The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1910-03-18

nundred and Odd young men, among
whom was Buffet, underwent the
usual medical examination in the
town hall of MorIaix. A certain num-
Der of them were dismissed as being
physically or mentally incapacitated
for the duties of soldier. Jacques,
although rather small in stature, was
robust of build, and found himself
enrolled among the youths who were
to draw lots for entrance into the
army. One hundred drew good"
numbers and went away rejoicing.
To his dismay and CONSERVATION,
Jacques drew a bad" number and
received orders to hold himself in
readiness to join a regiment of in
fantry in two weeks.
That evening was sad and dole
full one in the Buffet household.
There were two invalids now under
it's humble roof. The poor widow,
Frustrated by the shock, was lying
dangerously i'll, while Jean looked
even more wan and miserable than
ever Jacques alone, in the chorus
Of lamentations, said nothing.
For several days he went about
with gloomy and pensive air. His
brush lay idle at home Then sud-
den change seemed to have come over
him. The old smile returned to his
features, and his step again became
1.-THE and brisk.
The day had at last dawned when
the reveille rang for the recruits of
Morlaix. Some two hundred youths
were drawn up in rank and file on
the square in front of the town hall.
They mayor read out from the bal
cony the muster roll. The future
soldiers of France answered Justify
to their names. When that of jacques
Buffet was called, there was, how
ever, no response. The mayor NUT
tered something about cowardice;
the assistant mayor suggested call
ing out the gend 'armes for the ar
rest of the youthful defaulter, and
the sound of many voices arose from
the crowd.
This din was drowned by the whis-
tie of an express train steaming in to
the platform hard by, and shortly
afterward the irsensible form of
lad was borne into a druggists store
on the square. A surgeon was i'm
mediately summoned to attend the
patient, whose left arm, with its ter
dons all broken, had at once to be
amputated. And then the rumor
sped fast throughout the town. that
the poor little conscript Buffet had
met with an accident on the railway
track, that the wheels of the engine
had passed over his left arm, and
that was why he had not been able
to answer to the roll call.
A few weeks afterward, jacques
Buffet. with a happy and smiling
countenance, resumed his daily occu-
pations. Single-armed though he
was, he took up his brush and toiled
more ardently than ever at his art.
Success favored his efforts to such
an extent that he was no longer COM
PEELED to CLEAN mussels and cookies
from the shore, for his talents as a
painter had brought sufficient COM
petence and comfort to his house
hold. Nobody, even in his own fam
lily circle, knew the secret of the ap-
palling sacrifice he had made in or
der to save his mother, his brother
and sisters from utter perjury. No.
body suspected that jacques Buffet,
the little conscript, had Intentionally
placed his arms under the wheels Of
the incoming train, in order, by thus
escaping service in the army, still
to supply the Buffet household with
it's customary quantity of brown
bread ard red wine. Wherefore it
is that Jacques Buffet has never been
heralded as hero, nor is he knight
of the I1epinn of Honor