The Natchitoches enterprise., 1899-02-02
NINE. JAMIE.

You smile at her mama, finding it ab-
surd perhaps, but Nine. Jambe-Mother
Jambe, the soldiers called her-was for
many years cantiniere i'll a regiment of
the line, and in this capacity she was a
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 tine was nearly up, but
he remained with the colcrs in order to
help his wife keep the caDteen.
After year Of married life a son
was born, and Mime. Janbe and her
! husband agreed that as soon as he
should attain the proper age he, too,
should be soldier. At the age Of 16 he
passed into the ranks, and, being smart
and intelligent, he seemed to have 4
bright future before him.
But the husband and father died sud-
denly in 1863 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 be would be comfort to her in
her declining years Sorrow aged her
more than her rough life had done, anC
she left the service md settled in a lit
tie cottage left her by her parents in
the village cf Clusy, Iear Pontarliers.
A year later war broke out, and this
was another sorrow for her to bear
She was q patriot, was Nine. Jambe,
bat she was a 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 runner spread that the army Of the
east was approaching, having failed to
relieve Belfort. For nearly week Mere
Jambe kept 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.
And now / will let NINE. Jambe take
up the story, for what follows had
from her own lips a few months after
the events described took place:
"One morning at dawn l heard q
noise at the door Of the cottage and
then the sound of breaking glass. rose
hastily and ran down to the entrance.
| gave 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 coldi
Mother. you must hide us, he said
The general has intrusted me with a
message to the ccmmandant of the fort,
but the Prussians have seen Us and are
in pursuit. They must not find Us.
Give me your order, cried. Il
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 neighbor
rushed in crying:
90 The Prussians! The Prussians are
herer
II pushed my son and his friends IN
to a storeroom at the farther end of
which, under some hay, was the door
leading into the cellar, where l kept
my little stock of wine and cider.
'The Prussians entered in through
the open door. / saw others in the road
There must have Eeen about 100 of
them altogether. A young officer was in
command.
''He came up to me and said brutal
ly:
!" Is it you who are Mime. Jambe?'
Yes, / am she, answered him.
=" Your sen has just entered this
house.
MY sonI He if far away from here,
always eupposing that he is still alive.
" he is here; am sure Of it. Come.
now, where is hep
Yon must seek him, then
He made sign, and / was sur
rounded and prevented from moving my
position. The soldiers ransacked the
house, asking myself meanwhile who
could be the coward who had betrayed
my con.
At last the hrutes found him-him
and his friends and saw them dragged
out covered with the hay in which they
had attempted to conceal themselves.
And my scni How brave and handsome