he’s made quite a sailor of himself. I’ve often thought that it would have been a good thing if he’d gone to sea—but he doesn’t have the discipline for that, I’m afraid.”
Charity wanted to know more, but the sentries approached, and Major Winslow gave orders for unloading the sleigh.“There’s plenty of room, I’m afraid,” he remarked ruefully as the supplies were placed almost reverently in the large building by a brace of privates. “But it’s a gift from God, all this; and in the name of His Excellency, I thank you, Charity.”
“It’s so little, ” she lamented sadly. She had noted that the hands of the soldiers unloading the food had trembled as they touched it, and that they had to put it down with force of will. The hunger of Valley Forge marked their eyes, and she whispered, “How can it happen, Major Winslow? How can our people let our men starve? ”
“Some don’t know,” he answered. “But,” he continued, anger raking his dark face and his mouth drawn to a thin line, “some don’t care. Lots of people think we’re fools out here, led by a madman who wants to make himself a king.”
Charity looked at the pitiful heap of supplies, then at the wolf-lean faces of the soldiers, and she murmured, “It seems... impossible!”
“With God all things are possible, Charity!” There was such strength in Major Winslow’s voice and such determination in his lean face that he frightened her. She had never seen such dedication as she found in these people, and knew instinctively that for this man the war was to the death. When he smiled, she was amazed at how these Winslow men, with all their strength, could have such gentleness! Then she thought of the drunken lust etched on the face of Paul Winslow, and she mused: They’re not all like Nathan and his father.
****
For the next four days Charity and Dr. Bergen worked from dawn until dusk, and even later. There were four long huts packed wall-to-wall with the sick and dying, and the pair of them were found long after sundown moving down the narrow aisles between bodies illuminated by the feeble yellow lantern light.
Dr. Bergen and Dr. Williams appreciated each other, but would not admit it. They had stared at each other suspiciouslyat first; then slowly, as each man discovered the quality of the other, they began to spend their spare time together arguing endlessly—and loudly!—over treatment of the sick men. Once Nathan and Charity had listened to them reach the yelling stage over a fine point of medicine, and Charity had whispered in wonder, “The way they scream at each other, you’d think they were the worst of enemies, wouldn’t you?”
“Good men—both of them,” Nathan had said, and it was true that Williams’ load was lightened by the arrival of his colleague. As for Bergen, any sacrifice he might have made in coming became as nothing, for General Washington himself had made a visit, and his warm thanks to the little doctor had brought tears to Bergen’s eyes. “Such a man!” Bergen had murmured huskily as he told Charity about it. “Such a man our general is! And did I tell you, Charity, he talked with me for half an hour—to me, Aaron Bergen!”
“What did he say, Dr. Bergen?”
“Oh, all about the men, of course.” He shook his head and there was wonder in his bearded face as he said in such a low tone she had to lean forward to hear it: “He loves them—these men of his! How he loves them!”
When not at the hospital, Charity was with Julie, and it was a joy to her to see the improvement from the food and medicine. A rich glow had come to the pregnant woman’s face, and the feebleness that had struck her down was replaced by a vigor that delighted not only Nathan but all of them.
Dr. Bergen argued loudly with Dr. Williams that it was the presence of a real doctor which made the difference, but privately he admitted to Charity that it was as much Julie’s faith as his doctoring that had brought
Charity wanted to know more, but the sentries approached, and Major Winslow gave orders for unloading the sleigh.“There’s plenty of room, I’m afraid,” he remarked ruefully as the supplies were placed almost reverently in the large building by a brace of privates. “But it’s a gift from God, all this; and in the name of His Excellency, I thank you, Charity.”
“It’s so little, ” she lamented sadly. She had noted that the hands of the soldiers unloading the food had trembled as they touched it, and that they had to put it down with force of will. The hunger of Valley Forge marked their eyes, and she whispered, “How can it happen, Major Winslow? How can our people let our men starve? ”
“Some don’t know,” he answered. “But,” he continued, anger raking his dark face and his mouth drawn to a thin line, “some don’t care. Lots of people think we’re fools out here, led by a madman who wants to make himself a king.”
Charity looked at the pitiful heap of supplies, then at the wolf-lean faces of the soldiers, and she murmured, “It seems... impossible!”
“With God all things are possible, Charity!” There was such strength in Major Winslow’s voice and such determination in his lean face that he frightened her. She had never seen such dedication as she found in these people, and knew instinctively that for this man the war was to the death. When he smiled, she was amazed at how these Winslow men, with all their strength, could have such gentleness! Then she thought of the drunken lust etched on the face of Paul Winslow, and she mused: They’re not all like Nathan and his father.
****
For the next four days Charity and Dr. Bergen worked from dawn until dusk, and even later. There were four long huts packed wall-to-wall with the sick and dying, and the pair of them were found long after sundown moving down the narrow aisles between bodies illuminated by the feeble yellow lantern light.
Dr. Bergen and Dr. Williams appreciated each other, but would not admit it. They had stared at each other suspiciouslyat first; then slowly, as each man discovered the quality of the other, they began to spend their spare time together arguing endlessly—and loudly!—over treatment of the sick men. Once Nathan and Charity had listened to them reach the yelling stage over a fine point of medicine, and Charity had whispered in wonder, “The way they scream at each other, you’d think they were the worst of enemies, wouldn’t you?”
“Good men—both of them,” Nathan had said, and it was true that Williams’ load was lightened by the arrival of his colleague. As for Bergen, any sacrifice he might have made in coming became as nothing, for General Washington himself had made a visit, and his warm thanks to the little doctor had brought tears to Bergen’s eyes. “Such a man!” Bergen had murmured huskily as he told Charity about it. “Such a man our general is! And did I tell you, Charity, he talked with me for half an hour—to me, Aaron Bergen!”
“What did he say, Dr. Bergen?”
“Oh, all about the men, of course.” He shook his head and there was wonder in his bearded face as he said in such a low tone she had to lean forward to hear it: “He loves them—these men of his! How he loves them!”
When not at the hospital, Charity was with Julie, and it was a joy to her to see the improvement from the food and medicine. A rich glow had come to the pregnant woman’s face, and the feebleness that had struck her down was replaced by a vigor that delighted not only Nathan but all of them.
Dr. Bergen argued loudly with Dr. Williams that it was the presence of a real doctor which made the difference, but privately he admitted to Charity that it was as much Julie’s faith as his doctoring that had brought
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