Yankee Belles in Dixie by Gilbert L. Morris Read Free Book Online Page A

Jeff’s eyes. Jeff flushed, but President Lincoln just smiled and nodded slightly, then turned back toward the platform.
    On their way home, Jeff said, “You know, Lincoln’s not like I thought he would be.”
    â€œHow’s that, Jeff?” Mr. Carter asked.
    â€œWell, you know in the Southern newspapers they make him out to be some kind of a … a monster, a murderer. They say he started the war.”
    â€œThat’s not right,” Mr. Carter said gently. “This war was the last thing Abraham Lincoln wanted. All he wants now is to keep the Union together.”
    â€œHe wants to set all the slaves free,” Jeff corrected.
    â€œJeff, he said once in a speech that if he could save the Union by freeing some of the slaves and not freeing others, he’d do it. If he could save it by freeing all the slaves, he’d do that. But if he could save it by freeing none of the slaves, he’d do that. But he means to save this Union of ours.”
    Jeff thought about President Lincoln a great deal for the next few days. Seeing him had shaken his ideas about the war itself. As long as he’d thought of Lincoln as an evil man who wanted to wreck the South out of pure meanness, it was easy to think about fighting. But Lincoln’s face was kind. Just one look and Jeff had known that he was not evil. So he kept quiet, just once in a while mentioning the president to Leah.
    A few days after the service, Dan Carter came to Jeff with an envelope. “Letter for you, Jeff. It came addressed to me. It went to our home in Kentucky first, and my wife mailed it on.”
    Jeff took the piece of paper, opened it, and recognized the handwriting at once. “Why, it’s from Tom.” He scanned the brief page and looked up with a worried expression. “Tom says I’ve got to come back. If I don’t, I’ll be posted as a deserter.”
    â€œOh, Jeff! Then you’ll have to go,” Leah said.
    â€œYes, I’m afraid you will, my boy. You wouldn’t want to be a deserter.”
    Jeff glanced quickly at the older man and saw that he was being honest. He thought again,
Yankees can’t be all that they told us they were. But I
guess people have told them the same kind of stuff about us.
Aloud he said, “I’ll have to go tell Pa.”
    â€œGo by yourself this time. Take the horse,” Mr. Carter said. “I’ll find out about the trains and see about tickets.”
    Jeff left at once. He tied the horse outside the Old Capitol Prison, was admitted, and once again passed under the hard eyes of Lieutenant Simpkins. “Well, at least I won’t have to see him anymore,” he muttered to himself.
    In the prison cell he found his father shaving.
    â€œSit down, Jeff, while I scrape these whiskers off.” Lieutenant Majors drew the blade carefully down his cheek, wiped the lather onto a towel, and then took another pass at his face. “What’s been going on?”
    Jeff hesitated, then he told his father about President Lincoln and how he felt about him and how it had disturbed him.
    Nelson Majors finished the shave, listening carefully. Then he put the razor away. “Well, Yankees are just people like we are. We can’t hate them, Jeff. We believe differently, but we’re one people.”
    â€œI guess I’ll have to change the way I think a little bit, Pa.” He knew he had to tell his father something else. “I got a letter from Tom. He said I’d have to go back or be posted as a deserter.”
    At once Nelson Majors said, “I’ve been half expecting that, and you’ll have to go, of course.”
    â€œYes, that’s what Mr. Carter says, but I hate to leave you, Pa.”
    They talked for a long while, knowing it would be the last time. When Jeff got up to go, he cried out, “Pa, it’s awful! I just can’t go and leave you alone like this!”
    â€œSon,” the lieutenant said,