Jewel of Promise

by Marian Wells

  “Paducah coming up, sir.”

  “Let’s take it in. I see there’s another one of our gunboats in port. That surprises me.” Abruptly Parker lifted his glasses. “Looks like there might be a problem,” he said. “Let’s keep our distance until we see what’s going on.”

  Mike hit the gong twice.

  “There’s an officer on deck, can you hear him?”

  “Yes,” Mike said slowly. “He’s calling for the women and children to come down to the boats.”

  “I’m going below.” Parker dashed for the stairs.

  Mike moved to the window and watched the crowd of townspeople walking toward the wharf. Mike had just spotted the gray uniforms among the people when the Confederates opened fire. Unable to believe his eyes, he murmured, “It’s got to be Forrest.”

  Herding the people ahead of them, with guns directed toward the two gunboats, the Rebel guerrillas shoved the women around like shields as they blazed their way toward the gunboat. A movement inland caught Mike’s attention. A flag of truce was raised at the fort.

  While he studied the scene, a bullet shattered the side window and Mike dropped. When he came up he saw the gunboat retreating from the harbor. He jumped to hit the gong and the bell, muttering, “Reverse it!” Rushing to the window he watched. “Parker, why don’t you fire?”

  One look gave his answer. “People. There’s not a shot we can take without hitting some of those people.”

  A detachment of soldiers, both Negro and white, broke away from the fort and streamed toward the water. The air was filled with the shout, “No quarter, no quarter!”

  Feeling totally helpless, Mike clenched his fists and watched soldiers being chased down to the river. Again came the volley of musket fire. One after another the soldiers fell into the water as they were shot. Beyond the line of trees, Mike could see flames spreading, mounting high.

  Parker came into the pilothouse, his face ashen. “They’re holding us off. We dare not fire; they’re using the women and children as shields. God help us! This is butchery.”

  The following day Parker came into the pilothouse. “We’ve been given permission to land for the purpose of burying the dead and rescuing the wounded. It appears that Forrest has done his evil and run. Take us in.”

  The sailor who met them stated flatly, “The streets look like a battlefield, only this time the slain are children and women.”

  ****

  On April 12th, Mike took the gunboat into the harbor at Fort Pillow, a small fort sixty-five miles above Memphis. From the harbor Mike could see the fort situated on a bluff overlooking the river.

  Bringing the boat in, Mike decided the scene was as peaceful as a medieval castle. He noticed the fall of thick brush down the side of the hill, and the small village tucked in a ravine at the foot of the bluff.

  Parker stood beside Mike, holding his glasses on the fort. As they approached the harbor Mike saw him stiffen. Parker ran for the stairs, yelling, “It’s Forrest again. Man the guns.”

  Until nearly mid-afternoon the gunboat fired on the Rebel guerrillas with little effect. Mike watched from the wheel as he stood ready to move the boat into a new position.

  At last Parker came to the pilothouse. “Forrest just sent in a flag of truce. We’ll have to wait and see what develops.”

  Mike pointed to the trees. “It might a flag of truce, but it seems to me the Rebs are continuing to push the line to their advantage. Look at them moving up there.”

  As he spoke, unarmed men leaped over the enclosure and streamed down the hill toward the gunboat. Mike groaned as he watched. “White soldiers and Negroes,” he muttered. “They don’t stand a chance!”

  Helplessly they watched the guerrillas’ pursuit. Mike turned away. “They’re violating their own flag.”

  “I’ve heard Forrest is as slippery as an eel, a hit-and-run raider,” Parker groaned. “There’s not a thing we can do for them.”

  “Why aren’t the Rebs honoring their own truce!”

  Parker rounded on him, “So we should be lawbreakers, too?” His voice gentled. “I’d be tempted, but we don’t have arms or men to fight.”

  ****

  During the weeks that followed, Mike found himself unable to keep his thoughts away from the scenes of slaughter. The thunder of artillery and cries of agony echoed through his mind. He saw Paducah, its women and children slain in the streets, and defenseless men streaming down the hillside with the raiders gaining ground.

