Sallie sniffed and swallowed hard to control her breathing. That could have happened, but she hadn’t considered it until this minute. In war everything turned upside down.
Tom went on to tell what else had happened in those frenzied moments. “Papa and Will were out by the road when they saw that other soldier with the wounded arm and guessed where he’d been. That’s why Papa sent you away so quickly. He saw that the fighting was getting too close and that hungry soldiers were likely to start looting.”
Will nodded. “You did the right thing, Sallie. Even Papa said so. He doesn’t talk to you about it because he doesn’t want to upset you, but we thought you should know.”
“Thank you for telling me.” But the new information certainly didn’t help her. Now even more worry filled her heart. Somewhere a mother, sister, and possibly a girlfriend waited for a young man who would never return. She’d never forgive herself for causing such grief to a family.
She pulled away. “I must go back inside now.”
Will touched her arm with his fingers. “I’m sorry, Sallie. I didn’t know it would upset you this much. I thought you’d want to know that he wasn’t left lying in our kitchen with nobody to look after him. Maybe Papa should have left him for the others to find. I don’t know.”
Sallie nodded mutely. Leaving her brothers behind, she ran back to the house. Tears once again streamed down her cheeks, and drops of rain fell as though the skies mourned a loss with her. The entire tragedy of that afternoon returned to haunt her heart and soul. If only she hadn’t been so scared. This awful war hadn’t ended soon enough to keep her from committing the greatest of sins against another person. God would never forgive her for murdering that young, hungry soldier, but right now she didn’t care. She couldn’t even forgive herself.
CHAPTER 18
* * *
Marion, Virginia, Monday, May 1, 1865
THE NEXT MORNING Bart met Manfred and Edwin in the livery stable. “First we’ll find the man in charge of the repairs, and he can tell you what you need to do.” As they walked into town, the evidence of repair and moving to the future struck Manfred’s soul. Life after war had begun, but for some the recovery would never erase the past.
When they reached the center of town, Bart directed them toward the building over which hung a mercantile sign. Inside the store a man handed out orders to men and sent them out to the wagon.
Bart approached the man. “Mr. Nelson, here are two more young men who want to help out at the Hilton farm.”
Manfred extended his hand to the man. “My name is Manfred Whiteman, and this is my brother Edwin. Just tell us what to do.”
“Come with me. We’re about ready to leave.” Nelson picked up a sack of supplies and headed out the door.
Manfred and Edwin followed Nelson to his wagon and helped him secure the load. Four other men sat in the wagon bed with the supplies. Manfred mounted his horse. “Was there much damage to the farmhouse?”
Henry climbed aboard the wagon. “Not as much as some. Won’t take long to repair, but we wanted to get the house livable. Your help out there will greatly appreciated. Several of the ladies from town are preparing food for the noonday meal. We’ll come back here for supper.” He clicked the reins and rolled away. “Come on and follow me.”
Shortly the trio rode into the yard of the Hilton home. Manfred and Edwin dismounted and helped Henry unload the wagon. Several others came out to lend their assistance.
Manfred handed Edwin a crate and picked up a box to follow Nelson inside. There several other men worked at repairing holes in the walls and broken bricks in the fireplace. This was work he knew how to do. He rolled up his sleeves. “Where do you want us to begin?”
Henry called out to several others by the fireplace. “Show these two what to do.”
Manfred listened and watched as the men demonstrated how to remove the damaged bricks and replace them with good ones. In a few minutes Manfred and Edwin began the job on their own.
After a half hour or so Manfred glanced up to see a young man in gray pants with his left shirtsleeve folded and pinned below the elbow. Manfred recognized the pants as Army issue and the young man as the one he’d seen in church.
“Manfred Whiteman here. We’re on our way home. Didn’t I see you in church yesterday?”
“Yes, I was there. Name’s Matt Grayson, and I’m headed for Virginia.”
Manfred jumped up from the floor and grasped the man’s right hand. “Matt Grayson? Your family . . . but . . . are you Eli Grayson’s son?”
