"
"So you went to see her?"
"I have never spoken much to her, papa. But I went inside of her gate
one day, and saw her trying to take care of some poor flowers; so then I
thought, maybe, if I took her a nice little rose-bush, she might like
it."
"And then like you? Well--you tried the experiment?"
"No, papa. I did get a rose-bush from Logan and he told me how to plant
it; and I was on my way to the cottage and had almost got there; and
then I recollected mamma had said I must not speak to anybody without
her leave."
"So you came home?"
"Yes, papa. No, papa, I went to ride with Dr. Sandford."
"Have you asked leave of your mother?"
"No, papa,"--said Daisy, in a tone of voice which sufficiently expressed
that she did not intend it.
"So my dear little Daisy," said her father drawing his arm round her a
little more closely--"you think a rose-bush would serve instead of
friends to make this poor creature happy?"
"O no, papa!"
"What was the purpose of it, then?"
"Only--to get her to like me, papa."
"What were _you_ going to do to make her happy?"
"Papa, if you lived in such a place, in such a way, wouldn't you like to
have a friend come and see you sometimes?"
"Certainly!--if you were the friend."
"I thought--by and by--she might learn to like it," Daisy said in the
most sedately meek way possible. Her father could not forbear a smile.
"But Daisy, from what you tell me, I am at a loss to understand the part
that all this could have had in _your_ happiness.
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