Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-12-27
NINE. JAMIE.

NINE. JAMIE.
You smile at her name, finding 10 alb
surd perhaps. but Nine. Jambe-Mother
Jambe the soldiers called her-was for
many years cantiniere In regiment Of
the line, and in this capacity she was .
sort Of good angel to the troops. Officers
and soldiers alike all respected her.
She married when about so years Ut
age the quartermaster general Of the
regiment His time was nearly mp, but
be remained with the colors in order to
help his wife keep the canteen.
After q year of married life q son
was born. and Nine. Jambe and her
husband agreed that as soon ~ he
should attain the proper age he, too.
should be soldier. At the age Of 10 he
passed into the ranks, and. being smart
and intelligent, he seemed 10 have Q
bright future before him.
But the husband and father died sud.
denly in 1869. 1t was terrible shock
20 poor Mime. Jambe, and she would
hardly have survived IL were il not for
the thought 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 settled in lit
tie 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 q patriot, was Nine. Jambe,
but she was mother also.
During that terrible winter Of 1901
she hardly slept for three consecutive
hours in the 20 Always ON the alert
for news she chafed sorely At the snow,
which almost cut of her little village
from the outer world and made COM
munication matter Of great difficulty.
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
Jamie kept strict watch day aud
night, scanning eagerly the road by
which she hoped to see the French ar.
rive.
They were signaled at last, but the
Germans were signAled, too, from the
opposite direction, and IL seemed evil
dent that the armies would encounter
one another in the immediate neighbor.
hood.
And now will let Mime. Jamie take
up the story, for what follows l had
from her own lips few months after
the events described took place:
lone morning at dawn / heard .
noise nj the door Of the cottage and
then the sound OF breaking glass. rose
hastily and ran down to the entrance.
l gave cry; my boy was there, and
behind him stood three Of his comrades,
but in what o state-haagard, hollow
checked, their uniforms in rags, their
boots almost in pieces, blue and shiver-
ing with cold.
Mother. you must hide us, be said.
The general has intrusted me with .
message TO the commandment Of the fort.
but the Prussians have seen Us aud IRE
in pursuit. They must not find Us.
Give ms your order. cried. i
will take it while you hide here. No
one will suspect woman
81 had no time to finish. We heard q
discharge of musketry. and neighbor
rushed in crying:
The Prussiansl The Prussians are
herer
II pushed my son and his friends in
to q storeroom Mt the farther end OF
which, under some hay. was the door
leading into the cellar. where kept
my little stock Of wine and cider.
"Tbe Prussians entered in through
the open door. saw others in the road.
There must have been about 100 Of
them altogether. A young officer was in
command.
HE came up to me and said brutal.
ly:
Is il You who are Nine. Jar.be?
Yes, am she, answered him.
"'Ycur son has just entered this
house.
"'My sonl He 10 far away from here,
always supposing that be Is still alive.
"'He is here; am sure Of il Come,
now, where is he?'
lyon must seek him, then.
''He made sign, and ] was suf.
rounded aud prevented from moving my
position. The soldiers ransacked the
house, / asking myself meanwhile who
sould be the coward who had betrayed
my son.
"At last the brutes found him-him
and his friends, and I saw them dragged
out covered with the hay in which they
bad attempted to conceal themselves.
And my son How brave and handsome
he looked, with his flashing eyes! Yesi
He was my own flesh and blood, and l
felt proud Of him. They were rigorous
ly searched for the message they were
supposed to bear, but as it was Q verbal
one they could find nothing.
"Ths officer stamped about the little
room. mad with rage CHANGING at the
prisoners, he cried:
{" Is your son among themy
He is not, and II he were would
not confess it,
"Hs drew his sword on me, and then
we were all dragged out into the road
wav, the officer shouting:
"Where is the man who gave rs the
information
:" One of his companions has just
killed him, q Prussian sergeant replied,
pointing to . corpse, which l had not
seen. hidden az 1t was behind bush.
1.-THE traitor was franc tireur, who,
TO save his own life. had given up my
son to the enemy. His punishment had
not been long delayed.
(" The murderer will be shot! cried
the officer. Then, looking fiercely at .
group of villagers who were covering
under bis mems bayonets, he continued:
" 'Some one among you knows the
mau Jambe; point him out to me or ]
will order my men to fire on youP
"Ah, they were brave. my neighbors!
They made no reply.
Then we will soon find ont. He
gave an order in low voice. His men
pinned me with my back against wall
and placed rifles In the hands Of my
son and his comradea