The herald., 1894-09-08
HoNoRED BY A NATION.
Mime. Bogelot Receives the Ribbon of tn
Legion of Honor.

Legion of Honor.
The French government, by awarding
the ribbon of the Legion of Honor to
Mme Bogelot, has turned brilliant
light on q personality whose career has
hitherto lain somewhat in the shade.
Leaving to others the care of vindicat-
ing the feminine cause in public meet
ings and in the press, Mime. Bogelot
has devoted her life to the redemption
Of female criminals. Her name is init
mately connected with that highly phil
anthropic work. the "Guvro do Liber-
ees de st. Lazare, of which she is now
direotress, and it is mainly due to the
fact that she personally represented the
society at the woman's congress at Chi
cago that she owes this public recogni-
tion of her worth--an honor seldom
vouchsafed to women, however we'll
merited. To be thus singled out from
among others of her sex must certainly
be extremely gratifying, but it is pleas
ing to find that Nine Bogelot takes her
honors very meekly. The predominating
characteristics of the new chevaliere are
meekness and cheerfulness, combined
with excellent business capacities and
boundless compassion for human errors
and misfortunes of every shape.
She is an admirable specimen Of that
class of Frenchwomen about whom the
fashionable society of Paris knows lit
tie.
''The world and are strangers. ]
never go out, never pay visits" Nine.
Bogelot explained in a recent interview
II rise early, the morning is spent at
home debating letters to my private sec
retary. During the afternoon hours
am generally to be found at the offices
of the Qluvre des Liberees de st. La
zare. At O'Clock return to dine with
my husband and son, and 1 am seldom
out of bed after s. ~ sr- 'Eao 81
This is the simple epitome of Mime.
Bogelot's self sacrificing existence. In
her home surroundings there are abun-
dant evidences that the humanitarian
labors Of this excellent woman are not
allowed to interfere with the comfort of
her husband. There is no disorder in
her household You feel that every
thing moves on oiled wheels A roomy
fat in large house situated in small
street turning out of the busy Rue de
Rivoh is her abode, solidly but simply
furnished, single, middle aged serv-
ant composing the entire staff. 1t is
pleasant to note that between husband
and wife there is complete harmony of
ideas and interests, M. Bogelot, who is
a member Of the bar, affording his wife
aid and advice on all legal matters con-
nected with her work.
Few women leading more or less Of
public life manage to steer clear Of the
quicksands Of sectarianism. That Nine.
Bogelot has been able to do SO is due
partly to we'll balanced mind and
amiable temper, partly to the manifold
occupations Of hen busy life She is ever
ready to give advice in respect to the
administration of societies, matter in
which she is thoroughly conversant,
but she wisely restricts her own labors
to the special lines she has taken up,
and which absorb all her time and ener-
gies. Politics never attracted her, nor
has she ever taken an active part in the
vindication of woman 8 rights. Still she
is ever ready to lend helping hand to
members Of her own sex, to fellow
workers as we'll as to the disinherited
by fortune. But, although she PERSONAL
ly prefers to hold aloof from party strife,
the woman's cause has undoubtedly her
entire sympathy. Indeed it would have
been strange had it been otherwise,
owing to the great friendship that exist
ed between her and the late Maria De-
raismes. The connection between them
was almost that Of mistress and pupil.
There was difference Of some 10 years
in their ages, and Isabelle Bogelot,
when a weakly child, was taken under
the wing of the elder woman and her
sister, Mme Fenisse, that she might
have the benefit Of country air, and re-
mained an inmate of their house until
she married. This early training had
probably great effect on her subse-
quent career.
Not being gifted with literary abili-
ties, as was the more brilliant Maria
Deraismes, she sought to render herself
useful in other ways. 1t was not, how
ever, until after her marriage that she
joined the Guvre des Liberees do St.
Lazare, with which her name has since
been SO inseparably connected. This
was in 1878, and the society had been
founded three years previously by Mile.
Michel de Grandpre, the niece Of the
chaplain of ST. Lazare, who had been
struck during her intercourse with the
inmates of this house of detention by
the anxiety evinced by SO many Of the
prisoners as their terms Of imprison-
ment came to a close and they knew
they would. be once more thrown on
their own resources and have to do bat
tie with the difficulties of life, heavily
handicapped by the ignominy of con-
viotion. Initiated INTO the workings OF