her defence, and sought
to squelch the revolter by loftily explaining that the actress turned
her back so often to the audience because she had such a noble, generous
nature and desired to give the other actors a chance. "She lets them
take the centre of the stage, as they say in the profession," remarked
one of the party, who prided herself upon being versed in the _argot_ of
the theatre.

"But she plays with her back to the audience when she is speaking and
acting, and everybody else on the stage is still but herself,"
petulantly insisted the Western Philistine, showing no signs of defeat.

The situation was not wholly agreeable. The worshippers of Sarah could
say nothing more in justification of her turning her back on them, but,
with true feminine logic, concluded, "If Sarah Bernhardt turns her back
on the audience it is right, and that is all there is to say."

Just at this dramatic moment a voice from the adjoining row
providentially interposed. The voice belonged to a well-known exponent
of physical culture, who was never so happy as when instructing the
intellectually needy. She said: "I will tell you why she plays with her
back towards the audience more than any other actress upon the stage
to-day." The middle-Westerner, no less impressed than her metropolitan
friends, listened eagerly.

The exponent of straight backs and high chests explained didactically:
"The back is wonderfully expressive; indeed it is full of vital
expression. Bernhardt knows this better than any other actress because
she has studied statuary with the passion of a sculptor, and because she
understands that, not only the face, but the entire physical structure,
is capable of expressing dramatic emotions. Strong feeling and action
may be strikingly revealed by the back. Imprecations, denunciations,
even prayers, seem to be charged with more force when an actress
delivers them with her back turned, or half-turned to the audience.

"Bernhardt's back expresses a storm of fury when she imprecates
vengeance," said the voice of authority. "Not only on the stage is the
expression of the back discernible, and a knowledge of its character
valuable, but in every-day life in drawing-room and street. How many
women consider their backs when they dress? Look at the backs here
deformed by laces and fallals," she went on contemptuously. "The
majority of women never look below their chins and I believe not one in
ten ever looks thoughtfully at her bac