The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1901-12-02
COMMUNISTS TRANSFORMED
The BenelIcent Work and Influence
of Young Woman i'm the
SIums OF Paris.

1t need not take big organization
to do a big thing. Ia christian Work
in Paris Slums" Sarah A. Tooley tells
how one woman. and she but young
and delicate girl, went down into a
very hotbed of hatred and anarchy,
and transformed it into place where
men and women could be induced to
listen to reason and respond to kind
ness.
Miss De Broen, lady of Dutch ex-
traction who made England her home,
is we'll known as worker in the slums
of Paris. 1t was in 1871, Immediately
after the suppression of the commune,
that she visited Paris and went to the
cemetery of Pere Lachaise, where 600
communists were shot down by the sol
diers of Versailles.
AS she stood in the cemetery she
heard at one end the wailing and
shrielSing of women, and following the
sound, found maddened crowd of
communist women mourning their
dead. The girl was siezed with pity
for them, and laying her hand on the
arm OF one of the women, she said:
'Let me comfort you. can tell you
of One above who cares for all your
SORROWS"
Az she passed from one to another
calm fell upon the maddened crowd.
Miss De Broen's heart was stirred.
The scene was revelation to her.
From that time she devoted herself 10
the work of helping these outcasts of
Belleyille.
IL Is impossible TO describe what the
district was ip those days. II was the
hotbed of the most yirulent anarchy.
Lawlessness, disorder and the spirit of
deadly revenge seemed 10 possess
every man. woman and child in the
place. Gradually Miss De Broen gained
an influence over the people, and in
dnced the women 10 attend a sewing
class. The government recognized the
value Of her labors and helped her.
low far her influence extended is
shown BY the quick response TO her
presence and pleading in a time of real
danger.
Several years ago a law was passed
regulating the collection Of household
refuse. The task Of collecting IL was
relegated TO the city, and thousands
Of chiffoniers In Belleyille were thrown
out OF employment. News came TO
Miss De Broen. one Sunday afternoon,
! that the people were rising. She hur-
ried TO the district where the chif-
feniers lived in a tribe apart, and found
them gathered round a leader who was
<inciting them 10 deeds Of violence.
"If We have no weapons we have
stonesl" he was saying when Miss DE
Broen came mp.
what Is the matter?" she asked.
1--WE have lost our work and are
starving" was the reply.
She asked them " they would sepa-
rate peaceably n she undertook 10 pro-
vide them with food and work; and to
prove her sincerity she dispatched a
messenger TO the nearest bakers shop
with orders to send at once all the
bread on the premises. When the cart
arrived. she had the loaves cut up and
distributed 10 the crowd.
The hungry people. trusting to their
benefactress, dispersed quietly TO
their homes. and Miss De Broen pre-
scented herself at the Eiysee and asked
10 see President Grevy.
~The president IS dining" was the
reply. "and cannot be disturbed"
"TenhimIcame from those who have
no dinner" she replied.
~ She saw the president and he
.a. ped that there were some thou
Sands Of desperate characters in Belle
4 xille on the verge Of revolution. That
dtsetthe cumbrous machinery Of the
Ioternment at work. and help came;
but in the meantime. while ministers
considered ard officials investigated.
Miss DE Broen. by her undaunted ef-
forts fed some 1000 people and pre-
vented an outbreak that would have