Daisy In The Field

"Daisy! you are - what is the matter? You are not well - you

are tired," - my guardian exclaimed anxiously, as he came back

to my side with one of the Garibaldi flower bunches.

"I am well - you are mistaken, Dr. Sandford," I made myself

say quietly.

"For which side are you so anxious?" he inquired. "You are

paler than you ought to be, at this moment, with a smile on

your lips. I got this for you - will you scorn it, or value

it?"

"You would not waste it upon me, if you thought I would scorn

it?" I said.

"I don't know. I am not infatuated about anybody. You may have

the bouquet, Daisy. Will you have it?"

I did not want to have it! I was not amusing myself, as many

and as Mrs. Sandford were doing; this was not an interesting

little bit of greens to me, but a handful of pain. I held it,

as one holds such handfuls; till the regiment, which had

halted a little while at Willard's, was ordered forward and

took the turning from Pennsylvania Avenue into the road

leading to Virginia. With that, the whole regiment burst into

song; I do not know what; a deep-voiced grave melody from a

thousand throats, cheering their advance into the quarter of

the enemy and of actual warfare. I forgot Dr. Sandford then,

whose watchful eyes I generally remembered; I ceased to see

the houses or the people before me; for my eyes grew dim with

tears it was impossible to keep back; and I listened to

nothing but that mellow, ominous, sweet, bitter, strain, till

the sound faded away in the distance. Then I found that my

cheeks were wet, and that Mrs. Sandford was wondering.

"This is what it is to have an ear for music!" she said.

"There is positively no possession which does not bring some

inconvenience on the possessor. My dear Daisy, you are in

pain; those were not tears of joy; what did that chant say to

your sensibilities? To mine it only sounded strength, and

victory. If the arms of those - what are they? - that

regiment, - if their arms are only constituted proportionately

to their throats, they must do good fighting. I should think

nothing would stand before them. Daisy, they will certainly

bear down all opposition. Are you afraid? Here is the Fourth,

and Washington safe yet, for all the Southern bluster."

"I do not think you had better try to go to the Capitol," the

doctor put in.

"What, to see the meeting of Congress? Oh, yes, we will. I am

not going to miss it."

"Daisy will not?" he asked.

But Daisy would. I would try every chance. I did not at the

moment care for Congress; my wish was to find Mr. Thorold. At

the review I knew I had little reason to hope for what I

wanted; at the Capitol - after all, what chance there? when

Mr. Thorold was drilling troops from morning till night;

unless he had been already sent out of Washington. But I would

go. If I had dared, I would have expressed a desire to see

some troops drilled. I did not dare.