The Alaska daily empire., 1923-03-27

oA iNA AAiiit hAAAi AtA4AAN1S III I al los and at the age of 12 was sent 10 the Grand Champ Convent. Versailles, where she made her debSt in q little miracle play given by the children. Even at this early age. the pale and sickly child is said to have dis played the fits of temper which were characteristic Of her stage career.
 After a year or two at the convent, she conceived a passionate desire to become a nun. To this her mother recorded unqualified opposition. and suggested a theatrical career instead.
 She's too thin to be an actress" said her godmothcr. "Lct her ke nun"
 ''I won't be an actress little Sarah categorically exclaimed. "Ra- chel is an actress. She came to the convent and walked around the garden. then she had to sit down because she couldn't get her breath, They fetched her something to bring her around. but she was so pale, oh, so pale. was very gDrry for Ter. and the nuns told me that what she WIS doing was killing her, for she was an actress. and so I won't ba an actress. won't
 Fate Steps In
 But fate mad determined other wise, and at the age of II Bernhardt was sent to conservatory. At the end of the firas year she won second pIze for tragedy. A subscription among the players at tho Comede Franchise enabled her to spend all other yoar at the conservatory, and upon the completion of this she car ded off second prize for comedy Her first public appearance was al the Comede Franchise in August. 1862. She took d minor part with cut any marked success.
 Five years later she emerged from laberious obscurlty with her first definite success as Cordela in a French translation of King Lear Ut the Odeon, then as Queen in Victor Hugo's "Ruy Blas." 9;,s .,;;HGye all as Zanzett in Francois Coppee's "Le Pas ! sant," which she played in 1869.
 1t War Nurse
 Then came the Franco-Prussian | war. Bernhardt increased her popu larity hy becoming war nurse. In 1871 she was made q life member of tho Comedie Franchise. Sine l elashed repeatedly wiuh M. Perrin, the manager, over the roles she should take, and once in a fit of pique fled from the theater and de- oded to give up the stage. She 1 into sculpture. Her first piece, After the Storm unfinished some years later-won a place in the Salon. She returned to M. Perrin only to break with him again, in- curing forfeit of 1000 pounds, which she paid.
 She invaded England, receiving a l tremendous ovation, then toured Den- mark and Russia Ncxt she came to 1 America. where her success was in She toured the United States and Canada eight times in some B years, and appeared several times in the larger cities of South America.
 DItuhluS hilD tliE itttti ANoi 9' 'hA'f cates, which denied her the use of qlo,r thcaters when she refused to come to their terms, she was com pelled to appear on one of her Ameri- l can tours in tents. convention halls ard armorics. She vowed never to appear in theater again, but on subsequent visits she came to terms with the synd.cates.
 Loses Right Leg
 The great actress was grand mother when she last appeared Tn America. and had suffered ampnta' tion of her right leg. Upon her ar rival in New York, October. 1916, il was evident to the group of friends and admirers who gathered to well come lher that she walked with ex- treme difficulty.
 While rlaying in New England she contracted a severe cold which promped her to take a trip south Tor her health. A flaw weeks later she underwent an operation for infection of the kidney, and although more than 70 years of age, she enjoyed complete recovery and remained in America for several months.
 The injury to her knee which com' relled the ampntation Of her leg Ill 1915 was attributed to many dlffer- ent causes. For years before the amputSlsion the plays in which she appeared were altered to hide the fact that she was able to walk only with great difficulty. The operation was performed in Paris. and upon her recovery she rcappeared on the st8ge to receive the greatest ovation Of her career. Her manager an nouncei that henceforth she would interpret only motionless roles
 In Recent World War
 During the World War Bernhardt. made several trips to the french front and gave number of perform ances for tho. soldiers. This, she de- clared, was the "iHcomparable event of her life.
 The memoirs of Bernhardt sedu-
 l.