I stood in much perplexity, not resolved what I ought to say
next. Papa took my hand.
"It is not much, to show yourself," he said kindly. "What is
the difficulty, Daisy?"
"You mean, show myself in a fine dress and in a fine assembly,
papa?"
"I don't care about the dress," he answered.
"Yes, but you do, Mr. Randolph," said my mother. "Daisy would
not wear a print, for instance, to the Grand Duke's ball. Your
complexion, Daisy, will take any sort of colour; but rubies
will look especially well on this skin, and pearls." She
touched my face caressingly as she spoke, pushing back the
hair from my temple and then bringing her hand down to take
hold of my chin. "Little fool!" said she laughing - "does it
dismay you?"
"Yes, mamma, - the thought of crossing your pleasure."
"You shall not do that. Good children always obey their
mothers, I am not going to have you settled down on a
plantation at home, east or west, without at least letting the
world see you first."
"Daisy does not want jewels," said my father. "She is too
young."
"One day she will," said mamma; "and an occasion might make it
proper, even now. I hope so; for I want to see the effect."
Mamma went away, with that; and I sat down again by papa's
side. Not to dream over the sunlight on the lake any more; I
was busy with cloudy realities. "Children, obey your parents
in the Lord." Oh, why did duty bid me go contrary to the
pleasure of mine! I would have so gladly pleased them to the
utmost limits of my power. Papa was watching me, though I did
not know it, and presently said very gently, "What is it, Daisy?"
"Papa, I want to please you and mamma so much!"
"And cannot you?"
"Not in this, papa."
"Why? Explain to me. I do not understand your position,
Daisy."
"Papa, I am a servant of Christ; and a servant is bound to do
his Master's will."
"But you are begging the question."
"If you will have patience, papa, I will try to tell you how
it is. You know the Lord said, 'If any man serve me, let him
follow me.' You know how He lived and what He lived for.
Should I be following in his footsteps, when I was dressing
and dancing and talking nonsense or nothings and getting so
tired that I could do nothing but sleep all the next day? And
papa, that is not all. It is so difficult, when one is dressed
to look well and others are dressed in like manner, or for the
same object, I mean, - it is very difficult not to wish to
look well, and to wish to look better than other people, and
to be glad if one does; and then comes the desire for
admiration, and a feeling of pride, and perhaps, emulation of
somebody else; and one comes home with one's head filled with
poor thoughts, and the next day one is fit for nothing. And is
that, following Christ? who went about doing good, who sought
not His own, who was separate from sinners. And He said to His
people, 'Ye are not of the world, even as I am not of the
world.' "