The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-11-28
DIVINE SARAH IS
 BACK ON THE STAGE

From the London Daily Telegraph
 Paris.-Madame Sarah Bernhardt has been seen by Paris audience for the first time since her operation. She was welcomed with tenfold enthusiasm; the house applauded for many minutes while she stood. and at the close of the per formance flowers were showered on the stage. She chose for her first appearance since the war and since her ordeal what may call a lyric fresco, Les Cathe. drales," with verse by Eugene Morand the former coilahorator of Sardou, and music by Gabriel Pierne. The perform ance was for the benefit of the ambulance of Professor Denuce, the surgeon who Bordeaux.
 All Paris-or what the war has left of all Paris--was present to welcome Ma dame Sarah. The curtain rose upon dim, darkened scenery of vague clouds In front lay a sleeping French soldier fin his light blue uniform and dark blue Tam O Shanter of the Chasseurs. Quiet and solemn music was played off the stage. with occasional far-off warlike strains The mist rolled up from the stage and showed five statuesque women in white, seated on thrones of gray stone. They sat sad and solemn as Fates, but they spoke and showed themselves the genii of France the spirits of her cathedrals- Amiens, Aries, Bourges St. Paul de Leon, and, in the center, Notre Dame of Paris. At night the spirits of the cathedrals of France meet round Our Lady of Paris, and each tells of the sufferings and deeds of her sons. lighting to drive the enemy
 
 southernmost Aries to Amiens in Picardy. and off the stage the chorus sang the stirring old folk-song, Picard ct Bour- guignons"
 THE WONDERFUL VOICE
 The cathedral spirits mourn for their missing sister, but a further mist rolls up and shows Stra rasburg-Madame Sarah Rernhardt, also statuesque in white seat ed on a gray stone throne, but with mourning black over her shoulders. The black she will throw off later. It was this first appearance of Sarah that called forth many minutes applause from the house. She stood without apparent ef- fort and bowed. clearly much moved. She looks wonderfully well; her face has even filled out, and we soon heard that the wonderful voice had lost none of its music. She sang-it was, indeed singing of France. fighting for her life and for justice. The little French soldier-all this was his dream-stood up, then knelt to the ancient spirits of his country and to Strasburg, which comes back to France at last. The spirit of Strasburg then sang in louder strains, and, rising to wrath, threw the cure upon the enemy. It was long, eloquent and furious de- nunciation of his crimes; a long denun- citation, but not as long as the list of crimes innumerable.
 x,-tfI, ,taf ,,rx,, frry Madame Sarah's voice branded the inurderous foe in the recital of infamy, from Louvain Tirlemont and Namur tc Gerb evillers, Sermaise, Senlis and Rheims. At the mention of Rheims the back curtain lifted and displayed the two great towers of the cathedral before the roof in flames, which showed through the famous rose window. All around other churches-countless churches blazed, end the spirit of Strasburg sang of the scores of humble iittle churches in Lorraine, Picardy, Artois Flanders, which are now heaps of stones, strewn over the village churchyards in which they once stood. Flanders chimes were heard off the stage, and songs of LOT raine and Alsace Madame Sarah Bern- hardt's revengeful voice went on whipping the enemy, and reached the crowning in famy--the murder of the noble English woman, whose blood bespatters the pur ple mantle of the Emperor Germany The prophetic spirit of Strasbudg fore told Gerr1any's doom, and in stanzas of fine eloquence Sarah told of the German eagles fate. do not know how the lines said by another would have sounded, German eagle, German eagle, this is thy dcom,'' said by Madame Bernhardt seemed q very picture of the fate which will overtake the bird of prey when 1t ia at last brought down. Madame Sarah, the spirit of Nemesis, seemed to see the accursed eagle lowering over her, then winged, then at last crashing down at