The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-05
LOUISE MICHEL
Gossip About n Socialist Who Is Sim
cere in Her Belief

Paris Letter in Brooklyn Eagle.
What il Louise Michel going to do in Am
erica? Is not the land of the free suffi-
GENTLY free for her. and does she think
she has mission to perform there? La
VERGE rouge, as she is here called. has
kept very quiet within the last five years
She left France in a tantrum and lived in
London. The French government used stra-
tagem to get rid of her as 1t did TO have
was rumored that Louise Michel would be
put into an insane asylum IL she did not
keep more quiet. The poor woman. having
passed a part of her life I'm prisons, was
afraid that the doors of an asylum would
close more tightly upon her than those of
prison, and she fed to England. No
doubt. she there spent part Of her time
in studying the English language and you
will hear her revolutiorizing ideas In the
language of Shakespeare. Before her sail
ing. she was allowed to spend few days
in Paris to bid goodbye to her friends. She
must have had her steamer ticket on exhib-
ition in order that the government would
be sure she would not remain here long
enough to make another disturbance.
The tenor of her speech pronounced in the
meeting of Socialists given in her honor
was not as incendiary as in times past,
caused reporters to daub her with the
name of Verge rose instead of Verge rouge
But if all Socialists are as sincere. as
anxious for the amelioration OF the poor,
and laborers as Louise Michel, more good
work would have been done. Louise Michel
is positively sincere and unselfish in every
truly loves the poor and the suffering and
she is the only creature / have ever met
who would go hungry to feed the
eofse the need sSe never bas
a cent i'm her pocket, for she always finds
some one poorer than herself to give ~
to. She never fas change of dress, for she
always knows some one who has not one on
her back. Some seven or eight years ago
Louise lived little beyond my quarters,
outside of the Notifications and having a
ad rni I IN 90 tn
her quite frequently. / always found her
In her two small rooms. almost bare OF
receiving friends. as she called the ragged
and the hungry, and also those who, taking
advantage of her good heart. accepted her,
nors Ub;ch e1 Womb ho sne rev COP
going hungry to replenish their pipes.
The time she did not spend in alleviating
care of animals. Her home was the house
OF refuge of all the sick dogs and cats OF
the neighborhood. Oftentimes she was not
averse to a little pleasantly, and one day
she told me she had not slept a wink the
night before; she had bedfellow whom
she was obliged to nurse, and who took
to let me see the bedfellow she opened a
door. and on the pillow Of her bed lay a
kitten almost blind and whose body was
almost covered with mango. To keep IL
company in the room were two sick Sors
and three cats whose general appearance
would have been objectionable TO persons
more fastsdious than Louise Michel.
During louise's absence one day I had a
talk with her cousin. who was devoted to
Louise enough to pass all imperfections by
of Iouise's household and live with her IF
I did not see that she was properly sed,''
said the woman to me, "she would he felf
starved and would not have the strength to
do her socialistic work in the meetings. She
cannot see anyone leave the house unfed
and unprovided for. l have seen her 60
out to meetings with a summer garment.
standing the risk OF freezing 10 death, to
give her winter cloak to q woman whose
need was more imaginary than physical
She allows me so much q mouth to keep
house. and am eternally at war with her
for not being willing TO give the money we
need for bread to her poor"
Are those poor always deservlngr
I'm the eyes Of Louise, yess /. myself,
hare nothing to do with them. I have not