Papa assented, and he read; while I turned my face to the
window again, and listened to Farragut's guns and looked at
Lebanon. What a strange hour it was! There was hope at work
and rejoicing; but it shook me. And the calmness of the
everlasting hills and the mingled sweetnesses of the air, came
in upon the fever of my heart with cooling and quieting power.
The sea grew a deeper blue as I listened and looked; the
mountains - what words can tell the mantle of their own purple
that enfolded them as the evening came on; and the snowy
heights of Sunnin and Kunisyeh grew rosy. I looked and I drank
it in; and I could not fear for the future.
I believe I had fallen into a great reverie, during which Mr.
Dinwiddie ended his reading and left the room. It was papa's
touch on my shoulder that roused me. He had come to my side.
"Are you happy, Daisy?" was his question.
"Papa? -" I said in bewilderment.
"Your face was as calm as if you had nothing to think about."
"I had been thinking, papa. I was thinking, I believe."
"Does this strange news make you happy?"
"Oh, no, papa; not that."
"What then?"
"Something that is no news, and that never can grow old, papa.
The mountains and the sea were just reminding me of it."
"You mean - what? You speak riddles, Daisy."
"Papa, you would give me everything good for me, if you
could."
He kissed me fondly.
"I would, my child. Whether I can, or no, that troubles me by
its uncertainty."
"Papa, my Father in heaven can, and will. There is no doubt
about His power. And so there is no uncertainty."
"Daisy! -" said papa, looking at me in a strange way.
"Yes, papa, I mean it. Papa, you know it is true."
"I know you deserve all I can give you," he said, taking my
face in his two hands and looking into it. "Daisy - is there
anybody in the world that loves you as well as I do?"
That was a little too much, to bring up my heart in words in
that manner. In spite of my composure, which I thought so
strong, I was very near bursting into tears. I believe my face
flushed and then grew pale with the struggle. Papa took me in
his arms.
"You shall have no trouble that I can shield you from," he
said tenderly. "I will put nothing between you and this young
man if he is worthy of you, Daisy. I will pat nothing. But
others may. My power reaches only a certain distance."
"Papa -" I began, but I could not say what I would.