Daisy In The Field

She searched my face before she answered.

"How come you to be so strong, and so young, and so - well, so

unlike all this sort of thing? - Have you ever, no you never

have, seen much of sickness and death, and that?"

"No; not much."

"But you look as calm as a field of white clover. I beg your

pardon, my dear; it's like you. And you ain't one of the India

rubber sort, neither. I am glad you ain't, too; I don't think

that sort is fit to be nurses or anything else."

She looked at me inquiringly.

"Miss Yates," I said, "I love Jesus. I am a servant of Christ.

I like to do whatever my Lord gives me to do."

"Oh!" said she. "Well I ain't. I sometimes wish I was. But it

comes handy now, for there's a man down there - he ain't a

going to live, and he knows it, and he's kind o' worried about

it; and I can't say nothing to him. Maybe you can. I've

written his letters for him, and all that; but he's just

uneasy."

I asked, and she told me, which bed held this sick man, who

would soon be a dying one. I walked slowly down the ward,

thinking of this new burden of life-work that was laid upon me

and how to meet it. My very heart sank. I was so helpless. And

rose too; for I remembered that our Redeemer is strong. What

could I do?

I stood by the man's side. He was thirsty and I gave him

lemonade. His eye met mine as his lips left the cup; an eye of

unrest.

"Are you comfortable?" I asked.

"As much as I can be." - It was a restless answer.

"Can't you think of Jesus, and rest?" I asked, bending over

him. His eye darted to mine with a strange expression of

inquiry and pain; but it was all the answer he made.

"There is rest at His feet for all who trust in Him; - rest in

His arms for all who love Him."

"I am not the one or the other," he said shortly.

"But you may be."

"I reckon not, - at this time of day," he said.

"Any time of day will do," I said tenderly.

"I guess not," said he. "One cannot do anything lying here -

and I sha'n't lie here much longer, either. There's no time

now to do anything."

"There is nothing to do, dear friend, but to give your heart

and trust to the Lord who died for you - who loves you - who

invites you - who will wash away your sins for His own sake,

in His own blood, which He shed for you. Jesus has died for

you; you shall not die, if you will put your trust in Him."