The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1881-03-30
Blanqui's Wafe.

Blanqui, says a Paris paper, fell in love
with one Of his pupils at Paris, the only
daughter Of a rich merchant. She loved her
teacher, and her teacher loved her, in the
stole manner of Portia and Brutus.
For six years he wished to marry her with
out ever allowing q word, 8 gesture, or q look
to escape him which could have betrayed his
love. She enveloped herself in the same
mystery. After becoming bis wife she made
him happy for five or six years; then, like
some wild mountain plant, Withered in Its eff
fort to climb a prison wall, she died of grief
one year after having seen her husband con-
demned to perpetual incarceration. She died
prec isely on the anniversary Of the sentence.
Although slowly tortured to death by her
grief during all those 365 days, she never al
lowed Blanqui even to suspect the long
agony, even while writing to him daily.
AT last one day she wrote:
II know we'll that you will never love any
woman in the world but me-"
These few lines were for the prisoner as
the lightning before the crash Of ruin.
The next day she died.
Compared with that crushing blow, said
BlanQui, twenty-eight years imprisonment
seemed to weigh upon me no more than a
feather. And they have treated me often like
some ferocious beast that falls into 8 pit. But
/ have remained alone, night and day, face
to face with the shadow of her that is no
more.
He had always regarded her as one of
Plutarch's women, silently %stoical masking
the most passionate heart under the most i'm
passible exterior-a volcano covered with
glaciers. Full Of self-abnegation andtender-
ness, the energy Of her affection was great
beyond the natural measure of Woman's
strength self-devotion was as necessary for
her as respiration, nor did q shadow Of vanity
exist in her character.
Utterly insenslble to all those methods OF
attracting which women seek after, she dis
liked female society, and regarded fashion
able women as addle- pated or peridious
dolls. Their whims and follies annoyed and
wearied her. Always neatly and even Gle
gantly dressed, her attire was always simple
Notwithstanding; she disdained trimmings
and furbelows, but could, if necessary, con-
verse about dressing in q manner not less ar
tistic than entertaining.
She was very tall. Blanqui was of very
low stature; and this often caused people to
say hat sslittle men like tall women"
She was very dark, with great black eyes,
opulent black hair, eye broWs well arched:
and a severe face. She never laughed. Her
voice was melodious, her movements slow
and majestic; Blanqui used to say, 'sShe
walks like an empress" Her courage was
extraordinary, but passive-the courage Which
never advances, but never draws back.
| Nevertheless there was nothing hard or mas.
culine about her.
Her husband had no influence over her ex.
cept that of the boundless affection which
she repaid him by returning. In his eyes she
was at once an angel and . matron like tht
matrons Of the antique republics. He wa
himself . perfect conjugal models husband
whose moral worth was shown by actions
the Sabinus Of that Eponina.
During her life and after her death b
never loved any one in the world but her
The blacklist calumny which could be uttere'
against him was to suppose him or to lea
others to believe him capable of a moment
in6delity to his idol, even in thought.