Susan Warner

“ Sandford replied.
But Nora had her own thoughts.
"Daisy, how shall I be dressed?" she inquired, when Daisy was disrobed of her magnificence and at leisure to talk.
"I don't know. O, in some nice way," said Daisy, getting into her corner of the couch again.
"Yes, but shall I—shall Jane and I have bracelets, and a girdle, and something on our heads too?"
"No, I suppose not. The queen of course is most dressed, Nora; you know she must be."
"I should like to have one dress," said Nora. "I am not anything at all. All the fun is in the dress. You are to have four dresses." ”

“ But Daisy offered no words that required obedience, except those she read out of the Book; and Molly listened to them as if it had been the voice of an angel. She was learning to read herself; really learning: making advances every day that shewed diligent interest; and the interest was fed by those words she daily listened to out of the same book. Daisy had got a large-print Testament for her at Crum Elbow; and a new life had begun for the cripple. The rose-bush and the geranium flourished brilliantly, for the frosts had not come yet ”

“ Daisy looked now.
"Aunt Felicia wants me to get up some tableaux."
"Some what?" said Daisy.
"Tableaux. Tableaux vivants. Pictures, Daisy; made with living people."
"What do you mean, Preston?"
"Why we will choose some pictures, some of the prettiest pictures we can find; and then we will dress up people to represent all the figures, and place them just as the figures are grouped in the engraving; and then they look like a most beautiful large painted picture."
"But pictures do not move?"
"No more do the people. They hold still and do not stir, any more than if they were not real." ”

“ And if Daisy was engaged with her subject, so certainly was Molly. She did not stir hand or foot; she sat listening movelessly to the story, which came with such loving truthfulness from the lips of her childish teacher. A teacher exactly fitted, however, to the scholar; Molly's poor closed-up mind could best receive any truth in the way a child's mind would offer it; but in this truth, the undoubting utterance of Daisy's love and belief won entrance for her words where another utterance might not. Faith is always catching. ”

“ Mr. Randolph wrapped his arms round her and stooped his head to hear the story which Daisy was obliged to give. She gave it fully, and he heard it quite through in silence. And he made no observation upon it when it was finished; he only asked her,
"Was there no resentment in your refusal of thanks to your aunt just now?"
"No, papa"—said Daisy; with too sweet and artless utterance for him to doubt her.
"But then, Daisy, we come back to the cause of your mother's displeasure. Good breeding requires that people should not be rude, even by silence." ”

“ Sandford wound a long shawl skilfully around her, bringing it into beautiful folds like those in Sir Joshua Reynolds' painting; then she put a boy's cap, turned the wrong way, on her head, to do duty for a helmet, and fixed a nodding plume of feathers in it. Daisy then was placed in the attitude of the picture, and the whole little assembly shouted with delight.
"It will do, Mrs. Sandford," said Preston.
"Isn't it pretty?" said the lady.
"And Daisy does it admirably," said Theresa. "You are a fairy at dressing, Mrs. Sandford; your fingers are better than a fairy's wand. ”

“ This was a simple dressing, however, of a white cambrick frock; no finery, seeing that Daisy was to put on and off various things in the course of the evening. But Daisy felt a little afraid of herself. The perfected arrangements and preparations of the last few days had, she feared, got into her head a little; and when June had done and was sent away, Daisy kneeled down by her bedside and prayed a good while that God would help her not to please herself and keep her from caring about dress and appearance and people's flatteries. ”

“ Daisy, let Lewis get Loupe home, and you come here and ride with me. Come! I want you."
Truly Daisy wanted nothing else. She left rose bush and watering pot, chaise and pony, to Lewis's management, and gladly let the doctor take her up beside him. She liked to drive with him; he had a fine horse and went fast; and there were other reasons.
Now they drove off in fine style; fast, over the good roads; whisked by Melbourne, sped away along south, catching glimpses of the river from time to time, with the hills on the further side hazily blue and indistinct with the September haze of sunbeams. ”