  Numb with the memories, he continued to handle the gunboat as Parker ordered them downriver. At Vicksburg, the Stars and Stripes flew above the harbor. Natchez was peaceful. The late spring was pleasant on the river, and finally the horror released its grip and he began to relax.

  Parker came in one morning, looked at Mike and grinned, “You’re starting to act as if you like life. We should be in Cairo in another two weeks, Mike. Sounds like the whole crew will be given furlough. Think that’ll work into your schedule?”

  Mike chuckled. “You mean sleeping all night without expecting that gong in my ear? I suppose I can find something to do.”

  After Parker left the pilothouse, Mike thought of the Coopers and their serene Pennsylvania home…and Beth. It was the new Beth who held his attention. Why is there this constant, unrelenting need to see her? Just in time he saw a snag in the river and jerked the wheel.

  Surrender, Mike. Pray for guidance. The Lord knows the direction your thoughts are going.

  “Here I go again, Lord. It’s Beth. I need to surrender her again, huh? It’s not Your will that—” He stopped and begin to think. Slowly he began to put the clamoring thoughts into words. “Lord, I’ve been fearful to even think about her. It’s like a sore tooth I shy away from. Now I wonder—dare I think You are trying to tell me something more? Have I failed to be open to the possibility of something good? If You want to talk to me about Beth, please don’t let me make a mistake.”

  Mike began to grin and to whistle as he thought about Beth. Finally he chuckled aloud. “Mike, are you getting the message? You asked the Lord to wash Beth right out of your mind, since He didn’t want you to marry her. How come the desire is growing?” Hastily he added, “Lord, is it possible I’m starting to go a direction You don’t want me to go?”

  The grin faded away and Mike lined up the facts. Beth didn’t seem to mind having you around, in fact she wanted to go help you find a wooden leg. Maybe she won’t mind if you have a wooden leg.

  “Might be a good idea to talk to Sadie,” he muttered.

  Mike took the gunboat into Cairo. Shouldering his pack, he signed out on a thirty-day furlough.

  As the train wound through Ohio, Mike discovered that the air was sweet with spring. Along the river, the Pennsylvania farm country was fragrant with meadow grass and apple blossoms. The water still gurgled through Amos Cooper’s pasture, and Sadie’s kitchen was still scented with fresh bread.

  Slowly he walked up the steps and stood in the farmhouse doorway. The clock on the parlor mantle struck deep mellow notes and the peace of the whole countryside seemed to slip through the house. He looked at the pine-and-white plaster walls, the hand-braided rugs mellowed into pastels, the old rocking chair, Sadie’s knitting lying forgotten on the hearth.

  The pain in his chest reminded him it was all a scene from a moment past, a never-to-be-forgotten time, but also a stepping stone into a future that must be shaped—perhaps for a son of his own. The thought gave him courage and he called, “Sadie!”

  She came out of the kitchen her arms opened. “Lad, thou art as fine-honed as it’s possible to be and still have flesh on thee. Come have some fresh buttermilk and a slice of warm bread.”

  He sat at the kitchen table and asked, “Are any of the others here?”

  “No. I’ve had a good letter from Olivia since thee hast been gone. Alex is home. He’s alive; ’twas but a tragic mix-up. My, we are grateful and happy.

  “Alex will be going back into the army soon. Crystal and Matthew are tog
ether in Washington.”

  “And Beth?”

  Sadie looked into his eyes and began to smile. “Thou always hast her name on thy lips. Why?”

  In that place, surrounded with sunshine, it was easy to say, “Because I love her.”

  Sadie was still smiling. “Did she tell thee she hath accepted Jesus as Lord? I do believe she is growing up, and will soon become a girl worthy of thee.”

  He bent over and kissed Sadie’s apple cheek. “Worthy of me? And thou, my dear lady, hast been kissing the blarney stone!”

  For the first time he noticed the lines on her face, the touch of weariness in her smile. “Is Amos here?”

  “Yes, we are the same. But life passes on, Mike. We will not be forever.” She sighed, “This war is hard on us; we weary ourselves in prayer, but it must be.”

