Daisy in the Field

eyes wereclosed as we came up; opened as we paused by his bed-side, andopened very wide indeed as he looked from the doctor to me.

  "How do you do, this morning, Gary?" said my conductor.

  "Confoundedly -" was the somewhat careless answer, made whileexamining my face.

  "You see who has come to look after you?"

  "It isn't Daisy!" he cried.

  "How do you do, Preston?" I said, taking hold of the handwhich lay upon the coverlid. He drew the hand hastily away,half raising himself on his elbow.

  "What have you come here for?" he asked.

  "I have come to take care of you."

  "_You_," said Preston. "In this place! Where is mamma?"

  "Aunt Gary is far away from here. She could not get to you."

  "But you, you were in Switzerland."

  "Not since last May."

  "Lie down, Gary, and take it quietly," said Dr. Sandford,putting his hand on his shoulder. Preston scowled andsubmitted, without taking his eyes from my face.

  "You are not glad to see me?" I asked, feeling his manner alittle awkward.

  "Of course not. You ought not to be in this place. What haveyou got on that rig for?"

  "What rig?"

  "That! I suppose you don't dress so at home, do you? Youdidn't use it. Hey? what is it for?"

  "It is that I may be properly dressed. Home things would beout of place here."

  "Yes; so I think," said Preston; "and you most of all. Whereis Aunt Randolph?"

  "You do not seem very grateful, Gary," said the doctor, whoall this while stood by with an impenetrable countenance.

  "Grateful - for what?"

  "For your cousin's affection and kindness, which has come hereto look after you."

  "I am not grateful," said Preston. "I shall not have herstay."

  "What has brought _you_ here, Preston?" I asked by way ofdiversion.

  "Me? Powder. It's an infernal invention. If one could fightwith steel, there would be some fun in it. But powder has norespect of persons."

  "How has it hurt you?" I asked. I had somehow never chosen toput the question to Dr. Sandford; I can hardly tell why. Nowit was time to know. Preston's eye fell on me with suddengentleness.

  "Daisy, go away," he said. "You have no business here. It isof all places no place for you. Go away, and don't comeagain."

  "Dr. Sandford," said I, "will you take me with you and give memy lesson? That is the first thing. I must earn my right tothe place, it seems."

  The doctor looked at me in his turn; I avoided the eye ofPreston. He looked at me in a way not hard to read; quiteagreeing with Preston in wishing me away, but, I saw also,respecting my qualifications for the work I had come to do. Isaw that he gave me a great reverence on account of it; butthen, Dr. Sandford always gave me more reverence than belongedto me. I made use of this, and held my advantage. And thedoctor seeing that I was calmly in earnest, even took me at myword.

  We began a progress through the ward; during which every man'scondition was inquired into; wounds examined and dressed; andcourse of treatment prescribed. I looked on at first as a merespectator; bearing the revelation of pain and suffering withall the fortitude I could muster; but I found in a littlewhile that it would overmaster me if I continued an idlelooker-on; and putting aside the attendant nurse at last witha whisper to which she yielded, I offered myself quietly inher place to do her work. Dr. Sandford glanced at me then, butmade no remark whatever; suffering me to do my pleasure, andemploying me as if I had been there for a month. He began togive me directions too. It seemed a long age of feeling andexperience, the time while we were passing through the ward;yet Dr. Sandford was extremely quick and quiet in his work,and lost no seconds by unnecessary delay. Even I could seethat. He was kind, too; never harsh, though very firm in hisauthority and thorough in his business. I could not help anunconscious admiration for him growing as we went on. Thatsteady, strong blue eye; what a thing it was for doubt andfear to rest on. I saw how doubt and fear rested. I thought Idid; though the bearing of all the sufferers there was calmand self-contained to an admirable degree. It was so, I heard,with all our soldiers everywhere.

  We came round, last of all, to Preston's couch again; and thedoctor paused. He glanced at me again for the first time in along while. I do not know how I trembled inwardly; outwardly,I am sure, I did not flinch. His eye went to Preston.

  "Do you see, you are to have a better nurse than you deserve?"he said.

  "It is disgusting!" Preston muttered.

  "Some things are," answered the doctor; "not a brave woman, ora gentle man."

  "Send Daisy away from this place. You know she ought not to behere; and you can forbid it."

  "You overstate my power, my friend," said the doctor. "Shallwe see how you are getting along to-day."

  Preston's eye came to me again, silently, with reluctance andregret in it. I was touched more than I chose to show, andmore than it was safe to think about."

  "Does she know?" he asked.

  "She does not know. Your cousin, Miss Randolph, has given oneof his arms for his cherished cause."

  "And one of my legs too," said Preston. "If it would do thecause any good, I would not care; but what good does it do?That's what I don't like about powder."

  I had much ado to stand this communication. The work ofexamining and dressing Preston's wounds, however, immediatelybegan; and in the effort to do my part, as usual, I found thebest relief for overstrained nerves. I think some tears fellupon the bandages; but no word of remark was made by eitherphysician or patient, till the whole business was concluded.Dr. Sandford then carried me off to a nice, warm, comfortableapartment, which he told me I might always hold as my ownwhenever I had time to be there; he seated me in a chair, anda second time poured me out a glass of wine, which he tookfrom a cupboard.

  "I do not drink it," I said, shaking my head.

  "Yes, you do, - to-day."

  "I never drink it," I said. "I cannot touch it, Dr. Sandford."

  "You must take something. What is the matter with the wine? Isit disagreeable to you?"

  "I will not help anybody else drink it," I said, looking athim and forcing a smile; for I was tired and very sick atheart.

  "Nobody will know you take it."

  "Not if I do not take it. They will if I do."

  "Are you going upon that old childish plan of yours?" said thedoctor, sitting down beside me and looking with a wistful kindof tenderness into my face. "Are you bent still upon livingfor other people, Daisy?"

  "You know, the Master I follow did so; and His servants mustbe like him," I said, and I felt my smile was stronger andbrighter this time. Dr. Sandford arose, summoned an attendantand sent him off for a cup of tea for me; then saw me take it.

  "Now," said he, "are you fixed in the plan of devotingyourself to the care of this ungracious cousin?"

  "Of him, and of others," I said.

  "He does not deserve it."

  "Suppose we waited to give people their deserts, Dr.Sandford?"

  "Some people deserve to be allowed to take care of you," saidthe doctor, getting up and beginning to pace up and down thefloor. "They deserve it; and find it hard work; or denied themaltogether."

  "You do take care of me," I said gratefully. "You always did,Dr. Sandford. You are doing it now; and I am thanking you allthe time in my heart."

  "Well," said he abruptly, standing still before me, - "you areone of those who are born to command; and in your case Ialways find I have to obey. This room you will use as youplease; no one will share it with you; and you need aretiring-place for a breath of rest when you can get it. Ishall see you constantly, as I am going out and in; andanything you want you will tell me. But you will not like it,Daisy. You can stand the sight of blood, like other women,whose tenderness makes them strong; but you will not like someother things. You will not like the way you will have to takeyour meals in this place."

  I had finished my cup of tea, and now stood up to let thedoctor take me back to my place beside Presto
n; which he didwithout any more words. And there he left me; and I sat downto consider my work and my surroundings. My cousin hadforgotten his impatience in sleep; and there was a sort oflull in the business of the ward at that hour.

  I found in a few minutes that it was a great comfort to me tobe there. Not since papa's death, had so peaceful a sense offull hands and earnest living crept into my heart. My thoughtsflew once or twice to Mr. Thorold, but I called them back assoon; I could not bear that; while at the same time I felt Iwas nearer to him here than anywhere else. And my thoughtswere very