She had started to ask Papa about what Will and Tom had told her, but then decided that it wasn’t a good time after his speech about Benjamin. She stared up at the clouds, now light and silvered with moon glow. The clouds may have changed, but her spirits hung as low and dismal as they had on Sunday.
Her head jerked up when a carriage turned toward the house. The carriage looked like theirs, but Papa was supposed to be in Woodville for the week. Why would he be home so soon?
Sallie scurried across the room and down the stairs. She pulled open the door and found her father supporting a young woman and assisting her up the porch steps. Sallie shouted over her shoulder for Mama and Grandma to come quick. She reached out to the girl then gasped.
“Jenny? Oh, Papa, what happened to her?” Sallie put her arm around her one-time neighbor and friend, Jenny Harper, who barely had the strength to acknowledge her.
“Help me get her into the parlor, Sallie.”
After they had her situated on the sofa, Mama hurried in giving orders to those behind her. “Lettie, bring me cool water and a cloth. Flora, we may need that ointment for these wounds. See what we have.” She knelt beside Jenny and arranged a pillow under her head. Sallie stood to the side staring at her best friend from Woodville. Jenny’s eyes were closed, and she seemed unconscious to the world around her.
“Thomas, what is Jenny doing here? Where is her family?” Mama’s questions echoed those of Sallie’s thoughts.
Papa removed his hat and slumped down in a chair. “On the day we were attacked, the Harper plantation was almost completely destroyed. The family had to flee.”
Lettie set a bowl of water on the floor beside Mama and handed her a cloth. Mama dipped it into the water and washed dirt from Jenny’s pale face. She peered up at Papa. “Where are Mr. and Mrs. Harper?”
Papa shook his head. “It’s a long, sad story. Mr. Harper died while they were trying to defend their home, and Jenny and her mother took his body with them and traveled to Mrs. Harper’s sister’s home, Greenwood Manor. But Union officers had commandeered it for use as a command headquarters.”
Mama shook her head and dipped the cloth again in the water. “So where did they go?”
“Union soldiers took them prisoner and put them to work taking care of the officers living in the home. That’s all I know right now. Maybe Jenny can tell us more later. I left Millie Harper with the Chambers family in Woodville. I thought Jenny would be better off here with us.”
Sallie sat on the floor and held Jenny’s hand. “Jenny, oh, Jenny. I’m so sorry.” Her own experience paled in comparison to what Jenny and her mother had endured.
Mama patted Sallie’s shoulder then went to stand by Papa. They whispered briefly, and Mama covered her mouth with her hand and shook her head. Then Mama laid her head against Papa’s chest and wept. Things must be much worse than Papa had first said, but how could they have been any worse than they were?
Without a word Grandma took over the duty of nurse and finished washing Jenny’s face. She smoothed back the girl’s hair then stepped around Sallie to remove Jenny’s slippers. Instead of shoes, she found rags tied around the girl’s feet. Grandma unwrapped the dirty cloth, her hands careful and gentle as though handling a newborn infant.
When the final rag fell to the floor, Sallie gagged. Never had she seen feet so bloody and covered with blisters. Grandma sucked in her breath.
She motioned to Papa. “Run out and fetch Dr. Andrews and bring him quickly. We must tend to Jenny.” Then she told Sallie, “Go up to your room and stay with Hannah. I don’t want her to wake up and see this.”
She didn’t like leaving her friend, but the wisdom of Grandma’s order compelled Sallie to go shield her sister from this tragedy. Lettie met her in the hallway, arms laden with more water and bandages for Grandma to treat Jenny. “Papa has gone for the doctor,” Sallie told her.
Gathering up her skirts, Sallie raced up the stairs and into the room she shared with her sister. Hannah still slept soundly in the middle of the bed. Sallie sank down onto the feather mattress beside her sister, biting her knuckles to keep from sobbing and awakening Hannah from sleep. Tears streamed down Sallie’s face, and all the nightmares of the past weeks flashed through her mind like a kaleidoscope of color and stabbing pain.
Technically the war was over, but would it ever be over for Jenny or for her? She had no idea what had happened to Jenny, but from the looks of her, it had been bad. Her feet testified to the severity of her journey to come home.
