that’s the common opinion. I do not share it.”
“What is your opinion, Mr. Wright?”
“It will take years for the Union to win this war, Miss Keim. And they could very well lose it with the generals we have.”
The horizon filled with light and then went black. The thunder was moving farther to the south and east. Hiram’s words brought a tightness to Lyndel’s stomach.
“I hope you’re not correct, Mr. Wright,” she said.
He placed her case in his carriage. “It happens on occasion. Though the occasions are infrequent.” He climbed into the driver’s seat. “There is room up here for the three of us. Welcome to Washington, both of you. We’ll drop by the hospital first, Miss Keim. The matron, Mrs. McKean, asked me to bring you by when you arrived.”
“And that is the one called Armory…Armory…?”
“Armory Square. Just over on the mall in front of the Capitol dome.” Hiram flicked the reins. “Away we go, Sally. Away we go, Kate. You’ll be boarding with a prominent Washington family. Levi willbe bunking with me in Georgetown. I hope these arrangements are acceptable to you.”
“Thank you very much for all your work on our behalf, Mr. Wright. Though I’d be just as happy taking a blanket and pillow with me into someone’s barn.”
Hiram laughed as he steered through the traffic of carriages and pedestrians. “That would be rich. Ladies don’t sleep in barns out here, Miss Keim. And the truth is, there aren’t that many barns anyway. You’ll have to settle for a four-poster bed with a canopy.”
Levi sat between Hiram and his sister. She leaned forward to get a better look at Hiram to see if he was teasing her. “Mr. Wright, I’m just a plain girl who is used to plain Amish ways. I certainly do not require a four-poster with a canopy.”
“Plain you are not, Miss Keim, not with hair and eyes and face such as God has given you. The bed you will have to take up with your hosts. Perhaps they have a spare stable where you can spread your quilt.”
Armory Square Hospital consisted of rows of long, low white buildings like barracks neatly laid out, with a picket fence in front. Hiram pulled up in front of one with an arch and a sign over its door. He helped Lyndel step down onto a small wooden platform and avoid the mud and puddles of the street. Then he escorted her inside, with Levi following.
Mrs. McKean had seen the carriage drive up and was waiting. Tall and broad, in a white dress and apron with her hair pinned to perfection and tucked rigidly under a cap, she extended a large hand to Lyndel. “Welcome, Miss Keim. I understand you have come all the way from Pennsylvania to volunteer?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She looked Lyndel up and down. “You are perhaps too pretty to nurse wounded soldiers. But you have a firm grip despite all that. Hiram said you were a farm girl.”
“I am, ma’am.”
“Please call me Miss Sharon. This will be infinitely harder than milking cows or churning butter.”
“I have nursed wounded men, ma’am—Miss Sharon.”
“Have you? Where?”
Lyndel struggled under the onslaught. “Two…runaways…hid in our barn last spring.”
Miss Sharon raised her thick eyebrows. “Did they? And was your nursing successful?”
“I believe so, yes.”
“You believe so? What became of them?”
“One was recaptured. The slave hunters—hanged the other.”
Miss Sharon paused. Lyndel fought to keep her face strong but she could feel her lower lip trembling as she thought of Charlie Preston swinging from the sugar maple. Miss Sharon flicked her eyes over Lyndel’s navy blue dress and black apron and kapp .
“Your attire is—different. But suitable, I suppose. I prefer white aprons and caps however.”
“So we dress in Lancaster County, Miss Sharon. I just came from the train. I haven’t had time to change.”
“Nor will you. I have five nurses down with typhoid fever. I apologize for throwing you in at the deep end of the pond but I need
“What is your opinion, Mr. Wright?”
“It will take years for the Union to win this war, Miss Keim. And they could very well lose it with the generals we have.”
The horizon filled with light and then went black. The thunder was moving farther to the south and east. Hiram’s words brought a tightness to Lyndel’s stomach.
“I hope you’re not correct, Mr. Wright,” she said.
He placed her case in his carriage. “It happens on occasion. Though the occasions are infrequent.” He climbed into the driver’s seat. “There is room up here for the three of us. Welcome to Washington, both of you. We’ll drop by the hospital first, Miss Keim. The matron, Mrs. McKean, asked me to bring you by when you arrived.”
“And that is the one called Armory…Armory…?”
“Armory Square. Just over on the mall in front of the Capitol dome.” Hiram flicked the reins. “Away we go, Sally. Away we go, Kate. You’ll be boarding with a prominent Washington family. Levi willbe bunking with me in Georgetown. I hope these arrangements are acceptable to you.”
“Thank you very much for all your work on our behalf, Mr. Wright. Though I’d be just as happy taking a blanket and pillow with me into someone’s barn.”
Hiram laughed as he steered through the traffic of carriages and pedestrians. “That would be rich. Ladies don’t sleep in barns out here, Miss Keim. And the truth is, there aren’t that many barns anyway. You’ll have to settle for a four-poster bed with a canopy.”
Levi sat between Hiram and his sister. She leaned forward to get a better look at Hiram to see if he was teasing her. “Mr. Wright, I’m just a plain girl who is used to plain Amish ways. I certainly do not require a four-poster with a canopy.”
“Plain you are not, Miss Keim, not with hair and eyes and face such as God has given you. The bed you will have to take up with your hosts. Perhaps they have a spare stable where you can spread your quilt.”
Armory Square Hospital consisted of rows of long, low white buildings like barracks neatly laid out, with a picket fence in front. Hiram pulled up in front of one with an arch and a sign over its door. He helped Lyndel step down onto a small wooden platform and avoid the mud and puddles of the street. Then he escorted her inside, with Levi following.
Mrs. McKean had seen the carriage drive up and was waiting. Tall and broad, in a white dress and apron with her hair pinned to perfection and tucked rigidly under a cap, she extended a large hand to Lyndel. “Welcome, Miss Keim. I understand you have come all the way from Pennsylvania to volunteer?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She looked Lyndel up and down. “You are perhaps too pretty to nurse wounded soldiers. But you have a firm grip despite all that. Hiram said you were a farm girl.”
“I am, ma’am.”
“Please call me Miss Sharon. This will be infinitely harder than milking cows or churning butter.”
“I have nursed wounded men, ma’am—Miss Sharon.”
“Have you? Where?”
Lyndel struggled under the onslaught. “Two…runaways…hid in our barn last spring.”
Miss Sharon raised her thick eyebrows. “Did they? And was your nursing successful?”
“I believe so, yes.”
“You believe so? What became of them?”
“One was recaptured. The slave hunters—hanged the other.”
Miss Sharon paused. Lyndel fought to keep her face strong but she could feel her lower lip trembling as she thought of Charlie Preston swinging from the sugar maple. Miss Sharon flicked her eyes over Lyndel’s navy blue dress and black apron and kapp .
“Your attire is—different. But suitable, I suppose. I prefer white aprons and caps however.”
“So we dress in Lancaster County, Miss Sharon. I just came from the train. I haven’t had time to change.”
“Nor will you. I have five nurses down with typhoid fever. I apologize for throwing you in at the deep end of the pond but I need
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