Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-01-05
bal oreoyer, sh 6

showed on one memorable occasion the
truest courage and GOODNESS in very
tragic circumstances.
You must know that Nine. Jambe--.
Mother Jamie the soldiers called her.
was for many years cantiniere in u 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, wheth-
er in Algeria or throughout the italian
campaigns, had she to complain of
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 keep the canteen. The
little household was prosperous one,
for Nine. Jamie had more than one
string to her bow, and well understood
how to employ her spare time profita-
bly,. She had learned the art Tor science.
perhaps it should be called) of hair
dressing, and on the occasion of any
fete was in great request with the Off
GERS wives. Nine. IL Colonelle never
employed a professional coiffeur even
for the most ceremonious event. The
thrifty woman was thus able to lay by
very considerable sum of money,
which by no means lessened her popu-
larity in the regiment.
After q year of married life a son was
born, and Nine. Jamie and her husband
agreed that as soon as he should attain
the proper age he, too, should be sol.
dier. AT the age of 16 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 bright future before him.
But in the full tide of it's prosperity
the little family suffered sad catastro-
phe. The husband and father died sud-
denly in 1869. 1t was terrible shock
to our poor Nine. Jamie, and she would
hardly have survived it We're it not for
the thought of her son and the hope
that he would be q 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 settled in
n little cottage left her by her parents
in the village of Clusy, near Pontarlers
| A year later war broke out, and this
was another sorrow for her to bear. She
was a patriot, Nine. Jamie, but she was
also a mother. Her country was in
danger and her son, too, and she was u
| prey to nervous fears which knew no
cessation, no relief.
| !, +arr;J,1a 1crO
she had hardly slept for three consec-
utive hours in the "a. Always on the
alert for news, she chafed sorely at the
snow, which almost cut off her little vii
| lage from the outer world, and made
communication matter of great diff
Guilty. She passed whole weeks in ig-
noTance of the progress of the war, of
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 Gen. Bourbali.
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