Once again God had failed to protect one of His children. How could God have been so cruel as to allow Jenny and her mother to suffer so?
Sallie bit her lip. She and Jenny had shared so many happy times in Woodville. Mrs. Harper loved giving parties, and their home had been the site of many balls and cotillions through the years. As young girls Sallie and Jenny often sat at the top of the stairs and watched the festivities below. The war intervened before they had a chance to attend as eligible young women. Sallie shuddered to think of the Harper home in ruins.
Hannah began to stir and suddenly sat up in bed. “Sallie, what are you doing here? Why don’t you have your nightgown on?”
“Oh, I thought I’d go to bed in my dress.” She grabbed her sister and hugged her tightly.
Hannah pushed against Sallie. “What’s the matter with you? You’re squeezing me to death.”
“I’m sorry. I love you so, dear sister Hannah.” Sallie released her hold. She’d do anything to protect her sister from the bloody realities of what waited downstairs.
The door squeaked, and Mama stepped into the room. “You can go in to see Jenny now, and your father wishes to speak with you. I’ll sit with Hannah and explain.” Mama stepped over to the bed.
“Jenny’s here? I want to see her.” Hannah jumped from the bed, but Mama grabbed her gown and pulled her back.
“Later. I want you to stay and talk to me.” She gestured for Sallie to go. “Jenny’s in my room for now.”
Jenny lay still and quiet in Mama and Papa’s bed. Across the room Dr. Andrews talked with Papa.
When Papa saw her, he said, “Come in, my dear. Jenny asked for you.”
Sallie sat beside the bed and stroked Jenny’s hand. The girl’s eyelids fluttered, and a hint of a smile curved the corner of her mouth when she saw Sallie.
“Jenny, I’m here.” She felt a slight answering pressure on her hand. “If there’s anything you need or want, tell me.” Sallie bent close to her friend.
Jenny’s blue-violet eyes glistened with tears. “Oh, Sallie.”
Sallie smoothed stray locks of hair back from Jenny’s forehead. “I’m so sorry for your loss.” She tried to stem the flood of tears in her own eyes.
Jenny’s dark lashes curled against her cheeks. She murmured, “I’ve lived a thousand years in the past few weeks. Father is dead, and so is Andrew. What are we to do?”
“Andrew is dead?” Sallie squeezed her eyes shut. Jenny’s brother, always the life of the party with his pranks and winsome smile. He and Manfred were the same age.
“Yes, we received word just before the attack, and I think that’s what killed Papa, not the fighting. I . . . I . . . oh, Sallie, it was awful.”
Sallie fought back her own grief to comfort her friend. “Shh, don’t talk now. I’m going to stay right here beside you. I promise not to leave.” She lifted an imploring gaze to Papa, who nodded and pressed his lips into a grim line.
Dr. Andrews snapped his bag shut and shook Papa’s hand. “I’ll leave you now. She’ll recover more quickly here with you and Sallie. Get some of Flora’s good soup down her, and make sure you change her dressings frequently.”
“We thank you for coming. I’ll see you out.” Papa came over and placed a hand on Sallie’s shoulder. “Jenny has been through a terrible ordeal. If she wants to talk about it, let her, but don’t force her to tell you what happened. I’ll be back up shortly. I have something I must tell you.”
“Yes, Papa, I unders
tand.”
The room grew silent after their departure, with Jenny dropping off into a deep sleep. Sallie gazed at her friend, filled with sorrow at the pain in her friend’s life.
A few minutes later Papa returned and beckoned for Sallie to join him in the hallway. Jenny slept peacefully now, so Sallie joined her father.
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Jenny didn’t come back with just her mother. A young Yankee came with them to protect them, but he also had a mission here.” His voice choked for a moment.
Sallie’s eyes grew wide. Why would a Yankee soldier come to Mississippi? He should be going north to home.
“I know what you had to do the day you fled Woodville. I found the body of the young man and buried it behind the barn. Now it seems the Yankee who came with the Harpers was looking for his brother, because the unit he’d been with said the last time they’d seen him was around Woodville.”
Sallie jerked back. “He’s looking for his brother?” Sorrow rolled over her soul in waves. “How sad for him.” Then the full implication of her father’s words sank in. “Oh, Papa, did I kill his brother?”