“ Molly Skelton! The Bible does not mean that we ought to go and make visits to such horrid people as that."
"You said you would like it if you were in her place," observed Daisy, "and I know I should. I thought so when you told me."
"But, Daisy, she is wicked!"
"Well, Jesus loves wicked people," said Daisy calmly. "Maybe she will wear a white robe in heaven, and have a crown of gold upon her head."
"Daisy!—she is wicked," exclaimed Nora indignantly. "Wicked people do not go to heaven."
"Yes, but if Jesus gives them his white robe, they do," said Daisy. "He came to save wicked people." ”

“ They were Logan and Sam; James was devoted to his own particular charge.
"Why where are Nora and Ella?" Daisy suddenly exclaimed.
"Everybody seems to have gone on," answered the doctor. "Except the boys. Now Daisy, are you comfortable? is it all right?"
"It is nice, Dr. Sandford!"—But at the same time Daisy wondered much and grieved not a little that her companions should have left her to go alone. Was that kindness? or good manners?
"Did they know which way I was going?" she said.
"I fancy so," said the doctor; "they have done as everybody else does—gone with the crowd. ”

“ Do you like, is it possible that you can like, dirt and vulgarity?"
"I don't think I do," Daisy said gently; "but Preston, I like the poor people."
"You do!" said Preston. "Then it is manifest that you cannot like me." And he dashed spurs into his horse and sprung away, with a grace and life that kept Daisy looking after him in admiration, and a plain mood of displeasure which cast its shadow all over her spirit.
"Here is the trowel, Miss Daisy."
Her messenger had come back, and Daisy recalled to the business in hand took up her reins again and drove on; but she felt deeply grieved. ”

“ Logan was sure to set a thing down in the wrong place, if he set it anywhere; and even James was confused in such a very novel state of his department. Daisy found exercise for all her wisdom, and full content came with full employment, naturally.
You can make pleasure out of almost anything, if you set about it. In the intervals she rested, and watched the distant figures of the fishing party on the island; and gladdened herself with the beauty and the sweet air of the wood, and the flecks of sunshine and moving shadow on the ground beneath the trees. ”

“ She shewed it now, poor child; how could she help it? she shewed it by her unusually tinged cheeks and by her persistent down-looking eyes. It was very difficult indeed to help it; for if she ventured to look at Alexander she caught impertinent little winks,—most unlike John Alden or any Puritan,—which he could execute with impunity because his face was mostly turned from the audience; but which Daisy took in full.
"Lift your eyes, Daisy! your eyes! Priscilla was too much astonished not to look at her lover. You may be even a little indignant, if you choose. ”

“ Daisy considered that. What "vocation" meant, she did not know, nor who was "the prisoner of the Lord," nor what that could mean; but yet she caught at something of the sense. "Walk worthy," she understood that; and guessed what "vocation" stood for. Ay! that was just it, and that was just what Daisy was not doing. The next words, too, were plain enough.
"With all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love."
"Forbearing one another"—easy to read, how hard to do! Mrs. Gary's image was very ugly yet to Daisy. Could she speak pleasantly to her aunt? ”

“ The grunt was of pure question, in answer to this speech. Molly did not understand. Daisy stooped down to face her on more equal terms.
"There is a great King up in heaven, who loves you, Molly. He loves you so well that he died for you. And if you love him, he will take you there when you die and give you a white robe and a crown of gold, and make you blessed." ”

“ Daisy's face was very lowly; and very touching was the way she bent her little head and passed her hand across her eyes. It was the gesture of penitent gentleness.
"Tell me some more, Juanita."
"Let the Lord speak," said the black woman turning over her well used Bible. "See, Miss Daisy—'Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own—'"
"I was puffed up," said Daisy, "because I was to wear those beautiful things. I will let Nora wear them. I was seeking my own, all the time, Juanita. ”

“ Randolph came.
"Mamma," said Daisy, "do you know anything about my Egyptian spoon?"
"Do you want it, Daisy?"
"O yes, mamma! I do. June cannot find it. Do you know where it is?"
"Yes—it is not a thing for a child like you, Daisy, and I let your aunt Gary have it. She wanted it for her collection. I will get you anything else you like in place of it."
"But mamma, I told aunt Gary she could not have it. She asked me, and I told her she could not have it."
"I have told her she might, Daisy. Something else will give you more pleasure. You are not an ungenerous child." ”

