“What is this claptrap?” a man muttered,taking swift notes. A card in his hat brim identified him as areporter.
Tillie’s brow creased.
“Now—” The President’s voice sailed over thecrowd. “We are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether thatnation, or any nation so conceived, can long endure. We are met ona great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portionof that field as a final resting place for those who here gavetheir lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fittingand proper that we should do this.”
“The man’s a fool,” the reporter next to hermuttered, but he didn’t stop his writing.
His companion shook his head. “Of course it’sfitting and proper. That’s why we’re here.”
They laughed together.
Tillie scowled and sidled closer to Father.He put his arm around her and squeezed, as though to say, don’tworry, they’re the fools. She laid her head on his arm, grateful heunderstood her.
“But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate,we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men,living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far aboveour poor powers to add or detract. The world will little note, norlong remember what we say here, but it can never forget what theydid here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here tothe unfinished work, which they who fought here have thus far sonobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to thegreat task remaining before us. That from these honored dead wetake increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the lastfull measure of devotion. That we here highly resolve that thesedead shall not have died in vain. That this nation, under God,shall have a new birth of freedom and that the Government of thepeople,” Mr. Lincoln stressed the last line of his speech.
“By the people, and for the people, shall notperish from the earth.”
He turned to sit back down to a smattering ofapplause.
Tillie raised her hands to clap. Was he done?Mr. Everett went on for two hours. Mr. Lincoln only twominutes.
“Mr. Lincoln certainly doesn’t mince words,does he?” Father said a chuckle in his voice. “I believe I justheard the shortest speech ever from a politician.”
“James, don’t be disrespectful.” Motherfrowned at him, though her eyes sparkled. “Although, I must say,after Mr. Everett, I expected a bit more.”
“Looks like Mr. Seward is going to speaknow.” Sam pointed to the podium.
Mr. Seward jumped to his feet, as though herealized, as the President seemed not to, the crowd anticipatedmore. He pulled his notes from his pocket and began speaking, butpeople drifted away.
With a sense of anticlimax, Tillie walkedbeside Father. They went to the Pennsylvania section of graves andlooked at the wooden markers naming the men lying beneath.
Many people wandered the gravesites of thevarious other states, perhaps looking for loved ones, perhaps justlooking. Would this be their one and only trip to Gettysburg? Theironly chance to say goodbye to a dear one? She didn’t know, but asher gaze roamed the field, she spied Mrs. Schriver, holding herdaughter’s hands and talking to Beckie at the far end of thePennsylvania section. Sadie waved at Tillie. Tillie smiled andwaved back.
Their terrible row over the petticoat and hermany angry and unkind thoughts toward Beckie pricked herconscience. She never apologized for her part in theirargument.
“Would you all excuse me a moment? Beckie isover talking to Mrs. Schriver, and I need to speak with her.”
They promised to wait for her by the frontgate, and Tillie waved an acknowledging hand as she headed towardBeckie and Mrs. Schriver.
Beckie scowled at Tillie’s approach andaffected to turn away.
Tillie halted, uncertain of the rightness ofher decision. No. Better to apologize than not. She steeled herselfand resumed her pace. “Hello, Mrs. Schriver. Hello, Beckie.”
“How are you, Tillie?” Mrs. Schriver smiled.“It’s been a long time.”
“Yes.” Tillie’s hand found the top ofMollie’s head. “I am sorry for that.” She smiled down at the child,who stared up with enormous blue eyes. “Hello, Mollie.”
“I hear you’ve been working hard at theformer camp hospital.” Mrs. Schriver kept the conversationgoing.
“I did. No nursing duties, but I tried togive the boys some comfort.”
“Aid and comfort—to the enemy Iheard—traitor,” Beckie spat, her hate-filled eyes roamed overTillie. “Traitor.”
“Rebecca!” Mrs. Schriver scowled. “What anerve.”
“That’s all right, Mrs. Schriver.” Tillieheld out a hand palm out to quiet the woman. Tillie stared at herformer friend, challenging her with her eyes. “I came over to say Iowe you an apology. I said terrible things to you. You have a rightto be angry with me.”
“Yes you did, and yes I do.”
“You both said some terrible things to eachother.” Mrs. Schriver nudged her sister’s shoulder.
“That doesn’t matter.” Tillie’s voicesoftened as she addressed Mrs. Schriver. “What matters is I gave into my anger. I’m sorry. Can you forgive me?” She extended her righthand for a truce handshake.
Beckie glared at her, refusing to shake herhand.
A surge of sadness swept over Tillie. Shedropped her hand to her side. “I hollered at you over a sillypetticoat. What I didn’t understand, as I do now, is they weredestroying your home and your father’s livelihood right before hiseyes. I should have understood, and I didn’t, so I judged you. Iwas wrong. Please forgive me.”
Mrs. Schriver gaze bounced between the two ofthem. “Rebecca,” she prompted again when Beckie didn’t answer.
Beckie’s shoulders shot up and down in aquick, indifferent shrug. “Fine.” She walked away.
Pursing her lips, Mrs. Schriver’s face showedher sympathy before she followed her younger sister. She caught up,grabbed Beckie’s shoulder, and turned her around. Mrs. Schriversaid something with force and gestured back toward Tillie. Beckieglanced her way, shook her head, and continued to walk away. Mrs.Schriver let her go, following.
Tillie watched them leave, sending up aprayer for Beckie and her family before rejoining her own by thecemetery gate.
“Well, have you made things new?” Motherwrapped an arm around Tillie when she joined them.
“I tried to.” She inclined her head andshrugged to show her lack of
