United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Fiction
"Miss Baron feels very remorseful that she has not been to see you
before," said Dr. Ackley, "but her labors yesterday were so many and
varied that she had to rest. She will do better by you to-day."
Waldo could only reach his hand feebly toward her in welcome. She took
the brown, shapely hand in both of hers and it made her sad to feel how
cold and limp it was. "But a few hours ago," she thought, "it was
striking blows with a heavy sabre."--"I have brought you some strong,
hot soup," she said gently, "and shall bring it every two hours. You'll
be very good and take it from me, won't you?"
He laughed as he nodded assent.
"When can I begin to read to him, doctor, to help him pass the time?"
"Perhaps to-morrow if he does well, but never more than a few minutes
together until I permit. Slow and sure, Waldo, slow and sure are my
orders, and you are too good a soldier to disobey."
He shook his head mischievously and whispered "Insubordinate."
The doctor nodded portentously and said, "If you and Miss Baron don't
obey orders I'll put you both under arrest."
This seemed to amuse the young fellow immensely and he was about to
speak again, but the surgeon put his finger to his lips and departed.
As she was feeding him with eyes full of gentle commiseration his lips
framed the words, "You can talk to me."
She scarcely knew how to do this. There were questions she was eager to
ask, for his strange, exuberant happiness under the circumstances were
hard to understand, even after Dr. Ackley's explanation. She had never
seen religion produce any such results. Uncle Lusthah seemed to her
very sincere and greatly sustained in his faith, but he had always been
to her a sorrowful, plaintive figure, mourning for lost kindred whom
slavery had scattered. Like the ancient prophets also, his heart was
ever burdened by the waywardness of the people whom he exhorted and
warned. In young Waldo appeared a joyousness which nothing could
quench. From the moment she obtained a clew to his unexpected behavior,
everything in his manner accorded with the surgeon's explanation. In
his boyish face and expression there was not a trace of the fanatical
or abnormal. He seemed to think of Heaven as he did of his own home,
and the thought of going to the one inspired much the same feeling as
returning to the other.
"Well," said Miss Lou, after a little hesitancy, "it is a pleasure to
wait on one who is so brave and cheerful. It makes me feel ashamed of
worrying over my troubles."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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