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her admiration of the enthusiasm of small nations. A reference to Alsace-Lorraine brought a note of tenderness to her voice. She was going to play in Les Cathedrales the following week in London, her role being that of the Cathedral of Strasbourg, yearning to join her sister-cathedrals in the hour of trial. Madame Bernhardt thinks that the War will benefit theatrical art throughout Europe almost more than any other art by making it more ideal and symbolical. When we reminded her of her last visit to Cardiff in the role of the pathetic and win- some Dame aux Camelias," she said she remem- bered her reception with pleasure. She likes playing to English audiences they are so earnest and will even allow themselves to be bored if they think the play is something they ought to see I In the short play of the matinee Du Theatre au Champ cfHonneur," she personifies a young French hero, Marc Bertrand, formerly a famous actor, dying in a wood somewhere in France," and, overwhelmed with grief at the loss of his flag. An English lieutenant comes to the rescue, learns the young soldier's name--a name famous in the trenches because of the poem he has recited to his comrades. The Englishman begs him to recite it, and the young hero declaims the stirring lines of La Priire pour nos Ennemis," a poem invoking the Divine Judge for vengeance upon the enemy. Forgive them not, for they know well what they do." As the passion- ate, tremulous voice dies away, two Red Cross nurses appear. Bertrand refuses to be moved from the foot of the shattered tree, for he knows that his flag is somewhere near. Gradually he remembers where it is, strains to reach it, clutches it feverishly, and dies happily, with Deroulede's splendid verses, Au Porte Drapeau on his lips. His last words, an unforgettable Vive 1'Angleterre Vive la France thrilled and fixed us with awe, as if the spirit of France were passing near, sore and stricken, but imperishable. Sarah Bernhardt's great soul had conquered us again and her voix dor piling phrase upon phrase of pure emotion enthrals us now as it has always done. Quand elle parle il me semble que je sens passer I'ame de la France." Standing in her presence we felt that this frail woman, like her country, was the embodiment of unconquerable endurance. Yes, Mademoiselle, she said, our country must have our best." Her adieux to us were very charming, and as we left her we wondered if we should ever look again upon La rexnt de f attitude et la princesse du geste." The world has listened to her genius for over forty years. In 1870 her quick sympathies leapt to the aid of her country, and Parisians knew that she who nightly, at the Odeon, shut out the sound of guns with her inimitable voice, had in the day-time, as a nurse attached to the ambulance militaire, ministered to the wounded heroes. Our best English dramatic critics have ever been mindful of the unchallenged merit of Sarah Bernhardt's art in all the great parts she has played here-the deeply psychological Hamlet, the fascinating Cleopatra, and the splendid Aiglon. In 1870 she came to London on a famous visit, when even the smallest parts in the repertoire were played by artists of European reputation. She was the brightest star even in the firmament of Got, Coquelin (senior), and Delaunay. It was in 1892, at the English Opera House, that she made Cleopatra a creature of boundless fascination. A most distinguished dram- atic critic of the time describes her thus-" A per- formance such as Madame Bernhardt gives, so exquisite in allurement, so passionate in abandon- ment, so caressing, so voluptuous. so feminine-is not to be hoped from an English actress, if, indeed, from any other artist. Such crude self -revelation shocks the average sense of Englishwomen, but, if indiscreet in nudity of soul, the whole is admirable in art." The same critic writes of her appearance in Phidre — Anything more unlike a tragedy heroine as generally conceived in England than was this frail, nervous, vapourish creature cannot easily be conceived. The superstition, however, which dates from the days of Mrs. Siddons, that classic heroines should have imperial port and presence is expiring, and the PhMre of Madame Bernhardt wins general acceptance." La Divine Sarah has always made of her art an intensely symbolical thing. A great idea lies behind each role, and few artists have understood the meaning of art and life as she has done. In personal dealings with col- leagues and friends she acts upon sudden and generous impulse-tt c'est une creature de genie et de cceur." That was a memorable day for her in the spring of 1914 when the Order of the Legion of Honour was conferred upon her in Paris all the intellectual eliti all the poets whose works she has interpreted during her long career all her admirers, participated in the magnificent homage to this wonderfully versatile genius, this great woman, wise in knowledge of her kind.