The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-11-19 00:00:00

THE PARISIAN AMAZONS.

The "Bedeged Resident" 0 the Daily Ncirs
writes : -

The "Amazon.. of the Seine" are, after all, not a myth.
They have • real, corp ,real existence. Our eccentric citizen
friend, Felix Belly, has really found followers, veritable be-
Bever. In him and the prosaic-acid thimble. If no prophet,
he can at any rate boast of a certain number of disciples.
They have, it seems, besides a name, a local habitation In the
quarter devoted to M Flourens. 01 all the ladies of hello-
yule they are the strongest-minded, the strongest-armed, the
brawniest-tiated. They have manifested in favour of the
i Commune. Some twenty of them—a hand of staters—lest
Tuesday afternoon, marched down the Faubourg du Temple
, in processional array, on their way to the Hotel de Ville.
They wore the kepi, also the baggy-legged garment they
. triumphantly muuopolize at home. If they were
armed with the prosalc-achl thimble, It was con-
cealed. The Chassepot was absent, and their only revolvers
were their eyes, which flashed with patriotic tire. But they
were not unarmed. They wore each provided with • stout
cudgel, floe of them carried a fly, upon which was
Inscribed the words: We want the Coodinme!" The colour
of the flag was red—a symbol of their bellicose aspirations
and relentless determination. Uudaunted by the gibes aui
Jeers of the petrified citizen., they rapaed on their way.
No one could po.albly believe them to be merely
masquerading their resolute bearing denoted that
they held conviction. The cudgels were an earnest
of their ability to defend them. When they reached
the Boulevard, very Young France began to shout.
" St, Lszalre, St. LS. ',lf r' to what Is called the
Caine of 'La I:implores" It Is, however, no tune at all.
Given any poetical combination of three words or as mahy
ayll Nes, pitch them to any key, pronounce them an as to
give tile last word or syllable the some 'seine In time as the
two filet, and you have the "Air des Laulpions." Having
heard it many times, I can only say it marvellously resew-
Ides the monotonous melody Which the youthful tatterdema-
lions of London select to Indicate the presence of an "Air
bat —loo!" St. !Azar is the mane of a prison set apart for
Penitent or Impenitent women. The virtuous Amer mes
were scan lathed by the allusion and the imnitcation. Very
young France shouted the more. Very idd Brume thruirced
its shouloms. !diddle-aged France roar,! and gibed. &mat
Franoo ahrieked with wicked delight. In the Bin du Temple
unarmed National Guard France came to toe rescue, with
a view to prevent what was regarded an a joke from assum-
ing scandalous proportions and culminating in • disturb-
ance But the " Amazones of ti e Seine" noon demonstrated
that they did not carry cut:tads for nothing. 'They fell titum
the National Guard, not tooth anti nail, imt cudgel and fist,
and belaboured them as though they were Frusalmili. To
return the blows was cut of the question, National Guard
France is chlyalron., and does not fight with women-folk. A
struggle for the cudgels toek place, that was all. The red
flag was laid low, trailed In the and, and the staff broken.
The Mutton waiNtoomingaitioal. Victor, trembled la She

balance with a dip for the Amazonas. At this momenta
National Guard was inspired with a bright idea Seizing
what remained seizable of the flag-staff he brandished it
aloft, shouting "To the Hotel de Ville." The ruse proved
success' ul. "Follow me!" he cried. The Amasones fol-
lowed him, but he conducted them to the police station
at the corner of the Rue de Chaume, where the majority
were duly cared for, awaiting a favourable opportunity
of sending them home. The remainder of the corm
harassed by the crowd, took refuge in the bath establi oh-
ment upon the Place de l'Hotel de Ville. From time
to time, one of them wan allowed to take her
chance of getting away, but it was somewhat of a risk;
although the crowd, now swelled to I ormi table proportions,
only wanted a good laugh, and sought with this object to
Impede the flight of the Angela of the Commune. The last
of these Angels, however, came to sudden grief. Her voice
was so high, her geaticulations were so fierce and demonstra-
tive, that four lusty National Guards seized her, and con-
veyed her bodily sway to the Prefecture, foil owed by a
corttge such as only similar incidents can improvise. This
Is no doubt the anal appearance of the "Amazons's of the
Seine " alias the "Angels of the Commune." It ts neverthe-
len an Incident of the times quite worth roZording.