"I do not think, mamma, that I want to have my own way."
"Of course, when you have it. That is what such people always
say. They don't want to have their own, way. I do not want to
have mine, either."
"Is not Dr. Sandford attending to our affairs for us, mamma?"
"I do not know. Your father trusted him, unaccountably. I do
not know what he is doing."
"He will certainly do anything that can be done for us, mamma;
I am persuaded of that. And he knows how."
"Is it for your sake, Daisy?" mamma said suddenly, and with a
glitter in her eye which boded confusion to the doctor.
"I do not know, mamma," I said quietly. "He was always very
good and very kind to me."
"I suppose you are not quite a fool," she said, calming down a
little. "And a Yankee doctor would hardly lose his senses
enough to fall in love with you. Though I believe the Yankees
are the most impudent nation upon the earth. I wish Butler
could be hanged! I should like to know that was done before I
die."
I fled from this turn of the talk always.
It was true, however brought about I do not know, that Dr.
Sandford had been for some time kindly bestirring himself to
look after our interests at home, which the distressed state
of the country had of course greatly imperilled. I was not
aware that papa had been at any time seriously concerned about
them; however, it soon appeared that mamma had reason enough
now for being ill at ease. In the South, war and war
preparations had so far superseded the usual employments of
men, that next to nothing could be looked for in place of the
ordinary large crops and ample revenues. And Melbourne had
been let, indeed, for a good rent; but there was some trouble
about collecting the rent; and if collected, it belonged to
Ransom. Ransom was in the Southern army, fighting no doubt his
best, and mamma would not have scrupled to use his money; but
Dr. Sandford scrupled to send it without authority. He urged
mamma to come home, where he said she could be better taken
care of than alone in distant Switzerland. He proposed that
she should reoccupy Melbourne, and let him farm the ground for
her until Ransom should be able to look after it. Mamma and
Aunt Gary had many talks on the subject. I said as little as I
could.
"It is almost as bad with me," said my aunt Gary, one of these
times. "Only I do not want much."
"I do," said mamma. "And if one must live as one has not been
accustomed to live, I would rather it should be where I am
unknown."
"You are not unknown here, my dear sister!"