Spring Will Come by Ginny Dye Page B

his mind and heart.  That he was hopelessly in love with her, he could not deny.  Robert had vowed not to talk of marriage until the war was over, but there was not a day that passed without dreams of living his life with Carrie at his side. 
                  Suddenly he frowned.  He realized there were still many obstacles confronting them.   If there was anything left of his plantation after the war, all he wanted to do was go back and rebuild.  Carrie was determined to be a doctor.  How would they achieve both those things?  His plantation was in the South.  The only place Carrie could find a medical school that would accept women was in the North.  Questions rose up to taunt him as fatigue blurred his eyes and mind. 
                  How would they resolve their differences about slavery?  He had learned to respect what Carrie believed even if he could not believe it himself.  He knew there was no way he could run the plantation without a large number of slaves.  How could he give up all he had ever wanted and dreamed of because Carrie believed slavery was wrong?  She had made it clear she would never own a slave.   Robert ground his teeth in frustration.  He could see no way to solve the dilemmas facing them.   Yet there was no other choice.  He loved her completely and could not imagine living his life without her permanently.  Somehow they would have to find a way. 
                  The bright moonlight created a milky corridor as the horses wound their way through thick woods and across open fields.  Moonlight caught on leaves tossing gently in the breeze, casting off creamy sparkles.  A sea of stars twinkled their defiance at the world below.  Robert gazed around, astounded there could yet be this much beauty in a world so crazy and hate-filled.  The beauty seemed to call to him, seemed to pull him in as he crept along.   Slowly the confusion of his questions melted away to be replaced by confidence.  He was too tired to question it.  Gratefully he let the confidence seep in and fill him with a new strength he could not identify. 
                  Suddenly Robert recognized the strength.  It was the same strength he had experienced when he had somehow managed to pull himself from a ditch just before a wagon crashed down on top of him.  It was the same strength he had felt on the bitterly cold battlefield when he had been full of despair and hopelessness.  Somehow he knew the strength he was feeling was the presence of God.  Somewhere in the last year of war, he had stopped denying the presence of God, but he was still incapable of understanding it.  His heart told him God loved him, but Robert couldn’t fathom why.  Silently he stared up into the heavens.  He had no idea how to put his feelings into words. 
                  The clatter of rapid hoof beats roused Robert from his thoughts.  Startled, he straightened and automatically reached for his saber.  Had the pursuing Union troops caught up with them?  Gradually he realized the hoof beats he was hearing belonged to just one horse.  Relaxing a little, he watched as a lone horseman dashed toward them from the direction they were headed.  It could only be a scout sent ahead to report back to Stuart. 
                  It was not long before Stuart called his group of leaders together for a conference.  “One of my scouts lives nearby.   Forge Bridge has been burned out.”
                  Robert’s heart sank.  Crossing the Chickahominy was their chance to get away from whatever might be pursuing them.  Had they come this far only to be trapped?
                  Stuart smiled, but exhaustion lined his face.  “He knows of a shallow place where we can ford the river.  It will save us many hours of work if we don’t have to rebuild the bridge.  Once we reach the river, we can all gain a little