The New York herald., 1922-06-04
HowBennhardt Played A TickmfhsC Campbell

II was not till persuaded Sarah that
such animals cannot be tanned, and that
it would break out of the cage in an hour
or so and probably eat her up. that she
said 1t might be trouble on tour and she
would not keep it. The men were furi-
GUS, and had great difficulty In getting
rid OF them.
On one occasion I remember Sarah was
charged in her hotel bill for thirty or
forty bottles of beer for her servants.
We had stayed there only one day and
night.
Sarah was tired, and did not stop to
think that her servants might have
treated friends; she only knew they
could not have drunk so many bottles OF
beer The manager was sent for. and
she argued with him until she ragged.
Hearing the raised voices I went into the
room The man was white and trem'
bling; and I saw Sarah was almost Ill
with anger When had grasped her ar
gument I turned to the manager, say
ing: What matter how many bottles of
beer have been drunk, how dare you con-
tradict Madame?" My voice was the
loudest, and the man rushed distracted
from the room.
Her company indiscreetly told me that
Madame Sarah had never been known to
make fun or laugh on the stage. In
Dacconist's shop l saw tobacco pouch
made in the shape of fish and painted
ta present one. bought it. took it to
da .heatre and tied it down to bit Of
anvas at the bottom of the well at the
Fountain.
At the performance, when Sarah came
to the second act and stood by the fon-
taine des aveugles, she spied the fish and
began improvising about les poissons ID.
She stopped gracefully over the
edge to take the fish out; as 1t was tied
she nearly lost her balance. Without
concern she went on calmly with her part
I laughed, spelling my lovely little scene.
When the curtain fell Sarah did not
allude to what had happened. neither did
/. The next day when we lunched to-
gether she had strange. preoccupied ex-
pTeSSlOH OH ucI ldCc L<dIcI at thC
matinee. when we came to the Cave
scene, at the point where she tenderly
takes my hand and helps me over the
rocks, she took hold of my hand, hard
squash-she held raw egg in hers.
did not smile, but with calm dignity
went on with my part. I can Gee now
the tears of laughter trickling down her
cheeks, and her dear body shaking with
nerriment as I grew more and more
dignifed to the end of the scene.
Her company told me afterward al
most with awe that Madame must love
me very, very much
The most beautiful performance l have
ever seen was performance Sarah gave
of Phedre-she held a crowded house
spellbound for over two hours, with
scarcely movement or gesture to de.
tract from the lovely Alexandrines-the
great pulsating passion seemed to wind
about the audience like a web-it was
magic.
They tell me Sarah had seen the great
Rachels performance-what I saw was
her own; knew it by the sequence OF it's
beauty.
The world knows her genius and her
colossal courage; but not every one
knows the thought and affection she has
always ready in her heart for her friends.
At most tragic moment for her she
remembered my anxiety and sent me this
cable to America:
Doctor will cut OF my leg next Mon
day. Am very happy. Kisses all my
heart.
Sarah Bernhardt, Bordeaux
To go back to 1898, "Peleas and Nell
sande" at the Lyceum was followed in
September by Mr. Robertsons production
of Macbeth" We had already played
II in the English provinces and in Ger
many.
have since learned that 1t was easier
to act Lady Macbeth with Mr.. Robertson
than with Mr.. James Hackett with whom
played the part afterward in 1920.
Perhaps Mr.. Robertson was inclined
to look upon Lady Macbeth as the star"
part, to use the word of the theater. Mr..
Hackett surely looked upon Macbeth as
the solar system. II seemed to me he
realized my presence only at his cues"
and more than once seized the opportu-
nifty during a strong speech OF mine to
turn his back to the audience and clear
a troublesome catarrh.
We we're all proud Of Mr.. Hackett's
.,.oo.a 10 ,vaz pndopfohta. III. sntordtS