WHAT HAPPENED TO SARA.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 52, 2 March 1901, Page 3 (Supplement)

WHAT HAPPENED TO SARA.

Tho divine and only Sarah is setting out for a six months' tour through the States, and the announcement of the venture has beer, hailed by the boulevard press us a kind of crusade for the upholding of national art—"le drupea.u de l'art I'rancais," they call it. Let us see how the "drapeau" has beeu appreciated in some of the States where it has been waved by Mine. Sarah Bernhardt on previous occasions.

A Forgo dramatic critic said:—

"We have seen Sarah. She's all right, ever, if we didn't understand a word of what she said. The liar that said she was thiu don't know tk'muess when he sees it. She ain't one-half so thin as some of the editorials we see in the Minneapolis 'Tribune.' We wish our home talent could have 'induced Sarah to come to Fargo, and play something homelike—'Black-Ey'd Susan' or 'Life in Xew York.' We got back on the 2.20 accommodation." A Duluth writer is broader:— "Why isn't English good enough for the stage 11' it is good enough for street talk? This charging 4dol. to hear a woman jabber

French to free Americans simply shows what we tire coming to in our aping of foreign customs. Washington was right when lie said wo ought to keep clear of entangling foreign alliances." Tho Anoka critic 'is brief:— "We went with the crowd to see Bernhardt. We won't do it again if we know ourselves." The man from Casselton Is appreciative:— "The only thing we liked about the performance was wheu Born-hardt hammered the door. Gee! but she did pound it! We arc not up on French, but the love scene caught us right. Ou the train we met Frank Wadded, who said he'd rather go to a variety show. We'll tell somebody ou you, Frank." This wall from Bismarck:— "When a play of the character of 'Fedora' can be given before Christian people the authorities ought to be called upon to step it. Fven if we did not understand the language we could discern the gross imrno-

raliiy in the play, and shuddered for the consequences. We would like to see a return to the days of 'Hazel Kirke' and 'Uncle Tom's Cabin." " Sioux City is personal:— ! "We read somewhere that Bernhardt'.? shoulders were like saw-blades, but after having seen them we can testify that they are round and plump as those of any lowa girl we know about. In her walk and gestures she makes us think of a pythoness or a cobra—so smooth, so easy to get around. The elite of St. Paul filled the boxes and the partieres (sic)." The following from St. Paul:— "We saw the Rices at 'Fedora,' the O'Briens, and several City Hall celebrities. We do not think that French plays would take well in St. Paul. We can say 'Au revoir,' but after that we have to stop." Less cautious is another judge:— "I was disappointed in Sarah Bernhardt. She screams, raves, a-nd rants. I noticed several Scott County people in the crowd, but they did not appear to know what was going on. The purpose of the play Ido not understand yet, but we all went to see Bernhardt only. She looks like a rail, and her forehead is poor and covered with straw coloured hair. People were oomkig away from the opera house after midnight, but 1 did not hear anyone say he liked it,"

And that is how the "drapeau" of French art. is waved on errands similar to those divine Sarah is about to undertake.