Yankee Belles in Dixie Read Online Free PDF Page B

the sound of more than a thousand male voices. They sang “The Old Rugged Cross,” and Jeff thought of the hundreds of times he had sung that song in the little church back home.
    Leah whispered to him when the song was over, “Someday we’ll be back home singing this song again.”
    The song service went on for some time, for the men seemed to love to sing. Then the tall song leader stepped back, and the red-haired chaplain came forward. He had a clear, ringing baritone voice and could be heard distinctly back at the edge of the clearing where Jeff and Leah and Dan Carter stood.
    â€œI’m not going to preach a long-winded sermon,” he began, then smiled as some applause broke out. “You don’t pay me enough for that, but I am glad to bring the gospel to you tonight.” He looked over his congregation for a moment. Then he opened his Bible and read slowly, “ ‘It is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment.’ That’s half of my text. The second half is, ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.’”
    He began to preach, and Jeff found himself caught up in the sermon. The chaplain had the ability to weave stories in with Scripture—going to the Old Testament, then to the New, then illustrating from the lives of famous Christians. All men and women and young people must someday die, he said. If they die unprepared, they perish forever, cut off from God.
    Then he came to the end of his sermon by stressing that Jesus paid it all. “You’ve heard a thousand times that Jesus died for our sins. But now that’s more important for you men than ever before because the day of battle lies ahead.” He looked out over the faces that peered up at him intently. “Some of you will not be here when I preach another sermon. Perhaps
I’ll
not be here. I may be in the presence of God.” He paused. “I’m going to give you the opportunity to know God. If you feel that you’re a sinner and not right with Him, won’t you come and let me pray with you?”
    Jeff felt a stirring in his heart and knew that the sermon was for him. Stubbornly he planted his feet and stared at the ground. He was aware that many soldiers were walking forward. Men were falling ontheir knees at the platform, and when he glanced up he saw the chaplain praying with them.
    But Jeff did nothing, and finally it was time to go.
    Leah knew that Jeff was moved by the sermon, but she said nothing to him, knowing how he hated to be pushed. Later that night, just before she and her father retired, she said, “Pa, I think Jeff needs to find God. He’s real bitter about his father.”
    â€œWe’ll pray for him, Pet. God will hear our prayers.”
    * * *
    Â Â Â The next day, after selling supplies all morning long, Leah’s father said, “Let’s close up and go to the hospital. I want to talk to a few of the boys there.”
    Jeff accompanied them, having nothing else to do, and while they passed up and down the beds, he stood back, saying little. He was thinking,
These men are the enemy. They are the ones that shot my pa
.
    But he watched Leah and her father move from bed to bed. They had already become acquainted with several of the wounded men. They stopped beside one bed where a boy of no more than eighteen lay. He had only one arm and had a bandage about his head. He listened as Leah talked to him. “Why, you’ll be fine. You’ll be going home now, Jesse,” she said, “and your folks will be glad to see you.”
    Mr. Carter had moved on down to another bed, but Jeff stood watching Leah and the wounded soldier.
    â€œWell,” the boy said, “I don’t know.” He lifted his stub of an arm and said, “Don’t reckon I’ll be able to do much with this.”
    â€œCourse