“ Daisy, we will not mind him."
"I must," said Daisy, meekly. "But you can go without me, if you want to."
"Nonsense, dear little Daisy! you are not obliged to do what everybody says," her cousin urged. "Dr. Sandford has no more business to say what you shall do than what I shall do. I will not let him rule you so. Come! we will go try for the pickerel. Go, Nora and Ella, run away with the baskets to the boat. Come, Daisy, come!"
"No, Preston, I cannot." ”

“ You could see the faintest tinge of a smile of pleasure on the lips of both Mr. and Mrs. Randolph; they were silent, but all the rest of the people cheered and openly declared their delight. Daisy stood like a rock. Her mouth never gave way; not even when Dolce, conceiving that all this cheering called upon him to do something, rose up and looking right into Daisy's face wagged his tail in the blandest manner of congratulation. Daisy did not wince; and an energetic "Down, Dolce, down!"—brought the St. Bernard to his position again, in the very meekness of strength ”

“ It was very small, unpainted and dreary-looking, having a narrow courtyard between it and the road. As the gig was very slowly going past, Daisy uttered an exclamation, the first word she had uttered in a long while.
"O Dr. Sandford!—what is that? Something is the matter!"
"No," said the doctor coolly, "nothing is the matter—more than usual."
"But a woman was on her hands and knees on the ground? wasn't it a woman?"
"Yes. She cannot move about in any other way. She is a cripple."
"She cannot stand up?" said Daisy, looking distressed and horrified.
"No. She has no use of her lower limbs. ”

“ Sandford, Daisy," said her father.
"Papa," said the child, "it isn't play. The devil tries to make people do wrong—and if they try to do right, then there is a—"
"A what?"
"I don't know—a fight, papa."
Mr. Randolph again felt a tremor, a nervous trembling, pass over Daisy.
"You do not suppose, my darling," he said softly, "that such a fight goes on with anything like this horrible figure that your cousin Preston has made himself?" ”

“ By a skilful placing and shielding of the lamps, the lights were thrown broadly where they ought to be, on faces and draperies, leaving the gauze wings of the angel in such obscurity that they just shewed as it was desired they should. The effect was extremely good, and even artistic. The little angel herself was not in full light; it was through a shade of gloom that her grave face of concern looked down upon the game on the chess-board. Truly Daisy looked concerned and grave. ”

“ Who else would even try to win her to a knowledge of the Bible and Bible joys? and how would that poor ignorant mortal ever get out of the darkness into the light? Daisy did not know how to give her up; yet she could not go on. The sweet rose on the top of her little rose tree mocked her, with kindness undone and good not attempted. Daisy sat still, confounded at this new barrier her mother's will had put in her way.
Wheels came rapidly coursing along the road in front of her, and in a moment Dr. Sandford's gig had whirled past the cottage and bore down the hill. ”

“ Black whiskers and a round face sometimes have that kind of look. "Mustn't be cast down! No need. Everybody gets a tumble from horseback once or twice in his life. I've had it seven times. Not pleasant; but it don't hurt you much, nine times in ten."
"Hush, Mr. Sandford," said his wife. "Daisy cannot feel about it just as you do."
"Never been thrown yet herself, eh! Give her one of those peaches, my dear—she will like that better than meats to-day. Eat one of my red-cheeked peaches, Daisy; and tell me whether you have any so good at Melbourne. I don't believe it."
Daisy peeled her peach. ”

“ What use to ask her such a thing as leave to go to the cripple's cottage? No use at all, Daisy knew. The request alone would probably move displeasure. Every look at her mother's face settled this conviction more and more deeply in Daisy's mind; and she ended by giving up the subject. There was no hope. She could do nothing for any poor person, she was sure, under her mother's permission, beyond carrying soup and jelly in her pony chaise and maybe going in to give it. And that was not much; and there were very few poor people around Melbourne that wanted just that sort of attention. ”

“ It was needful to hold on now indeed, for this gait jolted the chair a good deal; but it got over the ground, and Daisy found it excessively amusing. They passed the thick-standing tree stems in quick succession now; the rocks uprising from the side of the path were left behind one after another; they reached the sharp bend in the road; and keeping up the swinging trot with a steadiness which shewed good wind on the part of both the chair-bearers, at last the little house where Sam had been left hove in view. Time it was; full time. ”