One early spring day, the Woodlawns hear a whistle signaling that the Little Steamer has arrived. The family gets a letter occasionally in the winter via sledge, but the Little Steamer brings a season's worth of mail and news from the outside. The family has a pile of letters to send out on the steamer, including one addressed to Miss Annabelle Grey in Boston. The steamer also will bring supplies such as sugar and coffee.
Johnny takes the children to the river to watch the Little Steamer come in. The skipper comes ashore with the momentous news that General Lee has surrendered and the Civil War is over. The excitement of this news overshadows the pile of mail and papers that have arrived for Harriet from Boston, but the family.....
