Christian Science -- Fiction; People with disabilities -- Fiction
Carolina, although working hard all of every day and often far into some
nights, was happier than she had ever been in her life. She was free
from the persecutions of Colonel Yancey at last. Little Gladys was now
perfectly healed and as active as other children. Moultrie was proving
a most eager and progressive student of Christian Science, and, while
most of his narrowness and astonishing ignorance was still painfully in
evidence at times when discussions of import took place, yet Carolina
held faithfully to the thought that perfect harmony must result in time,
and that such a fine mind as he naturally possessed must yield to the
enlightenment which most men inherit. Instead of this, however,
Moultrie La Grange inherited prejudices which had dwarfed and hampered
his mental and spiritual advancement, and which mere friends overlooked.
But to Carolina, who loved him, they were heart-breaking. It was as
impossible to discuss history with most of her relatives as to expect
them to speak Chinese. In the country schools they used a history which
described the Civil War as a series of rebel victories, and the outcome
of the war was not accounted for in any way. Carolina, in reading the
book at Moultrie’s request, wondered if the pupils, after a study of its
facts, did not question the sanity of Gen. Robert E. Lee for
surrendering a victorious and a gloriously successful army to a
conquered and outnumbered foe, simply because General Grant asked him
to. When she handed the history back to Moultrie, Carolina said, sadly:
"I wonder what you will say when I tell you that my dear father, who was
as loyal a Southerner as ever lived, and who entered the Confederate
army when he was only sixteen years old, was engaged at the time of his
death in an elaborate life of Abraham Lincoln, whom he regarded as the
best friend the South ever had, and the noblest patriot America ever
produced!"
The young man’s face flushed with feeling, but he was too wise to
express his bitter disagreement with Carolina’s views.
But she knew how he felt and that, unless he deliberately determined to
open his mind to the truth in every way, that she never could bring
herself to marry him, and thus court discord in her daily life.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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