Birmingham age-herald., 1895-02-02
MOTHER AND SON.

Officers and soldiers nlike venerated her, and during tho quarter of century she passed in tho army there was never a day when sho could have complained of having been tho victim of an impertinence or a brutality.
 After year of marriage Mime. Jambe had son. Agreeing with her husband, shc decided that he, too, should be n sol dicr At 16 ho enlisted Already trained in the habits of military life, ho had be- sides intelligence, judgment, a heart full of righteousness. Everybody was con vincod that ho would have brilliant ca reer. Then hor husband died, and the war broke out.
 During this terrible time of 1S70-1 she did not succeed in sleeping more than three hours out of 24. She passed weeks without knowing anything either of the progress of the war or her son.
 Then blow by blow, she knew of tho defeats tho French had met with and at last she learned that the child-become sergeant, although Ec was not yet lS-was assigned to make part of tho nrmy of tho east which was being formed under tho command of General Bourbaki.
 From that time and in all kinds of weather they saw her every day cross the few kiloinctcrs which separated Pontarlier from the village of La Clusc, or go up to tho fort of Joux. which dominates the Swiss frontier. She was going for news.
 Here 1 ought and wish to let Mime. Jamhc speak for what follows was--Pe- ccivc6 from her Sbo related to mo some months after tho cvent
 Orc morning at daybrcal., being still in bed, heard some noise at the door and then n fall of window pancs which wcrc broken. I jumped out of bed, putting on my dress and hurried to tho door. gavo cry. My boy was there before mo and behind him three of his comrades, but in what q co1dltioni Emaciated, their checks hollow, their skin chapped with cold, their clothes i'll rags, their boots without soles-
 ''Mother, we must hide,' he replied. My general has charged mo with carry ing an order to tho commander of the fort of .Joux. But the Prussans bar the road. They have seen us They are pursuing us They must not find mo. :"
 "Eh, parbleu? Give mo your order will carry it myself, while you will stay here An old woman, she can go any where"
 had no time to finish. A fusillade was heard, and n man entered, crying:
 '.There arc tho Prussiansl''
 Ipushcd my boy and his friends into a carriage house. at the end of which, under tho hay, opened tho little cellar where 1 kept my wine. Tho Prussians entered. Through tho open door I saw others on the road. Thero wero more than 100. A young officer commanded them.
 You arc Mme. .JambeS"
 "I am.
 Your son has just gone into this housc?'
 My sonl Ho is far from herc."
 He is here. I am sure of it. Come. where is he?'
 Look for him.
 Hc motioncd. was surrounded, unable to budgc, and tho soldiers began searching tho house, while was asking myself who was tho miserable coward who had in formed against my boy.
 At last the brigands found him-him and his friends. I saw tho poor children come back, pale, but rcsolute, all covered with hay, in which they had been hidden. And my son, so handsome, such flames in his eyesl An, he was really of my blood, that oncl They searched their clothes to find tho order which tho general had charged them with. But the order was verbal They could not find anything.
 Tho officer threw himself about, frcttcd, mad with rage. Suddenly he said to me, covering the prisoners with gesture of fury:
 Is your son among them?"
 'Ho Is not there. And if ho wero thero would not acknowledge it.
 Ho raised his sword to mo. Then they pushed us pellmell into the road. Then he asked:
 .Wherc is tho man who informed uss''
 "One of his companions has just killed him, captain, said n sergeant, pointing to corpse l had not seen, hidden as it was by bush.
 It was tho traitor, q frccshooter, who, to savc his own life, had not feared to givo my child's secret to the enemy. Be- side ho had not waited Q long time for his punishment
 'The assassin shall be shot," said the officer
 Then looking in tcrriblo way at some of tho inhabitants of our village, who were trembling under tho lowered bayonets, he went on:
 Docs anybody know the bay Jambc' Come, answer, or set fro to your houses. "
 Of all tho brave people nobody answered.
 "Then we are going to sce," said tho officer
 He gave an order in a low voice.
 They bound me against the wall, while they were putting arms into the hands of my son and his comrades.
 And the officer said to them:
 You are going to obey my order and shoot that woman for me, and if you do not obey it is you who will die first"
 A cry of horror was raised, to which a great silence succeeded. l committed my soul to God, saying to myself that would show these people how tho French die, and looked at my son. But he did not see me. His eyes were turned toward his comrades, as if to exchange sign.
 Lower your armsl' ordered the officer.
 They obeyed
 "Aim!"
 They took aim at me.
 "Firel''
 They faced about. A report sounded which shot five Prussians down, and among them their officer. And this report was dominated by the voice of my boy. who sprung up:
 "Yes, fire. brigand, but on you and yours
 A general discharge replied to this stroke of audacity, and 1t was then that I fell struck by bullet in the shoulder. But before fainting had time to see that my boy was still standing.
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