Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1897-02-13
SAVED HER son.


Mother Jambe the soldiers called her
was for many years cantiniere in a regi-
ment of the line, and in this capacity
she was a sort Of good angel to the
troops. Officers and soldiers alike all
respected her, and never, during the
quarter of a century she served, whether
in Algeria or throughout the Italian
campaigns. had she to complain of a
single brutal act or word
She married, when about 80 years Of
age, the quartermaster sergeant of the
regiment. His time was nearly up, but
he remained with the colors in order to
help his wife to keep the canteen The
little household was prosperous one,
for Nine. Jambe had more than one
string to her bow and we'll understood
how to employ her spare time profitably.
She had learned the art (or science, per-
haps, it should be called) of hairdress-
ing, and on the occasion of any fete was
in great request with the officers wives.
Mime. la Colonelle never employed a
professional coiffeur even for the most
ceremonious event. The thrifty woman
was thus able to lay by very consider
able sum of money, which by no means
lessened her popularity in the regiment.
After year of married life a son was
born, and Nine. Jambe and her husband
agreed that as soon as he should attain
the proper age he, too, should be SOL
der At the age of Is he passed into the
ranks, and, already accustomed, as he
was, to military life and discipline and
being smart and intelligent, he seemed
to have a bright future before him.
But in the full tide of its prosperity
the little family suffered sad catastro-
phe. The husband and father died sud-
denly i'll 1869. 1t was terrible shock
to our poor Nine. Jambe, and she would
hardly have survived it were it not for
the thought of her son and the hope
that he would be a comfort to her in
her declining years. Sorrow aged her
more than her rough life had done, and.
with regret, she left the service and set
tied in little cottage left her by her
parents in the village of Clusy, near
Pontarliers
A year later war broke out, and this
was another sorrow for her to bear. She
was a patriot-Mme. Jambe-but she
was mother also. Her country was
i'll danger, and her son, too, and she was
a prey to nervous fears which knew no
cessation, no relief.
During that terrible winter of 1901
she hardly slept for three consecutive
hours in the "a. Always on the alert for
news, she chafed sorely at the snow,
which almost cut off her little village
from the outer world and made commu-
nication matter of great difficulty.
She passed whole weeks i'll ignorance Of
the progress of the war and of her son 8
whereabouts, and then, little by little,
she heard of the defeats and at last
learned that her son, sergeant now,
had been attached to the Army of the
East, which was being formed under the
command of General Bourbaki.
From this time and in all weathers
she might be seen each day trudging the
weary, snow covered miles which lay
between Clusy and Pontarliers or else
climbing to Fort de Joux, overlooking
the Swiss frontier, She sought news,
but news, unhappily. was scarce and
contradictory, and gradually hopes of q
decisive victory grew fainter and fainter.
Suddenly, toward the end of January,
the rumor spread that the Army of the
East was approaching, having failed to
relieve Belfort For nearly week Mere
Jambe kept a strict watch day and night,
scanning eagerly the road by which she
hoped to see the French arrive. They
were signaled at last, but the Germans
were signaled, too, from the opposite d.
rection, and it seemed evident that the
armies would encounter one another in
the immediate neighborhood.
And now will let Nine. Jambe take
up the story, for what follows ! had
from her own lips O few months after
the events described took place:
lone morning at dawn ] heard O
noise at the door of the cottage and then
the sound of breaking glass. rose has.
tily and ran down to the entrance. ]
gave Cry. My boy was there, and be-
hind him stood three of his comrades,
but in what state--haggard, hollow
checked. their uniforms In rags their