ears, his shambling gait, his huge feet and hands, his too large mouth and too heavy lower lip.
Some of those characteristics seem true, Belle thought, but I’m sure there is more to the man than that. Despite her preconceived notion to hate him, she saw that his gray eyes were full, deep, penetrating and ineffably tender. Instantly she knew he was not the monster portrayed in the press. He had such infinite wisdom in his face that it would be impossiblefor the most indifferent observer to pass him on the street unnoticed.
“He’s got a mighty heavy load to carry,” the captain whispered, interrupting her thoughts. “And not much help at home, if truth be told.”
Mary Lincoln’s reputation as a shrew in Washington was often documented by her public display of jealousy, but in appearance, she did not seem so. Belle had noticed in the quick glance she had that Mrs. Lincoln was less than medium height, and inclined to plumpness. She had fair skin and masses of brown hair braided about her well-shaped head. When she turned to whisper something to her husband, Belle noted that the lady’s forehead was full and high, her eyes large, and her mouth somewhat thin.
When the service began it was not what Belle expected. She had grown up in the Methodist church in the fires of revival. The religion of the slaves was embodied in an emotional release, and some of their spirited singing and loud “exhorting” had crept into the white church. Belle may also have been influenced by George Whitfield and John Wesley, who were better suited to the warm country than to the North.
In any case, Belle had a typical Methodist disdain for Presbyterian churches, having heard others dismiss them as “high church.” She joined in the singing, which, to her, seemed dull and listless after the lively worship she was used to at camp meetings. And when the pastor got up to preach, dressed in a robe and speaking in well-modulated tones, she felt that the reputation of the Presbyterians was well earned.
The pastor was not a large man, and he spoke quietly at first. He welcomed the guests to the services, not mentioning the President at all, then began his sermon by announcing his text.
“This morning, we will consider the words of Hagar in Genesis sixteen and focus on the thirteenth verse, which says, ‘Thou God seest me.’ ”
Belle followed the story in the Bible the captain sharedwith her, remembering more of the story as the preacher gave a brief summary. “You will recall,” he continued, “that Abraham and Sarah had been promised a child, though they were both old. Somehow they lost sight of God’s promise and Sarah proposed that Abraham have a child by Hagar, her handmaid. Abraham consented, and the child was born. But as we have read, Sarah grew to hate the young girl Hagar, and Abraham finally told her, ‘Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face. And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water . . . in the way to Shur.’ ”
Belle lifted her eyes to the preacher, wondering what sort of a sermon he could get from that. He seemed to look directly at her as he said, “God gave Hagar a promise, and when He did, she gave God a name, a very strange name—Thou God seest me. It is this name and this truth that I would like us to receive today. For each of us has this God that Hagar saw, and we may all say with her in fear and in love, ‘Thou God seest me.’ ”
He began to speak of the omnipresence of God, and although it was a truth that Belle had rarely considered, she began to grow restive as the pastor drew illustrations both from the Bible and from life. “When Adam and Eve were in the garden, God saw them . . . When Moses struck the Egyptian, God was watching . . . Though Daniel may have felt alone when he prayed at the risk of his life, God’s eye was on him.”
Then he began to speak of evil-doers in this same manner.
Some of those characteristics seem true, Belle thought, but I’m sure there is more to the man than that. Despite her preconceived notion to hate him, she saw that his gray eyes were full, deep, penetrating and ineffably tender. Instantly she knew he was not the monster portrayed in the press. He had such infinite wisdom in his face that it would be impossiblefor the most indifferent observer to pass him on the street unnoticed.
“He’s got a mighty heavy load to carry,” the captain whispered, interrupting her thoughts. “And not much help at home, if truth be told.”
Mary Lincoln’s reputation as a shrew in Washington was often documented by her public display of jealousy, but in appearance, she did not seem so. Belle had noticed in the quick glance she had that Mrs. Lincoln was less than medium height, and inclined to plumpness. She had fair skin and masses of brown hair braided about her well-shaped head. When she turned to whisper something to her husband, Belle noted that the lady’s forehead was full and high, her eyes large, and her mouth somewhat thin.
When the service began it was not what Belle expected. She had grown up in the Methodist church in the fires of revival. The religion of the slaves was embodied in an emotional release, and some of their spirited singing and loud “exhorting” had crept into the white church. Belle may also have been influenced by George Whitfield and John Wesley, who were better suited to the warm country than to the North.
In any case, Belle had a typical Methodist disdain for Presbyterian churches, having heard others dismiss them as “high church.” She joined in the singing, which, to her, seemed dull and listless after the lively worship she was used to at camp meetings. And when the pastor got up to preach, dressed in a robe and speaking in well-modulated tones, she felt that the reputation of the Presbyterians was well earned.
The pastor was not a large man, and he spoke quietly at first. He welcomed the guests to the services, not mentioning the President at all, then began his sermon by announcing his text.
“This morning, we will consider the words of Hagar in Genesis sixteen and focus on the thirteenth verse, which says, ‘Thou God seest me.’ ”
Belle followed the story in the Bible the captain sharedwith her, remembering more of the story as the preacher gave a brief summary. “You will recall,” he continued, “that Abraham and Sarah had been promised a child, though they were both old. Somehow they lost sight of God’s promise and Sarah proposed that Abraham have a child by Hagar, her handmaid. Abraham consented, and the child was born. But as we have read, Sarah grew to hate the young girl Hagar, and Abraham finally told her, ‘Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face. And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water . . . in the way to Shur.’ ”
Belle lifted her eyes to the preacher, wondering what sort of a sermon he could get from that. He seemed to look directly at her as he said, “God gave Hagar a promise, and when He did, she gave God a name, a very strange name—Thou God seest me. It is this name and this truth that I would like us to receive today. For each of us has this God that Hagar saw, and we may all say with her in fear and in love, ‘Thou God seest me.’ ”
He began to speak of the omnipresence of God, and although it was a truth that Belle had rarely considered, she began to grow restive as the pastor drew illustrations both from the Bible and from life. “When Adam and Eve were in the garden, God saw them . . . When Moses struck the Egyptian, God was watching . . . Though Daniel may have felt alone when he prayed at the risk of his life, God’s eye was on him.”
Then he began to speak of evil-doers in this same manner.
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