A grandfather, Boe, formed one of the family group.

He had been a soldier, but was now too old to serve in the ranks, though France was waging war in Italy and Austria under her new Emperor.
Boe, however, helped to earn the family living, by begging with his wallet from door to door.
Jasmin describes the dwelling in which this poor family lived.

It was miserably furnished.

The winds blew in at every corner.

There were three ragged beds; a cupboard, containing a few bits of broken plates; a stone bottle; two jugs of cracked earthenware; a wooden cup broken at the edges; a rusty candlestick, used when candles were available; a small half-black looking-glass without a frame, held against the wall by three little nails; four broken chairs; a closet without a key; old Boe's suspended wallet; a tailor's board, with clippings of stuff and patched-up garments; such were the contents of the house, the family consisting in all of nine persons.
It is well that poor children know comparatively little of their miserable bringings-up.