University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1916-01-23
SUCCESS CAME At 81
To OSARAH BERNHARDT
Great Actress Attained Stage
Fame After 10 Years
of Failure.
TELLS LIFE STORY
Married in Haste, She Had
Only Short Experience
of Matrimony.
TELLS LIFE STORY
BY United Press.


mune. The alleged facts have bee
published many times, some Statin
that she was born in llayre. other
that she was born i'll Holland. bu
Bernhardt says:
Il was born in Paris. AT 20 Rue 81
Honore. October -. lSi4 Ny blood i
A mingling Of French and Dutch-Jew
ish My real maine is ROsine Bernard
was the eleventh of fourteen chill
dren OF my father knew but little
When | was a baby he Went to China
why. have no idea. My mother was
a Frenchwoman and by habit cos
mopolitan. She travelled much.
Childhood Spent With FOster-MOther.
"As much because there was no
home as because the French banisb
infants from the household, | spent
my childhood with a fostermother,
first in the Breton country, near
Quimperle,-w l fell in the fire
place and was badly burned-then at
Neuilly My mother came seldom to
see me, but | loved her.
when | was years of age | was
sent to boarding school at Auteuil,
where | spent two comparatively hap
by years. My mysterious father then
ordered me transferred TO a convent.
AT Neuilly my aunt Rosine came
one day to see me. | insisted that l
wanted to go away with her at once.
She went away. | could see nothing
but the dark, black hole behind me,
and in despair l rushed out to my
aunt's carriage After that | knew
nothing. | had fallen on the pave
ment and broken my arm in two
places and injured my knee cap. II
took me two years to recover.
AT the Augustinian convent at
Grandchamp. Versailles, | was bap-
tized and confirmed a Christian and
mecame extravagantly pious. | was
fractions and more than once eX-
PEELED
when | left the convent | was !
capricious, sensitive and religious, .
problem for my mother | was strong (
ly inclined to be man. When | was /
IL | was sent to the Conseryatoire. | .
had never heard of the famous school.
That same evening | was taken to the
Theater Francois. | left the theater
weeping.
Began Studies at the COnseryatOire.
In 1860 l began my studies at the
COnservatoire, with no love for the
great tragedienne; Regner maintained
| would be a coincidence, while Pro-
vost put them in agreement by declar-
ing | would be both.
81 was no beauty. was decidedly
thin, had kinky hair ana pale face.
But | worked hard, and when | left
had won two second prizes, one for
tragedy in 1861 and one for comedy in
1862. Almost Immediately | received
,all to the Comedie Franchise and re-
solved that if the stage was to be my
working place l would throw myself
nto my task with all my soul.
MY debut in 1863 in Racine's
Iphigenie' created no particular COM
nent. | remember that when | lifted
ny long, thin arms for the sacrifice,
he audience laughed. The cause of 1
ny first desertion of the Comedie was
rival. One day my sister trod on
he gown of Madame Nathalie, another
ctress, who in petty anger thrust her
side. promptly responded by boxing
he ears of my elder colleague Neith-
r would apologize, and |, the younger
ctress, retired.
Il remained away ten years, mean
me laying the foundation of my ca
aer. Brief engagements at the Sym
ase and the Porte st. Martin were
,llowed by an opportunity at the
deon. My first success came at the
deon. when played Zacharie in
Ithalie' | was then %. For four
Ears | worked very hard, always
lady TO take anyone's place. for |
new all the roles. II. Chilly was in
iced TO consent to the production of
Dppee's one-act play. lie Passant,' in
hich | appeared before Napoleon and
lgenie at the Tuileries
riking Success in Hugo's Ruy Bias.
AT the end of 1871 Victor Hugo.
ho had been practically an exile dur
& the empire, came back to France.
IS return meant another turn in my
e, for when the Odeon decided to
oduce his 'Ruy Bias l was selected
r the role of Queen.
ut was this role, January &c. 1872.
at rent asunder the veil which still
ide my future hay. and | felt that
last | was destined for celebrity es-
cially after Victor Hugo fell on his
-