Am I a villain, a poltroon, who will desert his country in the hour of her greatest need?
I do not so understand myself." "Of course I meant any needless exposure," added Mrs.Passford, impressed by the patriotic bearing of her husband.
"You may be assured, Julia, that I will incur no needless peril, and I think I am even more careful than the average of men.

But, when I have a duty to perform, I feel that I ought to do it without regard to the danger which may surround it." "I know you well enough to understand that, Horatio," said the lady.
"I believe there will be danger in my undertaking, though to what extent I am unable to say." "But you do not tell me how you intend to recover Florry." "I intend to go for her and my brother's family in the Bellevite." "In the Bellevite!" exclaimed the lady.
"Of course; there is no other possible way to reach Glenfield," which was the name that Homer Passford had given to his plantation.
"But Fort Morgan, at the entrance of Mobile Bay, is in the hands of the Confederates, and has been for three or four months," said Christy, who had kept himself as thoroughly posted in regard to events at home as the sources of information would permit.
"I am well aware of it; and I have no doubt, that, by this time, the fort is strongly garrisoned, to say nothing of other forts which have probably been built in the vicinity," replied Captain Passford.
"It says in this paper that the ports of the South have been blockaded," said Christy, glancing at the journal in his hand.
"The President has issued a proclamation to this effect, but there has hardly been time to enforce it to any great extent yet.

But of these matters I have nothing to say yet.

The important point now is that I shall go in the Bellevite to Mobile Bay, and by force or strategy I shall bring off my daughter and the family of my brother." "Then I suppose Christy and I are to be sent on shore in the tug alongside," suggested Mrs.Passford.
"That is precisely what I wanted the tug for," added the husband.
"I should be willing to go with you, and share whatever dangers you may incur," said the lady, who had by this time come to a full realization of what war meant.
"I should be a heathen to allow you to do so.

A woman would be more of a burden than a help to us.