The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-29

face was n study when, in the gladness of
my heart, l offered him q fve-franc piece.
The implacable patriot aoce ted it.
Presently, under an escort of national
still d~angerous-I WAS marched through a
couple of streets to the bureau of a sitting
magistrate. My companions were a gentle
man in a blouse who WAS accused of having
stolen an ink bottle; a tatterdemalion de-
tccted iii selling a couple of cigars to a Ba-
Paris mob had stripped and painted divers
oolors because she had been caught parlev ing
with q Prussian drummer. The magistrate
was SO good az to deal with me first. For
tunately l was able to produce to him my
British passport and my journalistic Gre
dentials. He called in his sister, who had
lived in ENGLAND, to assist him in deciding
on the authenticity of those documents
She promptly pronounced in their favor,
and his worship became Immediately grac-
lous. He told me l was free, and was good
enough to lend me an old coat in which to
walk to my hotel; at the same time grace
fully begging me to excuse what ne termed
"ths little inconvenience l had OK experienced,
on account of the not unnatural excitement
Of the Paris populace."
The magistrates good sister sent me to a
bedroom, where | washed off the most flag
rant stains of the recent unpleasantness.
Outside the mob were still bowling ~tiercely.
Time was very precious to me; l could not
endure to wait indefinitely, yet | did not care
to offer myself to the tender msrcies of the
gentlemen of the pavement. The sister in
this strait proved herself a ministering
angel. She said there was a door opening
in q quiet side alley, and actually offered to
AS we walked, told the good soul did not
know how to thank her; had 1t been her
servant l could have found no difficulty in
rsquiting tho good Office, but a lady-"Oh,"
she broke III, that is not SO difficult, l will
put my pride in my pocket. My brother
franc Of it for six months. We are gentle
folk; We oanno join the queue outside the
bakers shop, and, and q mon Diem! we are
actually starving" and the poor woman
burst into tears. 1--WE could not take char
ity," she continued, sobbina, but nave
they say, is o being distributed
freely; if only one could get a little aid
from it's bountv?" We had q sub-depot in
my hotel; / myself Wal one of the accredit-
ed sub-almoners; some of tho commission
ers were living with me. l hurried the
lady into u room where there was no ono to
notice her emotlon; then found John Fur
ley AID told him the lit.le story. Furley is
u man Of energy, In five minutes a big
hamper had been packed full of comesti-
bles and a porter had it on his back, wait
ing for the lady's commands. With the
CllNd1IV vi u hhC RShpiSAAnh iditcy 1891 tCt-
fully announced to her that one of his men
was at her disposition. She came out into
the pessaVs, looked down at the great
basket. whose open mouth disclosed inter
ain a leg of mutton, Il couple of fowls, a
great honest loaf, and sundry vegetables;
she gave a great gasp, and l thouht she was
going to faint. She WAS anaemic
from sheer want. but she rallied. tears
holping her; and then she vent silently
away with her veil down over her face and
the stalwart porter trampinR behind her.
1t was such people "a those, with pride and
fixed salaries which were not paid, who
suffered worst during the siege, and they,
too, 1t was who were the most difficult to
relieve when tho siege was over. but without
M vet any alienation of their misery. The
women were the most stubborn. The con-
ciergs would assure the nlmoner that the
" old lGdisn on such AZ etsge were liter
ally starving. The two OLD ladies, when
you pushed their button, would appear,