A STORY OF SARAH BERNHARDT.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XV, Issue XXII, 30 November 1895, Page 666

A STORY OF SARAH BERNHARDT.

An amusing story—not by any means without its moral —is told of Madame Sarah Bernhardt. The incident is

said to have occurred during the leading tragedienne’s stay at Belle-Isle on the Brittany coast. One day the actress, in watching the laboured efforts of the fishermen’s craft to enter the harbour of Sanzon, driven by a frightful tempest, conceived the charitable thought that what was wanting was a large and solidly-built boat, which might in case of necessity be the means of saving

life at sea. She formed the plan of offering to the brave fisherfolk a strong and pretty brigantine, which should be called the Sarah Bernhardt. When she mooted the idea it was received by a group of fishermen with a loud chorus of thankfulness and praise. She returned to her lordly castle highly gratified, and seized her pen to commission a builder, and in due form she received the drawings and the model of the future Sarah Bernhardt. But when the directress of the Ren-

aissance Theatre reapproached the fisherfolk upon the project, the ancient mariner who acted as spokesman for the rest tossed his head and responded in monosyllables. Taking his short cutty respectfully from his lips he looked at La Belle Madame and floundered in hesitating wordsand incomprehensible reticence. ‘ln short,’ persisted the actress, addressing the group which pressed around her, mute and stolid, ‘ you will

have a beautiful boat.’ * Yes,’ said the veteran, ‘ the barque will certainly be a pretty one,’ and turning to his companions with an almost imperceptible wink, as though he were about to risk a piece of audacity in the name of the little fishing community, he resumed, ‘ Then the boat will be named after you ?’ The artiste, answering what appeared to be a gentle hint, delicately left half expressed, responded, ‘The day it is christened you shall have a thousand francs to inaugurate the event.’ But the men indulged in a general snigger, whilst their wives, from a distance, eyed them all without approaching. The tragedienne returned to her house, puzzled to account for this singular and sudden want of sympathy, and perplexed to fathom the meaning of the enigmatical words addressed to her by the men she desired to befriend. ‘ Why should they be no longer interested ?’ she mused. It was not until next day that she discovered the secret. A friend came to see her. ‘ You wish to endow the fishermen with a boat ?’ she said : it is useless.’ ‘ Why ?’ ‘An unfavourable view is taken by the villagers. You will not get one fisher man to embark in the Sarah Bernhardt.’ ‘ You are jesting,’ exclaimed the actress. ‘ No. They have had time to reflect. They dare not accept the gift of a comedienne. All ! You don’t know what that term signi fies here. Why, the hotel-keepers refuse to receive play-actors. ’ A playactor. The word had produced its ineritable result, for old prejudices inBrittany die hard, and that is why the little vessel so graciously offered by Theodora will not sail upon the troubled waters around Belle Isle.