"You do not seem very grateful, Gary," said the doctor, who
all this while stood by with an impenetrable countenance.
"Grateful - for what?"
"For your cousin's affection and kindness, which has come here
to look after you."
"I am not grateful," said Preston. "I shall not have her
stay."
"What has brought you here, Preston?" I asked by way of
diversion.
"Me? Powder. It's an infernal invention. If one could fight
with steel, there would be some fun in it. But powder has no
respect of persons."
"How has it hurt you?" I asked. I had somehow never chosen to
put the question to Dr. Sandford; I can hardly tell why. Now
it was time to know. Preston's eye fell on me with sudden
gentleness.
"Daisy, go away," he said. "You have no business here. It is
of all places no place for you. Go away, and don't come
again."
"Dr. Sandford," said I, "will you take me with you and give me
my lesson? That is the first thing. I must earn my right to
the place, it seems."
The doctor looked at me in his turn; I avoided the eye of
Preston. He looked at me in a way not hard to read; quite
agreeing with Preston in wishing me away, but, I saw also,
respecting my qualifications for the work I had come to do. I
saw that he gave me a great reverence on account of it; but
then, Dr. Sandford always gave me more reverence than belonged
to me. I made use of this, and held my advantage. And the
doctor seeing that I was calmly in earnest, even took me at my
word.
We began a progress through the ward; during which every man's
condition was inquired into; wounds examined and dressed; and
course of treatment prescribed. I looked on at first as a mere
spectator; bearing the revelation of pain and suffering with
all the fortitude I could muster; but I found in a little
while that it would overmaster me if I continued an idle
looker-on; and putting aside the attendant nurse at last with
a whisper to which she yielded, I offered myself quietly in
her place to do her work. Dr. Sandford glanced at me then, but
made no remark whatever; suffering me to do my pleasure, and
employing me as if I had been there for a month. He began to
give me directions too. It seemed a long age of feeling and
experience, 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 see
that. He was kind, too; never harsh, though very firm in his
authority and thorough in his business. I could not help an
unconscious admiration for him growing as we went on. That
steady, strong blue eye; what a thing it was for doubt and
fear to rest on. I saw how doubt and fear rested. I thought I
did; though the bearing of all the sufferers there was calm
and self-contained to an admirable degree. It was so, I heard,
with all our soldiers everywhere.