FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134  
135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   >>   >|  
doctor showing me, as he said, not wonderful things but new things, and taking means to amuse me. And every day for several days I had a drive. Sometimes we went to the country, sometimes got out and examined something in the city. There was a soothing relief in it all, and in the watchful care taken of me at home, and the absence of mathematics and philosophy. All day when not driving or at meals, I lay on Mrs. Sandford's sofa or curled myself up in the depth of a great easy-chair, and turned over her books; or studied my own blue book which I had picked up in the car, and which was so little I had Margaret to make a big pocket in my frock to hold it. But this life was not to last. A few days was all Mrs. Sandford had to spend in Washington. The place I liked best to go to was the Capitol. Several times Dr. Sandford took me there, and showed me the various great rooms, and paintings, and smaller rooms with their beautiful adornments; and I watched the workmen at work; for the renewing of the building was not yet finished. As long as he had time to spare, Dr. Sandford let me amuse myself as I would; and often got me into talks which refreshed me more than anything. Still, though I was soothed, my trouble at heart was not gone. One day we were sitting looking at the pictures in the great vestibule, when Dr. Sandford suddenly started a subject which put the Capitol out of my head. "Daisy," said he, "was it your wish or Margaret's, that she should go North with you?" "Hers," I said, startled. "Then it is not yours particularly." "Yes, it is, Dr. Sandford, _very_ particularly." "How is that?" said he. I hesitated. I shrank from the whole subject; it was so extremely sore to me. "I ought to warn you," he went on, "that if you take her further, she may, if she likes, leave you, and claim her freedom. That is the law. If her owner takes her into the free States, she may remain in them if she will, whether he does or not." I was silent still, for the whole thing choked me. I was quite willing she should have her freedom, get it any way she could; but there was my father, and his pleasure and interest, which might not choose to lose a piece of his property; and my mother and _her_ interest and pleasure; I knew what both would be. I was dumb. "You had not thought of this before?" the doctor went on. "No, sir." "Does it not change your mind about taking her on?" "No, sir." "Did it ever occur to y
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134  
135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Sandford
 

pleasure

 

Capitol

 

freedom

 

Margaret

 
doctor
 
interest
 

subject

 
things
 

taking


vestibule

 

extremely

 
started
 

suddenly

 
shrank
 

sitting

 
pictures
 
startled
 

hesitated

 

mother


property

 

choose

 

thought

 

change

 

father

 

States

 

remain

 

silent

 

choked

 

adornments


turned

 
curled
 

driving

 

pocket

 

picked

 
studied
 

philosophy

 
mathematics
 

Sometimes

 
country

showing
 

wonderful

 
examined
 
absence
 

watchful

 

relief

 
soothing
 

finished

 
renewing
 

building