
attractive young iady-what a stunning in
renue, This terrible catastrophe. this crime,
this disaste--what a magnificent situation.
what scene. what drama Here. in nut
shell. was the mentality Of Sardou.
only three days before his death Sardou worked
for nearly two hours at the great spectacular,
historic comedy Madame Talnen.' that he in
tended 70 finish before Christmas. He had fer
rzted ont inexhaustible mine OF local color"
picturesque episodes and incidents He spoke
10 e friend of the writer with the enthusiasm
Of e schoolboy about the personages Of his play
and il scarcely possible realize that this
vfvacaous nervous little man. with his Vol
tartan features, alert gesture and elastic step
was seventy years old. Nine Tallien
surnaned 'rNotre Dame de Thermidor,' the su-
perb and meretricious "merveilleuse,' who first
brought into vogue the graceful garments and
draperies OF ancient Greece flowing and trans
parent. disclosing nude limbs, bare feet in san
dals and toes encircIed with rubies and eTner-
aids daiatily presented with sardou's mar
velous hceIle and masterful technique as a
queen Of political intrigue, might well arouse
the eager curiosity and perhaps admiration Of a
smart Partisan audience
It was during the last week Of August that
sardou noticed the first symptoms Of the malady
that carried him of He was living at his beau
ttful country place at Marly-le-Roi. about twelve
miles from Paris. overlooking the Seine valley
and nearly surrounded with the forest peoPleo
with the ghosts Of Louis XIV. Nine de Main
-enon Louis XIV, La Ponpadour, Nine du
Barry Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette- He
had purchased this fine property in 1865 with his
profits from la Farnile Benoiton-' Return
ing from Paris late one afternoon he was seized
with & sudden chill An attack Of grip, with
slight fever. kept him indoors for three days
On the fourth day he felt so well that he pro-
ceeded 10 Paris in his motor car. He went 10
the library Of the institute and jotted down
notes from rare books and manuscripts bearing
upon the play that he had in hand He came
back the same evening TO Marty The following
night he was taken III with a slight congestion
OF the lungs. His wife and family were with
him
His physician pronounced the case 10 be seri-
GUS but Sard0u in q week was up, walking
about and looking out Of the open windows His
appetite was good He received friends chat
ted gayly and seemed 10 have recovered COM
pleteiy. He read the newspapers and followed
with keen interest all phases Of the Casablanca
crisis He worked in his Hbrary-always at his
play Madame TaIlien-" On the warm, sunny
morning OF Sunday. November l, he got into his
motor car and speeded through the woods Of
RcCqUencourt 10 Paris. He ate a hearty luncheon
He had his bed placed in his library, which
overlooks the Pare Monceau- He worked, read
and talked with his family and friends. He
spoke Of dropping in at the Porte St Martin
Theatre where Coquelin playing nightly
10 fuu houses his last drama, 'L'Afaire des
Poisons"
The conversation turned upon the tension be
tween France and Germany 1T is q mere
auereIle d'AIIemand"-a squabble about nothing
remarked Sardou. and as soon Emperor
William returns TO Berlin you viii find that it
viii be anlicabIy arranged" On Saturday, No
,-er7ber = his temperature suddenly increased to
an alarming extent. He died at $50 O'Clock on
Sunday morning, having retained possession OF
his faculties until within an hour Of his death
on sunday morning few friends were permit
ted 70 see the body reposing in the mortuary
bed. The head was OF extraordinary beauty
the white. transparent face had indescrl0ap!e
d-Iicacv and charm. He wore his inseparable
black velvet tam-o'-shanter cap, and his Ia
-riIiar white silk comforter was about the neck
A. he request Of the family, Levy DhurTner,
rbe rainter made q pastel drawing Of Sardou
On ms deathbed, and N st. Marceaux' the
sculptor executed q plaster cast mask OF the
face. These works will be all the more appre-
GATED because SerdOq was too Impatient ever 10
81 for a painter, and the only portraits other
than photographs Of his fine head, whlch mas
often been compared TO that OF Dante as well as
g Voltaire and Of Napoleon, are the busts MADE
BY Franceschi and by Paul F'Ournier
sa-dor, had wonderful talent as an actor. The
present writer met Sardou for the first time IN
r..rober 1854 al luncheon given by Nine
Sarah Bernhard at her house in the BouleVaTo
Pereire Il was during the preliminary re-
lse-selr of .-Thkodora' The conversation
turned upon the proper rendering OF Inc famous
soere between Justiuian and Theodore, when the
latte-ss prolonged absence has aroused the Etn-
re-or,s jealousy II is the scene where the En-
Ts-o- and Empress. both born in the mud. for
get their present state and scold at each otheF
:, e. 471-bfesr language of the gutter The
actor vy1,o rlaved the part Of Justnian was pres
an - the breakfast After the coffee Saroou
+oos, MIN aside and explained that he missed the
situation altogether
ssr6o, seized Sarah Bernhard by the arm
sn5 drew her TO the middle OF the salon now
- szt6 suppose you ana act Inc SCENE
Sarah forthwith complied. and gave the repnque
70 Ssrdor who played the part OF JusllnIah ID
& r4ssrer4,I manner. II was certainly q most
thrilling hit Of acting Sarah Bernhard was SO
ir,7rresse6 with Sard0u's outburst that she e4-
claimed -.You are the god and the oeVll OF the
stage, IA actor that have ever seen can aP-
--osor The marvellous rendering Of passion ana
fsro-,s, -hst YOU have just given US. II IS more
human than anything I can imagine me
e-,r-ior was so intense that Sarah 6erIlii1i u
and sardou at once embraced and huggeo ed1h
other with 10y. Indeed. sardou at the rehear-
foHz%E NJ