The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-06-02


eral Red newspapers of late short no
tees that places of meeting would
shortly be established where "citoyenneS
might congregate and let off the steam
of their enthusiasm. Two or three pre-
liminary assemblies were held with
closed doors at the Marie of Passy, |
suppose as rehearsals of forthcoming
performance. Within the last week,
however the plan has taken a tangible
form certain ladies make circuit OF
the different ACCOMPLISHMENTS, laying
down their articles of faith and inviting
all women to Join in common cause.
| was very doubtful as to whether a
member Of the sterner sex would be
permitted to enter the hallowed pre-
cincts, but, thinking the attempt worth
trying, | got into carriage yesterday
evening with a friend, accompanied by
female newsvender who occupies one
of the kioskS upon the boulevards, her
mission being to smuggle us into the
place under her protection and defend
us from rabid citizenesses' in case of
danger. The meeting was to be held
on the Boulevard d'Italie, in the lowest
quarter of Paris, some distance beyond
Montrouge. After a drive of three
quarters of an hour we reached kind
of clubhouse, surmOunted by red flag,
and through the carefully closed shut
tiers of which came murmurs OF sub
dued voices, and long streams OF light
spreading across the road. We entered
the building without knocking, and
found ourselves in filthy room reeking
with evil odors and crowded with
women and children of every age.
Most of them appeared to belong to the
lowest order Of society, and wore loose,
untidy jackets. with white frilled caps
upon their heads. At the end Of the
room was Il table Uttered with papers
and books, and behind it sat row of
women. with red scarfs over their
shoulders, and red belts about their
waists. None took much notice of us
at first, being too much occupied with
the oratOry of fine looking young
woman with streaming black hair and
flashing eyes, who dilated upon the
rights of women amid calculations and
shakings Of the head, and approving
pinches of snuff from the occupants OF
the benches near US. Men are lacheS,
she cried "they call themselves the
masters of creation, and are a set OF
dolts. They complain of being made to
! fight. and are always grumbling over
! their woes let them 90 and join the
craven band at Versailles, and we will
defend the city ourselves. We have
! petroleum, and we have hatchets and
| strong hearts, and are as capable OF
bearing fatigue as they. We will man
the barbados. and show them that we
will no longer be trodden down by
them. Such as still wish to fight can
do so side BY side with us. Women OF
Paris, to the front y She sat down out
Of breath and rather confused, having
had 10 bear up against considerable tit
tering on account of the imperfectiOn
of her French and the strangeness oil
her smiles but she looked very hand
some, and might have sat for the por
trait of. one Of the heroines of the first
revolution but there was that in hel
eve which made me think as | looked
at her that ! should not like to be hel
husband.
The next speaker seemed tolerably
respectable, wearing decent black
bonnet. but her discourse was as ramb
linz and inconsistent as that Of hei
predecessor at the tribune. We are
simple women" she began, but moi
made of weaker stuff than our grand
mothers of '93. Let us not cause THEN
shades to blush forus, but be up and do
ing. as they would be were they living
now We have duties to perform. j
necessary we will fight with the best o
them and defend the barricadez but
cannot think so supreme a sacrifice vii
be demanded of Us. We will attend OF
the battlefield and help to bring oul
wounded heroes back into the town
and thus save many lives which would
otherwise be needlessly sacrificed. Ye
another service we may render. w,
will establish portable cooking-stove!
(to,Uneaur). and cook the raw mea
which is served out TO the men of oul
army, which they throw away for lack
of means to dress it, Encouraged 10y
the applause which had followed ne
thus far. she now degenerated int
rant, attacking the priesthood general
~ and the confessional, mimcking the
actions used at mass amid the laughte
and bravoes of the throng.
One old lady became ecstatic, anc
continued digging me violently in tn,
back with her elbow until the tear
ran down her face and mixed with tn,
snuff that lay scattered over her coun
tenance.
All. the priests y murmured an
other, from under the heavy frills of he
cap. lady of a serious turn of mind
who nodded her head slowly from sid
to aide as though it were pendulum
"Those priests! have seen them to-
| closely, tn conaihie r. This portion o
the speech was the hit of the evening
, and so the speaker kept up the subjec
: for some time longer before launchin
into the history OF Jeanne IIachettt
and drawing a moral therefrom. Sh
was listened to with respect to the enc
: great effect having evidently bee
f produced upon her auditory by he
: immense command of historical de
tail.
, I" EHs 81 coDsoit, ccllc.la, ma cherc,
f said one old woman to another wit
2 conviction. and an awe fell over the a
semblv. which pernitted another We