At Papa’s nod Sallie burst into sobs and buried her face in her father’s chest. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.”
He patted her head and spoke with tears choking his own voice. “I know you are. I showed him where I buried the body, and he’s going to make arrangements for it to be taken to his home in Pennsylvania. He’d come a long way to find him.”
Sallie’s heart broke into shattering pieces, but some comfort softened the blow. Now the boy would go home, and his family could give him a proper burial. She couldn’t undo what she had done that afternoon, but at least now she’d have some peace in knowing his family would no longer have to worry and wonder about their son.
When her sobs ceased, Papa sent her back to sit with Jenny. The war was over, and nothing would ever be the same. Today a small piece of the burden Sallie carried had been lifted, but the weight of the remainder still buried itself deep into her heart.
After a night of rest under Amanda’s attentive care, Jenny’s color returned. Amanda stood aside as Sallie offered Jenny some broth, and the young woman took a few sips at a time. Once again Jenny said nothing, and her eyes closed in sleep after she finished. Sallie had said she planned to stay by her friend’s side in case Jenny awoke and wanted to talk.
Still, Sallie must know the truth. Amanda decided the time had come. She motioned for Sallie to follow her into the hallway because she didn’t want Jenny to wake up and hear their talk.
“What’s the matter, Mama?”
“I haven’t had time to talk to you about Jenny. Let’s go into your room. Hannah is downstairs with her lessons, so we can talk.”
Sallie followed her mother into the room where they seated themselves by the window. Amanda leaned over and held Sallie’s hands in hers.
“Last night Jenny awakened for a while and told me the story of what they endured since leaving Woodville. We had terrible things happen to us, my dear, but nothing like what happened to Jenny and her mother.” Tears welled in her eyes, but she fought them back. Sallie had to understand the gravity of the situation.
“Young Andrew died in battle away from home, but Jenny and her mother watched Mr. Harper die in their arms.” When Sallie gasped, Mama squeezed her hands. “It happened when they escaped from their home after the Yankees set it afire. I think Mr. Harper’s heart couldn’t take seeing his home destroyed. He had a heart attack and died on their flight away.”
Sallie’s gaze locked with Mama’s. “What else happened?”
Amanda took a deep breath and looked down at her lap. “They continued on to Millie’s sister’s home up at Natchez with Mr. Harper’s body in the wagon. When they arrived at the house, they found it overrun with Yankees too. Before they could get away, some soldiers caught them and forced them to work there for a time.” She paused, shook her head, and stood. With her hand to her mouth, she paced the floor.
Sallie grasped Mama’s arm. “Tell me, Mama. Tell me what happened. What did the soldiers do to Jenny? Did they . . . ” Her voice trailed off, unable to utter the words.
“No, Jenny said that a young lieutenant stopped two soldiers who accosted her, and rescued her. He was quite kind to her and her mother.”
Sallie wrapped her arms around her and sobbed. “That’s terrible. I’m so worried about Jenny.”
Amanda patted Sallie’s back. “We all are, my dear. What we can do is to love her and take care of her.”
Sorrow for her friend’s ordeal wrapped around Sallie’s heart. “Why didn’t they stay in Natchez when they knew that their home in Woodville was gone?”
Amanda frowned. “After what the soldiers tried to do to Jenny, Millie no longer felt safe there. They fled the house with only the clothes they wore, not much food, and no one to help them.”
Tears glistened in Sallie’s eyes. “Then how did they get home?”
“They walked. Luckily they met up with a young Yankee soldier who was also headed for Woodville, and he traveled with them to protect them as best he could. Jenny had no shoes and attempted to cover her feet with rags, but you saw the results. Mrs. Harper asked Papa to bring Jenny here because she felt you could help her.”
“Papa told me about the soldier. I’m glad he helped Jenny and her mother, and I’m glad he found his brother. I only wish . . . ” Her voice trailed off and Mama grasped her hands.
“It’s all right, dear. It’s over, and our concern now is Jenny.”
Sallie wiped the tears from her cheeks with her fingers. “I’m going back to her now. Tell Lettie to bring my meal up with Jenny’s. I’ll eat there. I don’t want to leave her.”
