Daisy In The Field

"But Daisy!" she said suddenly - "the other army -

Beauregard's - they will be here directly to take Washington,

if all this is true; and it must be true; or that soldier

would not have been out there in the rain. They will be coming

here directly, Daisy. And, bless me! how wicked I am! You are

standing there, patient and pale, and you have had no

breakfast. Come here and let me give you some coffee. Grant

said he would be down to dinner perhaps; and how angry he

would be."

We drank cups of coffee, but I do not think either of us broke

bread.

That was a weary day. All the day long new groups were forming

and dispersing in the street, telling and talking over the

news; groups of all sorts. Soldiers discoursing to audiences

like the one in the morning; knots of officers; twos and

threes of business men; debating, inquiring, discussing; all

under the dark rain, all with downcast faces and dispirited

bearing. Late in the day Major Fairbairn called. He somewhat

reassured us. The carnage was not so great; the loss not so

tremendous, as we had at first been told; the damage done not

so absolutely overwhelming.

"Then you do not think Beauregard will come and take

Washington?" Mrs. Sandford asked.

"I don't know!" the major said, with a smile. "He must be

quick about it, or it will be too late."

"But is this a final settling of the question, Major

Fairbairn?" I inquired. "That is what I want to know."

"We have been whipped," he said, looking at me.

"Yes, I know; but the North - will they take this as a

settlement of the question?"

"The North!" echoed the Major. "Will they give up, you mean?

Not just yet! The Government does not feel like it. Do you?"

"I am so ignorant -" I answered.

"You must be, - pardon my saying so. Not at all. The sting of

the whip will make us move faster. Orders are issued already

for the reinforcement and reorganisation of the army. General

McClellan is to take command here; and we will get things upon

a new basis."

"Is McClellan the man we want?" Mrs. Sandford inquired.

"I cannot say. If he is not, we will wait for another."

"You are very cool, Major Fairbairn!" said the lady.

"It is the best plan, in July."

"But it is very hard to keep cool."

The major smiled and looked at me.

"What has Patterson been doing all this while?" I asked.

Smiles died out of the major's face.

"He has kept cool," he said. "Easy - when a man never was

warm."

"And you think, major," said Mrs. Sandford, "you really think

that the truth is not so bad as it has been reported. Why, Mr.

May was positive the rebels would come and take Washington.

You think there has not been such dreadful loss of life after

all?".