Matt nodded. “Yes, but how would you know that?”
“We spent time with them a fortnight ago. They think you’re dead.” Manfred wrapped his arm around Matt’s shoulder. “Rachel is going to be so happy.”
Puzzled, Matt stepped back and asked, “What do you know about my Rachel?”
“Only that she’s been mourning for you,” Edwin said. “Mark came back with his injuries, and Luke was in prison with us. What happened to you?”
Matt glanced at his arm then shook his head. “Guess you might say I was dead. My name got on the casualty list. Somehow I ended up in a hospital without my arm. I didn’t know who I was or where I was for several months. They released me a few weeks ago, and now I’m trying to get home. I sent a letter to Rachel, but I have no idea if she’ll get it. I don’t want her to be in shock when I arrive.”
Manfred grinned. “That’ll be cause for celebration. Luke came home just before we left. Your pa got the spring planting started and helped us when we set out for our home.” His heart rejoiced at the discovery of the young man believed to be a casualty of the war now standing before him, alive. One family’s mourning would be turned to joy with Matt’s arrival home.
“I’m overwhelmed to think you were with my family such a short time ago.” Matt picked up a brick. “Here, let me help with this. We can talk more as we work. I want to hear all about Rachel and my son.”
The three returned to the task of replacing broken bricks, and Manfred relayed what he knew of Rachel and the baby. God had certainly been working overtime to bring about this chance meeting. If his trust wasn’t completely in the Lord before, it would definitely be there now.
Matt stirred the mortar. “I haven’t seen my son since a week or so after his birth. Tell me more.”
Edwin sat back on his haunches. “He’s good-looking boy and very friendly. Don’t think we ever heard him really cry.”
“That’s right,” Manfred added. “Rachel’s done a fine job with him.” Manfred still marveled at this miracle. How thrilled Rachel would be to see Matt again. How many others would make it home to families who supposed their loved ones to be gone? He remembered the letter to Sallie. He must get it posted that day. What if Sallie thought him to be dead since she hadn’t heard from him in so long a time? If that be the case, Mr. Dyer may have found someone else for Sallie.
A stout, gray-haired woman appeared in the door and called out, “A pot of soup waits for you in the yard. Come and get it.”
Men swarmed down from the second floor and joined Manfred, Edwin, and Matt in heading outdoors where a table with a kettle of bubbly soup and a large platter of biscuits sat waiting. The men ahead of Manfred in line addressed the woman as Mrs. Hilton. She must be the Widow Hilton who owned this home.
One worker held up his hands for quiet then gave thanks for the food prepared by the widow. Manfred’s heart filled with thanksgiving at the turn of events that morning. He must come up with a way to help Matt return home more quickly. While his journey may take a month or more, Matt could be home in days.
Manfred grabbed a bowl and waited while Mrs. Hilton filled others from the steaming pot. When he held his bowl out, the hostess said, “Sorry it’s not more, but it’s hearty and should fill you up.”
Manfred nodded. “Thank you, Mrs. Hilton. Soup and biscuits are one of my favorites.”
The rotund woman laughed heartily and poured a full ladle for him. “Having you young men around helps me believe w
e’re going to recover from all that happened.”
If women like Amy and Mrs. Hilton represented the spirit of the women of the South, the future looked brighter. The widow’s sense of humor and friendliness spilled over onto all the young men as they came through the line. How good to see so many smiles and happy faces after months of sadness and deprivation. Stops like this energized Manfred’s heart and gave him even greater incentive to spend his life helping others.
Finding Matt here among the other volunteers had been an extra serendipity as God showed His love and protection yet once again. No wonder Matt had seemed so familiar yesterday. He looked so much like his brothers. What a wonderful surprise for Rachel and the Grayson family. Manfred almost wished he could be there when the reunion took place.
The rest of the day went as the morning had, and everything but painting and moving things back into the house had been accomplished. Manfred’s muscles ached, but the soreness didn’t bother him because of how he’d obtained the aches.
Manfred fell into step with Matt en route to where the wagon and horses were waiting. “Where are you staying?”