Amanda kissed Sallie’s cheek. “Yes, dear, I understand. I want you to also think about what could have happened to us if you had not been brave and protected us. I have not spoken to you about it till now because I thought we should put it behind us. But I see now I was wrong. You need to know that what you did was brave and right in that situation.”
“Oh, Mama. I wasn’t brave. I was scared out of my wits, and what I did was horrible.”
“I know. It was a terrible tragedy, but you did what you had to do.” She pushed a stray strand of hair off Sallie’s forehead. “You go to Jenny now. She’s going to need you.”
Sallie hastened from the room and back to the bedside of her friend. Kneeling on the floor, she pressed her face against Jenny’s hand and stroked the sleeping girl’s arm. “Oh, Jenny, I don’t know what to say. You and I have experienced and done things we would never have done in ordinary times.”
All through the morning and into the afternoon Sallie sat by Jenny’s side. She talked to her friend and even read a few pages from Emma. Still, Sallie could see no improvement except that Jenny’s face wasn’t as ashen as it had been earlier.
Lettie and Mama came in to bring food and to check Jenny’s wounds, leaving behind the odor of antiseptics and alcohol. Sallie awakened Jenny long enough for a few more sips of chicken broth and a little water. Most of the time Sallie simply watched her friend sleep.
The room grew dark. Sallie glanced out the window and noted the sun had gone down and darkness covered the earth. Mama tiptoed into the room. “I’ve come to stay the night. You must get some rest yourself, or I’ll have two patients to tend.”
“But, Mama, I want to stay here with her. She might wake up, and I promised to be here.” How could she leave Jenny’s side and go sleep in her own bed? She had to stay right where she was.
“I know, my dear, but you need to stay strong and healthy yourself in order to help Jenny. You go on to your room and get some sleep.” Mama helped her from the floor and shooed her out the door. “I’ll come get you if she awakens and asks for you.”
Sallie obeyed, but sleep wouldn’t come. Her mind was wound tighter than a clock and refused to slow down. She again sat by the window and gazed at the star-studded sky. Half of the waxing moon hung among the glittering
jewels in the velvet darkness. What a spring this had been. So much had happened in the past few weeks that Sallie couldn’t control.
Images of soldiers, guns, fires, and death flashed through Sallie’s mind. She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her palms against her temples. She had to forget. When would peace return to her soul?
The next morning Sallie dressed and hurried to Jenny’s room. Grandma stood by the bed, brushing Jenny’s hair. Smooth, dark waves spread out over the pillow, replacing the tangles and snarls of yesterday.
When Sallie covered Jenny’s hand with hers, the girl opened her eyes. “Sallie, you are here. I haven’t been dreaming.”
“No, I wouldn’t leave you.” She sank down to her knees by the bedside.
Grandma patted Jenny’s shoulder. “The only time she left your side was to sleep. I’ll leave you in good hands. Lettie will be up with your breakfast shortly.” She laid the brush on the dressing table and left.
Sallie pulled a footstool over and perched on it. “You look so much better today. We’ve been so worried.”
Jenny reached up to touch her hair then her face. “I must have been a fright. I vaguely remember your father bringing me in a buggy, and your mother and grandmother washing me.”
“Yes, we all tended to you. Now you’re getting well.”
Jenny pulled Sallie’s hand to her cheek. “I remember your mother saying something about God taking care of us. If I had not believed that with all my heart, I would not be here today. I fought hard to stay alive for Mother’s sake, and I knew God would help me.”
Sallie said nothing. Some care God had taken of Jenny. Her father and brother were both dead, her house ruined, and her mother ill. If that was God’s care, she didn’t want to even think about His punishment for her own behavior.
“Oh, Sallie, it was so awful.” Jenny turned her ahead away. “Our house, Father . . . ”
Sallie whispered, “I’m so sorry, Jenny.” She covered Jenny’s hand with hers.
Lettie entered with breakfast, tea and toast with jam. Sallie poured the tea and stirred in milk while Jenny eased up on the pillows. In silence they shared a meal. Too much had happened to both of them, too much to tell, much less grasp. Now Sallie understood how fragile and precious life was, and how lives could come undone in an instant.
Love Stays True Page 17
