, 1888-10-24
STRANGE LOUISE MICHEL.
Her Sincerity and Courage-Johng the
Bourgeois-FaciaI Ugliness.


Louise Michel is certainly a d~etraquee
In politics.: but If she makes d~etestable
speeches and commits still more abomina-
BILE acts, there can be no question as to
her sincerity or her courage in defending
her opinions. 1t is this sincerity and her
self a~hnegation that gives her a certain
sympathy among people who detest her
theories. Another cause of the general
indulgence shown to this misguided
woman is her womanliness. 1t may sound
strange to hear that this vehement
utopist, who is ready to kill and to de-
stroy, possesses any womanly qualities.
Once away from politics she is kindness
itself. No one has a more tender love for
children, greater pity for the aged or more
devoted care for the infirm. She was her
mothers good angel throughout her pa
rents life, although the old lady never
believed in her daughters utopian dreams.
In private life Louise Michel is not at all
a disagreeable companion. She is bright,
always cheerful. and enjoys a good joke.
She likes to play jokes, above all on her
sworn enemy, the bourgeois. One day,
when returning to her home Just outside
the Notifications, she found herself seated
on g. horse car beside,a respectable look
ing old gentleman whom she was sure
was a Philistine. Beginning the CONVEX
sation about the inhabitants of the dis
trict, its needs, ETC.. she timidly re-
marked: But have you not in this quarter
a terrible communist, a woman who wants
to destroy everything2 What is her
manner" "Ah, yes" replied the old gentle
man, Louise Michel" That's the one"
And then the old gentleman went<oh to
say how much the presence of such a
woman injured the reputation of the
place, while she constantly encouraged
him by putting in a word to show thaO
she was entirely of his opinion, that it
was regrettable the law did not permit the
expulsion of such a dangerous character,
etc. When the red heroine" reached her
destination she turned as she was leaving
the car door, and with O diabolic smile
replied to the old gentleman's polite bow
"M'sieu, I'm Louise Michel" And off she
went, c%huckling to herself.
Louise Michel lives at Levallois- Perret,
q suburban town adjoining Paris. Two
small rooms and a smaller kitchen com
prise her humble abode. There, sur
rounded by her cats and some stray dogs
that h has picked up to save from the
pound. she receives her callers and writes
her books. Most of the money she earns
she gives away in charity, retaining for
herself only what is absolutely necessary.
At first glance Louise Michel is homely,
almost ugly looking. Tall and very lean,
with frizzly gray hair floating wildly
around her high and retreating forehead,
an oval face with strongly marked fea-
lures, large nose, wide mouth, false teeth
and weak chin, she is repelling. This
ugliness, added to teachings received
from parents who know the woman
only from hearsay, causes the chill
dren to mock at her when she
goes along, But to a careful OBJ
server the ugliness of the revolution
airy apostle is only ~momentary. Her eye
is gentle and bright, her smile at once
tender and malicious and her voice soft
and sweet. In short, the general express
sion of the face is singularly intelligent
and engaging, 1t is only when she talks
about the wrongs and sufferings of hui
manity that her eye becomes terrible. In
conversation with those who are the
furthest from her beliefs she Is always
polite, and it is easy to see that this vi
rago of the political meeting is a woman
who has received an excellent education
and breeding. Notwithstanding her the
cries and manner of propagating them,
Louise Michel is one of the most curious
and interesting figures of the present day.
Charles Seymour's Paris Letter in The
Epoch.