  He nodded. “Not be forever? Neither shall we, Beth and I.” He was silent as he thought back over the weeks just past. He looked at her and knew he couldn’t bring that horror into this home.

  “War is wearying, isn’t it?” she said. “The spirit of us all is heavy with the sadness. But even with broken hearts and missing legs, we must go on. Mike, I do think the Lord expects us to spread beauty instead of ashes. It takes work to do so. Beauty comes from God; it is a gift. But like a beautiful jewel hidden away in a chest, it doth no one good unless it is brought out for all to see.” She stood up.

  “Take thy bag to thy room. Amos will be here shortly.”

  Mike spoke carefully. “Sadie, I hope I will not disappoint you, but I think I will stay only one day. I must see Beth.”

  She smiled. “It is a long trip for just a few days, but I think it will do thee good.” She started for the kitchen and turned. “Thee might tell Beth that I mended the dress; she may wish to wear it.”

  “What dress?

  “The wedding dress. She nearly destroyed it, tearing it off after thou left her at the church.”

  He hung his head. “Sadie, I didn’t say those things lightly. It was because of the Lord Jesus that I felt we couldn’t marry. I still do not know why He impressed that upon me. And I’m not certain it should be any different now.”

  “Might it be that the Lord wanted your dear girl to grow up first? She was such a child.”

  “Is she still?”

  “No. She will make thee a lovely wife, Mike Clancy.”

  Chapter 48

  Alex awakened with the first light of dawn. Turning, he saw Olivia standing in front of the open window. A breeze lifted her hair and gently pressed her white nightgown against her body.

  He went to stand beside her. Wide-eyed wonder filled her face. Tiny wrens lined the window ledge; they chirped a gentle conversation and pecked with sleepy contentment. He smiled, glancing beyond them to the city park, the Potomac, and the hazy stretches of Virginia.

  She was watching him now, wonder still in her eyes. Pressing her hands across his shoulders, she touched the red scar on his side, murmuring, “Jesus said not a bird falls apart from the Father’s knowledge.” He waited, seeing the sparkle of tears on her face.

  “I didn’t realize how much God had to do in me. Now that the tension is gone, I do trust Him. God really does love us.” She lifted her face. “Do you understand that? In this worst of times, is it real to you?”

  He nodded. “I’m deeply aware of His love. I see Matthew’s capture in Natchez as an example of God’s intervention in my life. Olivia, all these things don’t just happen. God is there tenderly caring for us. I know He has given us the freedom to choose our way, but I also know if we surrender our choosing to Him, He guides us and helps us make the right choice.”

  “Alex, I’m going with you, as a camp nurse.” He moved uneasily. Quickly she pressed her fingers across his lips. “I’ve prayed about it. It must be my decision, and I know I can handle it well with God’s help. It isn’t even a pleading prayer that God will spare you; instead it’s another opportunity for me to allow God to work as He wishes. I’ll be stronger for having trusted Him in something completely beyond my little human ability.

  “Alex, that happened at Gettysburg. God didn’t stop us from making that hasty, even foolish trip. But when the battle stopped us, Beth and I had to depend upon God in a way much more significant than we had done before.

  “We lived through that horrible time, not just surviving, but doing all the terrible, difficult tasks with quietness and strength. And Alex, we both grew. Beth became a woman. I was tried to my limit, and God was always there.”

  As he wrapped his arms around her and rested her head against his shoulder, she said, “I had read all those Bible verses about the power of Jesus Christ being in us, but I only marveled and yearned. Now I have proved that He will do this for me. I will continue to allow Him to make me strong.”

  “Olivia, my precious one, you have become such a source of quiet and strength to me. Yes, God is that for us—power and endurance. We also help each other. I need you. While I live, I can’t risk your life. Even nurses aren’t safe on the battlefield.”

  She leaned back to look at him. “Alex, I have learned to live with loss. It was very painful, but it taught me that God will bring me through disaster stronger, not weaker. We don’t have control over our lives. That’s in God’s hands. Why struggle with living or dying, when instead we can put our energies into doing and being?”