“At the boarding house. In return for work I get a few days bed and board and a little pay. My three days are up, so I plan to leave tomorrow.”
Edwin from behind them snorted. “We’re at the livery stable. We’re sleeping on hay.”
Manfred shook his head. “It’s better than nothing, and certainly better than what we had in prison. We’ll stay another day if they need us, then be on our way to Louisiana. We wish you Godspeed on the rest of your journey.”
They reached the wagon, and Matt climbed aboard. Manfred and Edwin mounted their horses, the very ones Matt’s father had given them weeks before. An idea formulated, but he’d have to discuss it with Edwin first. The plan would affect his brother as much as it did Manfred.
They rode on ahead of the wagon into town. “I’m thinking that Matt has a long journey just as we do, but with the loss of his arm, he might have a harder time. What do you say to the idea that we give Matt one of the horses his pa gave us?”
Awe and disbelief swept across Edwin’s face before a broad grin split his face. “That’s exactly what I was thinking and wondering how to ask you about it.”
“We can take turns riding and possibly ride double some of the time. It might slow us down some, but it’ll help Matt get home quicker, and that’s what counts. Just think about it. His pa gave us two horses to make our journey easier, so now we have one to give back to his son.”
“God does work in mysterious and wondrous ways. We still have Lady, and that’s still one horse more than we started out with.”
Instead of going straight to Bart’s livery, Manfred followed the wagon to the boarding house. When Matt jumped down from the wagon, he waved to Manfred. “Thought you were going to the livery.”
Manfred dismounted and held out the reins of the horse. “I am, but first I want you to have this horse for the rest of your journey. Your pa gave us two horses and saddles when we left the farm as payment for our work. You’ll make quicker time with a horse.”
Matt peered at the brand on the horse. “Why, this is old Mr. Whitney’s mare, and this is my old saddle.” He ran his hand across the smooth leather.
“Didn’t know it was your saddle, but I’m glad it is. You’ll be even more comfortable. And you’re right about the horse. According to your pa, Whitney abandoned his farm and went to live with his daughter, but he gave what was left of his stock to your pa.”
Matt took the reins from Manfred and shook his hand. “I’m much obliged. Sure you can get by with just one mount?”
“We’ll be fine. You get on back to Rachel and your little boy.” Manfred slapped him on the back and gripped the young man’s shoulder. “We’re mighty grateful for your folks and how they took us in. Tell them we’re doing well, and we’ll be leaving tomorrow or the next day. Let me get my things from the saddle, and I’ll be on my way.”
After removing his personal items, Manfred hefted his pack over his shoulder and reached for Matt’s right hand. “You take care now. Maybe we’ll meet again one day.”
He sauntered off and headed back to the stable. He and Edwin would have to figure out how to share Lady, but that shouldn’t be too difficult. It just meant they couldn’t travel as fast. Getting Matt home to Rachel and their son meant more to Manfred then having a little inconvenience. His suffering had no comparison to that of Matt and so many more like him.
After supper with Bart and Amy, Manfred and Edwin again bedded down in the stable.
In the dim light of the lamp he wrote in his journal of meeting Matt and working on the Hilton place. He’d given his letter to Sallie to Amy Jensen at dinner, and she’d promised to post it the next day along with Edwin’s letters to his parents and to Peggy. As soon as it arrived, Sallie would know he was on his way home. One more day of hard work, and they’d be on their way again with a few provisions Amy promised.
After a night of sound sleep, the next day passed much the same as the one before, but without meeting anyone new. This time he and Edwin helped with clearing out one of the buildings in town and getting it ready for a business to move back in.
That evening, when they arrived back at the livery, they decided to eat at the boardinghouse to give Amy a rest. Manfred enjoyed the camaraderie of the men at the table who told and retold stories of battles and skirmishes of the past four years.
At the stables after dinner, Manfred’s muscles ached from lifting and toting lumber all day. He stretched his arms and legs to ease the tension. A wide yawn brought a chuckle from Edwin.
“I see you’re as tired as I am. Let’s get some sleep for our trek tomorrow.”
