871."

Here follow the signatures of former representatives, _maires_, doctors,
lawyers, literary men, merchants, and others.]

[Footnote 54: MANIFESTO OF THE FREEMASONS.

"In the presence of the fearful events which make all France shudder and
mourn, in the sight of the precious blood that flows in streams, the
Freemasons, who represent the sentiments of humanity and have spread
them through the world, come once more to declare before you, government
and members of the Assembly, and before you, members of the Commune,
these great principles which are their law and which ought to be the law
of every one who has the heart of a man.

"The flag of the Freemasons bears inscribed upon it, the noble
device--Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, Union. The Freemasons uphold
peace among men, and, in the name of humanity, proclaim the
inviolability of human life. The Freemasons detest all wars, and cannot
sufficiently express grief and horror at civil warfare. Their duty and
their right are to come between you and to say:

"'In the name of humanity, in the name of fraternity, in the name of the
distracted country, put a stop to this effusion of blood; we ask of you,
we implore of you, to listen to our appeal.'"]

[Footnote 55: Gavroche is a street boy of Paris, a _gamin_ immortalized
by Victor Hugo in "Les Miserables," a master of Parisian _argot_
(slang).]

XLIV.

I have just witnessed a horrible scene. Alas! what harrowing spectacles
meet our eyes on every side, and will still before all this comes to an
end. I accompanied a poor old woman to a cemetery in the east of Paris.
Her son, who had engaged himself in a battalion of Federal guards, had
not been home for five days. He was most likely dead, the neighbours
said, and one bade her "go and look at the Cimetiere de l'Est, they have
brought in a load of bodies there." Imagine a deep trench and about
thirty coffins placed side by side. Numbers of people came there to
claim their own among the dead. To avoid crowding, the National Guards
made the people walk in order, two or three abreast, and thus they were
marshalled among the tombs and crosses. The poor woman and I followed
the others. From time to time I heard a burst of sobs; some one amongst
the dead had been recognised. On we go slowly, step by step, as if we
were at the doors of a theatre. At last we arrive before the first
coffin. The poor mother I have come with is very weak and very sad; it
is I who lift u