Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-12-15
MADAME JAMBE.

You smile at her name, finding it
absurd, perhaps? Do not, however,
be in too great hurry to turn it into
ridicule, for she who bore it was a
brave woman, and worthy of all re-
spect.
You must know that Nine. Jambe-
Mother Jambe, the soldiers called her
was for many years cantiniere in
regiment of the line, and in this capac-
ity che was sort of good angel to
the troops. Officers and soldiers alike
all respected her.
She married, when about thirty
years of age, the quartermaster-g gen
eral 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 house was prosperous
one, for Nine. Jambe had more than
one string to her bow, and we'll under
stood how to employ her spare time
prohtably. 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 re-
quest with the officers wives The
thrifty woman was thus able to lay by
very considerable sum of money,
which by no means lessened her pop
ularity in the regiment.
After year of married life ason was
born, and Nine. Jambe and her hus-
band agreed that as soon as he should
attain the proper age, he, too, should
be soldier. At the age of sixteen he
passed into the ranks, and being smart
and intelligent, he seemed to have
bright future before him.
But the husband and father died sud
denly in 1869. 1t was terrible shock
to poor Nine. Jambe, and she would
hardly have survived it were it not
for the thonght of her son, and the
hope that he would be comfort to
her in her declining years. Sorrow
aged her more than her rough life had
done, and 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 patriot, was Nine. Jambe,
but she was a mother also.
During that terrible winter of 1870
II, she hardly slept for three consecu-
tive hours in the twentyfour. Always
on the alert for news, she chafed sorely
ut the snow, which almost cut off her
little village from the outer world, and
made communication matter of great
difficulty.
She passed whole weeks in ignor-
ance OF the progress OF the war, of
her sons whereabouts, and then, little
by little, she heard of the defeats, and
at last learned that her son, a sergeant
now, had been attached to the army
of the east, which was then 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-covSred miles which
lay between Clusy and Pontarliers, or
else climbing to Fort de Joux, over
looking the Swiss frontier. She sought
news, but news, ,unhappily, was scarce
and contradictory.
Suddenly, toward the end of jan
uary, the rumor spread that the army
of the east was approaching, having
failed to relieve Belfort. For nearly
week Nine. Jambe kept a strict
watch day and night, scanning eagerly
the road by which she hoped to see
the French arrive.
They were signalled at last, but the
Germans were signalled, too, from the
opposite direction, and it seemed evil
dent that the armies would encounter
H. IL,
borhood.
And now I will let Nine. Jambe
take up the story, for what followed I
had from her own lips few months
after the events described took
place:
''One morning at dawn I heard a
noise at the door of the cottage, and
then the sound Of breaking glass. I
rose hastily and ran down to the en-
trance. gave a cry, my boy was
there, and behind him stood three of
his comrades, but in what state |!
Haggard, hollow checked, their uni
forms in rags, their boots almost in
pieces, blue and shivering with cold!
Mother, you must hide u.s." he
said. 'The general has entrusted me
with message to the commandant of
the fort, but the Prussians have seen
us and are in pursuit. They must not
find u.s.
"'Give me your order,' cried, L
will take it while you hide here; no
one will suspect woman
81 had no time to finish, we heard
a discharge of musketry and neigh
bor rushed in crying:
"'The Prussians! The Prussians
are herel'