Manfred nodded and settled on his mat. He skipped writing in his journal and closed his eyes. Sometime later during the night a commotion out in the streets awakened him, but weariness kept him from investigating. It was none of his business anyway.
The next morning Manfred arose and took care of packing his belongings for the next leg of his journey. Strange, but Bart had not yet come into the smithy shop. He had come in yesterday before Manfred and Edwin awakened.
Manfred headed to the house to say good-bye, and Bart greeted him at the door with a grin as wide as the outdoors. “Come in. Come in. Want you to meet someone.” Edwin stepped into the room behind Manfred.
A slender woman with salt and pepper hair stood at the fireplace stirring a pot. Bart placed an arm around her shoulders. “This is Ma Carson, Amy’s mother. She’s here to help us with the newest member of our family.”
Bart rapped on the door to the bedroom and opened it. “Amy, Manfred and Edwin are here to say good-bye. They’re off for Louisiana this morning.” He turned and motioned for the boys to follow him.
Manfred and Edwin tiptoed into the room. Amy lay in the bed with her ash brown hair cascading down her shoulders. She held a tiny, blanket-wrapped bundle in her arms.
Bart slid his hands beneath the baby and lifted it. He turned to Manfred and Edwin. “Meet Mercy Elizabeth Jensen, born at two this morning.”
The baby’s rosebud mouth twitched then opened in a wide yawn. Manfred reached out to touch her velvet soft cheek. “She’s beautiful.” Seeing new life filled him with fresh hope.
Bart nodded and handed Mercy back to her mother. He extended his hand to Manfred. “Thank you both for stopping here in Marion. You helped us, and if we helped you, then it’s even better.”
The three returned to the larger room. Mrs. Carson handed Manfred a basket covered with a checked cloth. “Take this with you. It’s cornbread, dried apples, carrots, dried ham, and cookies. Not much, but enough to get by a day or so.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Carson. We’re much obliged. Come on, Edwin, it’s time to head out.” They shook hands again with Bart and left the house.
“God’s blessings on you. And thank you for your help,” Bart called.
Manfred and Edwin waved and headed for the next leg of their journe
y to home and family. Manfred turned to his brother. “You see, Edwin, every time we stop to help someone else, we come away blessed ourselves. We just can’t give more than God gives us. He’s way too generous.”
Manfred lifted his eyes toward heaven. Springtime had come to the mountains with fresh air, flowers, and green leaves everywhere. Each step took them closer to their destination. What other great adventure did God have in store for them on down the road?
CHAPTER 19
* * *
St. Francisville, Louisiana, Wednesday, May 3, 1865
SALLIE READ ANOTHER page of Emma before dropping it in her lap. She glanced over at Hannah, who had gone to bed early, citing a headache. Restless, Sallie tiptoed to the window and knelt with her arms leaning against the sill. She spent so much time these days sitting here and thinking about Manfred and the future.
When she returned from her meeting Sunday afternoon with Will and Tom, Papa had stopped her in the front hallway. He tried to explain his reasons behind giving Benjamin Elliot permission to call on her. When she told him she wanted to wait for Manfred, his answer put an end to the discussion.
With his hands on her shoulders, Papa had said, “Sallie, I gave my word to Benjamin Elliot, and a Dyer never goes back on his word. Until Manfred Whiteman returns to St. Francisville and asks for your hand properly, Benjamin has my permission to come calling on you. I’m sorry, my dear, but that’s the way it has to be.” He had then kissed the top of her head and retreated to the parlor.
Disobedience wasn’t an option, and by no means could Sallie argue with his reasoning. It would not be honoring him as the head of the family and her father. If only Benjamin were unkind or rude, rejection would be easier, but his courtesy and good looks attracted her. What if the unthinkable happened and Benjamin asked for her hand in marriage before Manfred returned? No, she simply couldn’t let that happen.
Fighting her attraction to Benjamin could be difficult. All her patience as well as resistance to temptation would be tested in the days ahead.
Love Stays True Page 16
