d their father
stern enough.

When their father was so quick at sports and games and could plan such
perfectly splendid holidays, it did seem pretty hard to the Lee children
that he was so often sent away on war duties. But wherever he was, he
found time from his military affairs to write long letters to his
children, and these were so playful and told of so many strange things
that it partly made up for his absence. The neighboring playmates used
to watch for those letters almost as eagerly as the family, and probably
they envied the Lee children sometimes when their father came for a
visit, wearing some new honor or title. For as he was wise and good and
brave, he did not fail to rise higher and higher in rank. His father had
been a general under George Washington and had taught his son that there
is no grander honor for a man than to defend his country. And in order
that Robert should make a fine soldier, he had been trained at West
Point. When he had proved how keen and skilful he was, Abraham Lincoln,
then president of the United States, asked Robert E. Lee, who had become
a general, to take command of all the armies of the Union.

But general Lee was much troubled in his mind. Just then there was
danger of the northern and southern States fighting against each other.
If the people of the different States should really grow so angry that
they came to blows, Lee felt he must stand by Virginia, because that
was his father's State. Indeed, the Lees had lived there since 1642, and
Robert Lee loved every inch of its soil. He felt sad enough when he
found there must be fighting, but he could not accept Lincoln's offer,
so he gave up his high place in the United States Army and took the post
of Major-general among the Virginian soldiers.

Then the Lee family had to do without their father and chum for four
long years. They had grown up by this time, and all their childhood pets
were dead. Grace Darling's place was taken by Traveller, an iron-gray
horse with black points. He was so large and strong it did not seem
possible to tire him out. He carried General Lee all through the Civil
War. He often went cold and hungry, but he loved his master and would
come when he heard the general's whistle or call, no matter how far away
he might be. The soldiers loved Lee, too, and they obeyed his slightest
wish.

The Civil War was long and cruel, as all war is, and at the end Lee had
to yield because his men were starving. But he