The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1899-02-16
NINE. jamie.

AOu sIuI4o at uoI uauo, uuulnS IL aD-
surd perhaps, but Mime. Jambe-Mother
Jambe, the soldiers called ber-was for
many years cantiniere in regiment of
the line, and in this capacity she was q
sort of good angel to the troops. Officers
and soldiers alike all respected her
She married when about 80 years Of
age the quartermaster general of the
regiment. His time was nearly up, but
he remained with the colors in order to
help his wife keep the canteen.
After year of married life son
was born, and Nine. Jamie and her
husband agreed that as soon as he
should attain the proper age he, too,
should be soldier. At the age OF l6 he
passed into the ranks, and, being smart
and intelligent, he seemed to have a
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, 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 a patriot, was Nine. Jambe,
but she was mother also.
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 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
Jambe kept a strict watch day and
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 it seemed evil
dent that the armies would encounter
one another in the immediate neighbor-
hood. f.-
And now will let Nine. Jambe take
mp the story, for what follows | had
from her own lips q few months after
the events described took place:
Zone morning at dawn heard a
noise at the door of the cottage and
then the sound of breaking glass. rose
hastily and ran down to the entrance
gave a cry; my boy was there, and
behind him stood three OF his comrades,
but in what a state-haggard, hollow
checked. their uniforms in rags, their
boots almost in pieces. blue and shiver
ing with cold!
Mother, you must hide us, he said
The general has intrusted me with a
message to the commandant of the fort,
but the Prussians have seen us and are
in pursuit. They must not find US.
Give me your order, cried i
will take it while you hide here No
one will suspect woman
had no time to finish We heard a
discharge of mqsketry, and neighbor
rushed in crying: -
The PrIssians! The Pruss,aDs are
herer
II pushed my son and his friends in
to stOreroom at the farther end of
which, under some hay. was the door
leading into the cellar, where kept
my little stock of wine and cider.
1.-The 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: ..,..
" lis it You who are Mime. Jambe?'
Yes, ! am she, answered him.
Your son has just entered this
house..
My soni He is far away from here,
always surprising that he is still alive.
He is here; am sure of it. Come.
pow, where is he?'
'Yog mnst seek him. then.
The made sign. apd ! was sur
rounded aud prevented from moving my
position. The soldiers ransacked the
house, l asking myself meanwhile who
could be the coward who had BETRAYED
my son.
At last the brutes found him-him
and his friends, and saw them dragged
out covered with the hay in which they
bad attempted to conceal themselves.
And lny sop How brave and handsome
be looked, with big flashing eyes! Yes
He was my own flesh and blood, and
felt proud Of him. They were rigorous
lyssearohed for the message they were
eupposed to bear, but as it was 6 verbal
one they could find nothing.
"Tbe officer stamped abopt the little