  He circled her with his arms and turned her to the window. “The day is beautiful. Let’s walk through the city and talk about the future. I don’t mean tomorrow, but when the war is over. If it is best to be doing and being, then let’s plan.”

  She turned her head to look up at him. “Alex, I’ve sensed a restlessness in you. It’s there when you talk with Matthew, when you read the war news. I sense you’re ready to go.”

  “Yes. I’ve seen too many men die to be content sitting idle at home.”

  “I thought that was the case.” She took a deep breath. “After breakfast let’s find Matthew and Crystal. If you want, we can invite them to go with us.”

  Matthew and Crystal were in the dining room when they found them. Crystal looked up. “Good morning,” she said. “We’re going for a walk this morning, want to come?”

  “Thank you,” Alex said. “We’d mentioned walking too.” He looked at Matthew. “Are you catching up on the news? Sounds like Sherman is still lying low in Tennessee.”

  Matthew nodded, chuckled. “It’s to our advantage that Generals Bragg and Johnston seem to be at odds.”

  “A comfort,” Alex muttered. “But right now I wish Sherman would do something. About Bragg, I’d begun to think the Army of the Potomac was the only outfit having leadership troubles.

  Matthew nodded soberly. “Doesn’t make for high spirited troops when their leaders can’t agree on a line of action. I do think Generals Grant and Sherman are strong-minded enough to stick to their plans.”

  ****

  Mike walked down the Washington street reading the signs on the buildings. A woman stopped beside him. “Sailor, are you looking for a particular building?”

  “Yes, ma’am, the new Union hospital for soldiers.”

  “It’s that building just across the street.” She smiled and hurried down the street.

  Mike took a deep breath and muttered, “Well, Lord, here it is. I can’t back down now. Please help us to know Your will. Don’t let her be willing if you don’t want this to happen.”

  He entered the hall and saw the rows of beds through the windows in the swinging doors.

  “Are you looking for someone?”

  He turned to face a smiling older woman and asked, “Is Beth Peamble a nurse here?”

  “Yes. Come in, she’s just finishing her shift.” Mike followed. The afternoon sun drew patches of light on the white sheets on the beds. He looked at the men and cringed with the memory of the horror and pain during his time in the hospital.

  A woman walked toward him, nearly hidden by a large white apron, her hair was bound away from her face. She recognized
him, and he watched the emotion flicker across her face. For a moment he thought he detected a smile, then uncertainty followed by fear. “Mike, what is it?”

  “I—nothing; I just wanted to see you.”

  “Oh. I’ll be through here in a half hour. Are you in a hurry?”

  He grinned. “Since I’ve come from Pennsylvania just to see you, I think I’ll wait.”

  She blushed. Turning away she said, “I need to change. There are chairs in the hallway, or you could come back.”

  He settled down in the entry hall and thumbed through an old newspaper. Beth’s face, shy and uncertain, claimed his attention. He moved his shoulders and grinned self-consciously.

  When she came downstairs she wore a dark blue dress with a white lace collar. Her hair was loose and curly around her face, a torch against the dark cotton. She held a soft shawl.

  He swallowed hard and smiled, then reached for the shawl. “Do you want this around your shoulders?”

  “Is it cold?” He couldn’t remember. Tucking it around her he reached for the door.

  Her eyes were wide, still startled. Watching him she said, “There’s a city park just down the street. Lots of trees, and a place to sit and talk.”

  “Sounds nice.” Feeling awkward, careful not to touch her, he followed her. They walked down the street with Beth chattering.

  She stopped. “Oh, Alex and Olivia and Crystal and Matthew are still here. Perhaps you’d rather see them.”

  “Not now. Sadie told me they were here.” He took her arm as they crossed the street. She glanced uneasily toward a house opposite the park and he wondered about the sober expression as she led the way into the grove.

  “There’s a lake down through the trees. Ducks and some swans live there. Poor things; even they look scrawny.”

  She took a deep breath. “You know, it’s a real miracle to see Alex come back.” He nodded, and she rushed on. “And Matthew was the one who found him.”