The morning call., 1892-12-16

Perhaps you are going to find that this
name is somewhat ridiculous. Do not
hurry yourself to smile at il, however, for
not only was she who bore it brave
woman. worthy of al respect, but she was
besides, on a memorable and tragic day, a
true heroine. l do not know any one who
has displayed more yalor and cooiness in
such most frightful circumstances.
You must first know that Nine Jambe, or
Mother Jambe, as she was called, had for q
long time been cRnteen-w0man in a regi-
ment Of the line. In this employment she
had always shown herself mOtherly to the
soldier. So in the battalion which she was
part of She had only friends. Officers and
soldiers alike veneratsd her, and during The
quarter Of a century she passed in the
army, neither in Algeria, where for long
time she kept garrison. nor during the
italian campaign, where the regiment was
IN every battle, was there 8 day when she
could have complained of having been the
victim of an impudence or a brutality
About 30 she married ouartermaster
who was getting ready 20 leave the service
and who remained ia the army 10 help his
vile keep the cantee1. The couple pros
pered. Mother Jsnbe had more than one
string TO her bow, and knew how to employ
her leisure hours proitably. She was a
very clever ped!cure. She had also learned
TO dress hair and was able to do a service to
the ladies' Of the officers. The eolonePs
wife, even on gala days, never called the
hairdresser, and was willing To entrust her
hair only TO Nine. Jamb These were her
hele profits. As they were renewed in
different ways and frequently, the couple
we're soon in easy cireums stances, and real
lied rich savings whose existence was q
mystery to nobody.
After year Of marriage Nine. Jambe
had a son. Agreeing with her husband she
decided that be, too, should be a soldier.
When he had reached the age required by
the regulations he became child Of the COM
pany Ia the regiment in which his parents
served. Al 10 be enlisted. Already trained
In the habits of military life, he had, be-
sides. intelligence. judgment. heart full Of
upTlghtness. Everybody was convinced
that he would make a brilliant career.
lhe Jam5es were swimming along In
complete happiness when catastrophe
came. In 1869 the husband suddenly died.
1t was hard blow tor the wife, blow so
bard that il she had not been sustained by
the hope of still being happy in her son she
would not have survived her poor husband.
But her eonscript, as she called him, at
had prematurely aged her. To her great
regret she was compelled to leave the
regiment and be resigned to 60 and bury
herself in the little village of La Cluse,
near Pontarller, where she was born and
where she still owned, under the shelter of
The fort Of Joux, the little house her
parents had left TO her. She hoped that her
son would frequently come there to visit
her.
year after her going Into retirement
the war broke out. That was another grief
and more cruel even than the one which
she had not succeeded In being consoled
Ior She was patriot, Mother Jambe. and
she was mother. Her country threat
ened, her son In danger, 1t was too much.
She was then prey TO feverish exaltation
which left her neither rest nor respite.
during the terrible rising of 1901 she
oid not succeed In sleeping more than three
, hours out OF twenty-four. Always on the
watch for events she cursed the snow and
the cold which separated her village from
the rest of the world ana made communica-
ton difficult. She passed weeks without
knowing anything, either of the progress of
The war, or OF her son. Then, blow by
blow, she knew Of our defeats, and at last
she learned that the child, become a SER
geant. although he was not yet 1s was as
signed to make part Of the army of the East
which was being formed under the command
OF General Bourbaki.
From that time and in all kinds Of weather
they saw her every day cross the few kill
ometers which separated PontarIjer from
the village OF La Cluse, or go up to the fort
Oh Joux. Which dominates the Swiss from
Tier. She was going for news. Unfortu-
nateiy news was scarce or contradictory,
The hope OF victory of deliyer8nca was
little by little extinguiShed in souls.
But ABOUT the last of January, suddenly
the report spread about that the army of
the East was coming near, after having lost
baltic and vainly attempted to relieve
Belf0rt For more than week Nine.
Jamie waited. standing night and day in
her door. her eyes fixed on the road by
which she expected TO see the French como
and Der son among them. They sienaled
them on one side, but they signaled the
Germans on the other, aud it became more
and more likely that, If some occurrence did
not stop both armies. it was in the suburbs
of P0ntarlier they were going to meet each
other.
Here oupht and wish IN Ist Nina Iombo