New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-26
MICHEL AND SEVERINE.
THE TWO LEADING SOCIALISTS AMONG THE
WOMEN OF PARIS

The nineteenth century has yet TO produce, per-
hans a personal antithesis more striking, more
interesting, more speculative than is disclosed IA
the characters and careers OF Louise Michei anu
Madame Severine. Devoid Of the slightest trace
~ beauty. the best of life spent in squahd'
wretched surroundings, exposed to taunt ana leer'
now branded felon, now q lunatc. Louise
Michel is finding soace in her declining Gays
laboring among the poor of London "hle
Madame Severine, mellowing in the early PROM
ises of physical beauty, dainty in domestic tastes
and comforts, is rapidly rising in French ieo'ers
and softening by her womanIy charms tne as
nerities which the advocacy OF anarcnism nat
uraly brings OUT
Singuarly sad and instructive is the lie anu
character of Louise Michel She is better known
in America than Madame Severine, or "Severine'
az she now boldly signs her clever sketches in the
Eigarop and dainty personal notes always written
on paper bearing the escutcheon-a bloody nag
with a crown of thorns encircled with the motto
Meo Credo.n Louise Michel came to life In de-
8ance ~ law, civil and divine. Strong intellect
nroud sensitive soul, she smarted under 'he
social uenalties this fact inflicted. The smotnereu
wrongs of girhood found in young womanhood an
outlet in the Commune Skilled In GreeK ana
latin she was a teacher in the public schoos OF
Paris when the Communistic ferment ore" her
IN the rostrum-a fearless, eloquent pieaoer Ior
rho destruction of all existing INSTITUTIONS Her
;mnrsonment and refusal to accept liberty "hen
offered 70 her by the Government unless IL coui"
be shared by her companions, ana ner reiuSai 10
appear against man who shot anu "oonueu nei
at socialistic meeting, and her support OF Ills
to,,i1,, during his Imprisonment from her meagre
income are twice-told taies o
shortly before the May celebrations of $780,
We received. at the intercession OF Madame sever
to. a characteristic note from Louise Michel
exirc the time for call at her home outside the
forti6cations of Paris After much misdlrectioh
we found the number. The concierge looked up
from her knitting with stllen, suspicious GRANGE,
and in response TO the query, is Mile Nhohel
AZ homopn CURLY replied with significant toss
of the head.
"Michel-le plus haut etage.'
Il WAS a homely old building; the stairs steep
and narrow, the fumes repulsive. knock at the
door at the top of the last fight of steps ushered
lis into a small room. The atmosphere was sti-
fling. Oh for q breath of the shifting April WINDS
Without The floor was carpetless; chest OF
drawers, decorated with apothedary and care
utensils stood against the wall while dilapldated
armchair O. table groaning under literary RUBBISH
n broken. rusty stove crowned with dingy wash
boiler: a parrot and dirty little dog completed
the appointments. more fitting place In winch
70 inaugurate socialistc revolution in the nature
Of spring se-ceaning than the salon OF thls
queen of anarchism could scarcely be found
81 have a rendezvous with Mile. Michel
"SHe is there said the brght-faced young man
who opened the door and now retreated 10 an
adjoining room, from which peeped curlously
Young woman From the Uttered table near the
stove snapped black, piercing eyes, and IN tne
one clean thing of the unclean whole we recos-
nized Louise Michel She wore an old-fashloned
black lustre gown guiltess of garniture. We'll
developed goitre was disclosed by the severe neck
dressing There was a suspicious CLEAN IN her eye
You are late" she said, brusquely.
81 have an engagement at g. What do you
want to know"
Peculiarly and refreshingly sensitive Is Michel
to the prying of the idly curious. Convinced
that she was sought with honest motives, the
brusoueness and the reserve relaxed and into
socialistc theories and the crisis then Threatening
we were led with an intelligence, persuasive
ness O power, which, if directed in Legitimate
channels would render this instructed genius
one of the most effective factors of modern times.
IL am sought on every side in the streets, on
the trains. and everywhere. What do you think
Of this2 What do you think of that?" snapped
Michel what difference does it make what |
think Evils exist. Evils are on every side.
Can't they see as we'll as L? The whole social
structure is wrong. 1t cannot be remodelled,
patched up. 1t must first be levelled'
Blanqui began Socialistio agitation in 1s4s.
His doctrines, modified or less. are the basis
of the five distinct groups of pure SocianstS
that sprang up in Paris in 1875. Once formld-
able power, ambition of the individual ana
treachery of Bouanger has divided them, until
| do tod faction,
Socialism as formerly understood" said Michel,
will not do to-day. We have outlived 1t. l
do not associate with any class OF Socialists, she
continued. Women must do their work indi-
vidually. l do not believe in giving them the
ballot. Look at the foolish things men have done.
Would women be less foolish?"
Could Susan B. Anthony have beheld Louise
| Michel-the high, narrow, receding foreheed' the
long straight nose, the short dark hair streaKea
with gray and pasted la Rosa Bonheur, the
small ferret eyes that snapped from behind the
driftwood of her dirty literary workshop-could
Susan have beheld LOuise she asked this ques-
ton, it would have been the unkindeSt cut woman
! suffrage has yet received! Louise Michel feeS
keeny the sulTerings, the expressions OF the poor
| feels. because she is of them. While we
| talked a printers devil came with the proof oil
her Memoirs" then running in " LEgalite," the
successor to the "Cri du Peuple,' the organ OF
| onarchsm woman is powerless TO live
| without love as flowers without sunshine. AS
Michel corrected the proof she caresoed the dlrty
| little dog that was once white or responded 10
the cry of Polly, who from his perch repeatedly
denounced the Minister of the Interior, obnoxious
| to all Socialists.
| "Constans is pig Constans is pigP
| cried Polly.
Yes yes; beautiful Bird smiled its mistress
The proof corrected, she wrote on slip of
paper directions to the hall in which she was TO
deliver two lectures on the impending May ceebri-
ties Come" she said, cordially extending her
hand, while the young woman from the adjoln-
ing room tripped in bOnneted and affectionately
printed kiss on the cheek of Louise, whose eyes
magically softened
Three days later Louise Michel was arrested and
| adiudged insane. In theory scarcely less bloody,