The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1886-04-21

proletariat. have talked with Louis Michel
III her humble home. have heard her speak
at public meetings, have followed her acts
during her stormy career While | do not
share her wild enthusiasm, nor. applaud her
violent measures for the regeneration of
society, | cannot help admring her constancy
of pui os her fearlessneSs, her generosity
and her affectionate disposition. A few
anecdotes will illustrate these noble qualities
of mind and heart
short time before her Imprisonment she
was invited to lecture at Versailles. lot OF
rowdi broke up the meeting and Louise
Mic.el was forced to go alone from the hall
to the railroad station followed by jeering
mob She did not show the least fear on this
occasion, but looked the threatening crowd
calmly in the face remarking, in gentle
tone: 81 forgive them; they don't know
what they are DOING When our side gets
into power these people who are now INSULT
ing M" viii lie III" first to applaud me,
care nothing for these adults; my aim is to
convert children to my view. | address my
self 10 the future. The present is rotten
During the sutTaiingS caused by the siege
of Paris III the au umn Of 1870, Victor Hugo
was in the habit of giving money to a lady
friend, who distributed it among the poor.
One day she came to the poet and said that
certain woman whom she knew was i'll the
greatest distress. Virtor Hugo handed over
100 francs But he was astonished the next
day to learn that this woman was still in
need of relief "But what have You done
with the 100 francs of Yesterday he asked.
oh she gave them to the starving mothers
with children" answered the almoner
We'll, here is another 100. continued Victor
Hugo; but | give them to you on the ex
press understanding that your friend keeps
them for herself" The lady hurried away
with the money. This is for Won alone"
she said as she plrc,d thn loui d'ors in the
poor womans lap as that the condit on on
which they are given me-" aske'l the re-
cipient "Yes," was thu reply Then you
may take them bqck again" continued the
former; ''thank Victor Hugo for me and tell
him appreciate hi, good intentions "Oh,
no." answered the lady, somewhat embar-
rasSed; Il will assume the responsibility then
of letting you do what you like with the
money Put nllst say that you are very
obstinate al out it This obstinate starver
was Louise Michel
pass over in silence that terrible period in
her life, embracing the fall o. the Commune,
her arrest, transportation to New Caledonia
and her return Suffice it to say hat
throughout those hard years, which nearly
destroyed her physical b auty an which nn-
queStonably affected her brain, LoHi @
Michel displayed a / those elevated qualitie'
that have characterized her Paris existence
during the past five or six years. Let us
follow her to her cell After the death,
year ago. of her mo- her whom She loved So
tenderly. and the separation from whom was
IL. -
Louise Michel became an inmate Of the
wonans prison of Saint Lazare, situated in
the heart of the city.
The only solace Of these long days of con-
inenent was h i pen She has written dur
ing the las ten years, several hook, nat viii
soon be printed She a 50 won the tenn of
the officers of tie prison and the ai.,~ tion of
her unhappy fellow sufferers Whenever
kind rriends-an sne had many, some of
whom have a worldwide reputation--sent
her delcacios, they were Immediately dis
tribute ;aong the other occupants of Saint
Lqzare. She was especially attentive
20 the little children, who. up to the
age of three years, are allowed TO remain
with ;hcF unfortunate mothers. Nor does
Lo;ii-e EIichels tenderness toward living
creatures stop with humanity. She has
always had great fondness for cats, and
had several in her cell But the kindly
powers of her n tnre were best shown by the
success that crowned her efforts to bring into
friendly relations her own cats and the OBJ
truding prison lilt; II was a curious sight
to see these thiiil liitle animals eating crumbs
Of bread on L,iiis, Nj hels table while the
.ats purrei g3i Il ~ ilcr lap
Louise II clial is pronounced free
thinker, bun llai does not keep The prison
chaplain, Altte DabIe, from speaking well of
her ''sha j, very generous" he said some
time before her iberi iion; more than once
he has shared her meals with her listers in
misery" She i ieaiousiy regardless of her
own interest. For instance she twice re-
fused offers Of money FROM thoughtful friends
outside of the rison walls She would not
be an object of charity.
Her stOicai indifference to physical punish
nlent had become a cause of real embarrass-
ment to The government Many French
man, be 1t said to their honor, bIushed for the
good name Of the Republic when Louise
Nj chel was thrown into jail and the Radi-
cai clement of the Republican party has
never ceased To demand her restoration to
liberty. But the victim always treated her
prosecutors with such seorn that hey hesi-
tated 10 approach her Several nstntlss ago,
when the mins,rs were actually Oh the point
Of poring her door, Louise Michel sent them
such old letter that their dignity checked
Their clemfncy Her position, which was
strong cne. vas this: AM unjustiy impris- |
oned and cannot accept a pardon ami,
furthermore, the state prisons contain others |
confined for political reasons, and for what / |
con i,ler INSULT, mt reasons; there must be |
a general j il delivery of this class of con-
victs, or must refuse TO quit my cell No |
exceptions must lie r1.aie, and there must be
nothing said abou' parloaing us. So when |
the officers ne tle ether day and Informed |
Louisa Mi bel that The president had par
doned her and haf-;lczn other Socialists, |
she alb oiEfely refus 4 70 leave Saint LazaIe, |
and sat down and wrosc letters TO This effect /
to both II. Grevy and the chief of police
Tilr government was on the point Of cuttii
a r'dicu otls figure There v.s Tut ole
4, tpuc Of escape. The private secretary of |
the chief of police hurried to the prison AMI |
sniolmel the Tartar that unless h. 4 parte |
Immediately. and Of her own aeceri, she |
woalt i,e INT out Is main fierce And thus
ended this discredtahle affair, III 50 far as
the government is concerned.
As soon as she was at liberty Lenise Michel
penned half-dozen lett rs to as MANY diff