He had read of marches, sieges, conflicts, and he had longed to see it all.

His busy mind had drawn for him large pictures extravagant in color, lurid with breathless deeds.
But his mother had discouraged him.

She had affected to look with some contempt upon the quality of his war ardor and patriotism.

She could calmly seat herself and with no apparent difficulty give him many hundreds of reasons why he was of vastly more importance on the farm than on the field of battle.

She had had certain ways of expression that told him that her statements on the subject came from a deep conviction.