Little Men (Little Women 2)

"I'm as hungry as a bear, can't I have a cookie?" asked Mr. Laurie, whenthe shout subsided and he had expressed his thanks by a splendid bow.

"Trot out and ask Asia for the gingerbread-box, Demi. It isn't in orderto eat between meals, but, on this joyful occasion, we won't mind, andhave a cookie all round," said Mrs. Jo; and when the box came shedealt them out with a liberal hand, every one munching away in a socialcircle.

Suddenly, in the midst of a bite, Mr. Laurie cried out, "Bless my heart,I forgot grandma's bundle!" and running out to the carriage, returnedwith an interesting white parcel, which, being opened, disclosed achoice collection of beasts, birds, and pretty things cut out of crispsugary cake, and baked a lovely brown.

"There's one for each, and a letter to tell which is whose. Grandma andHannah made them, and I tremble to think what would have happened to meif I had forgotten to leave them."

Then, amid much laughing and fun, the cakes were distributed. A fish forDan, a fiddle for Nat, a book for Demi, a money for Tommy, a flower forDaisy, a hoop for Nan, who had driven twice round the triangle withoutstopping, a star for Emil, who put on airs because he studied astronomy,and, best of all, an omnibus for Franz, whose great delight was to drivethe family bus. Stuffy got a fat pig, and the little folks had birds,and cats, and rabbits, with black currant eyes.

"Now I must go. Where is my Goldilocks? Mamma will come flying out toget her if I'm not back early," said Uncle Teddy, when the last crumbhad vanished, which it speedily did, you may be sure.

The young ladies had gone into the garden, and while they waited tillFranz looked them up, Jo and Laurie stood at the door talking together.

"How does little Giddy-gaddy come on?" he asked, for Nan's pranks amusedhim very much, and he was never tired of teasing Jo about her.

"Nicely; she is getting quite mannerly, and begins to see the error ofher wild ways."

"Don't the boys encourage her in them?"

"Yes; but I keep talking, and lately she has improved much. You saw howprettily she shook hands with you, and how gentle she was with Bess.Daisy's example has its effect upon her, and I'm quite sure that a fewmonths will work wonders."

Here Mrs. Jo's remarks were cut short by the appearance of Nan tearinground the corner at a break-neck pace, driving a mettlesome team of fourboys, and followed by Daisy trundling Bess in a wheelbarrow. Hat off,hair flying, whip cracking, and barrow bumping, up they came in a cloudof dust, looking as wild a set of little hoydens as one would wish tosee.

"So, these are the model children, are they? It's lucky I didn't bringMrs. Curtis out to see your school for the cultivation of moralsand manners; she would never have recovered from the shock of thisspectacle," said Mr. Laurie, laughing at Mrs. Jo's premature rejoicingover Nan's improvement.

"Laugh away; I'll succeed yet. As you used to say at College, quotingsome professor, 'Though the experiment has failed, the principle remainsthe same,'" said Mrs. Bhaer, joining in the merriment.

"I'm afraid Nan's example is taking effect upon Daisy, instead of theother way. Look at my little princess! she has utterly forgotten herdignity, and is screaming like the rest. Young ladies, what doesthis mean?" and Mr. Laurie rescued his small daughter from impendingdestruction, for the four horses were champing their bits and curvettingmadly all about her, as she sat brandishing a great whip in both hands.

"We're having a race, and I beat," shouted Nan.

"I could have run faster, only I was afraid of spilling Bess," screamedDaisy.

"Hi! go long!" cried the princess, giving such a flourish with her whipthat the horses ran away, and were seen no more.

"My precious child! come away from this ill-mannered crew before you arequite spoilt. Good-by, Jo! Next time I come, I shall expect to find theboys making patchwork."

"It wouldn't hurt them a bit. I don't give in, mind you; for myexperiments always fail a few times before they succeed. Love to Amy andmy blessed Marmee," called Mrs. Jo, as the carriage drove away; and thelast Mr. Laurie saw of her, she was consoling Daisy for her failure by aride in the wheelbarrow, and looking as if she liked it.

Great was the excitement all the week about the repairs in thecarriage-house, which went briskly on in spite of the incessantquestions, advice, and meddling of the boys. Old Gibbs was nearly drivenwild with it all, but managed to do his work nevertheless; and byFriday night the place was all in order roof mended, shelves up, wallswhitewashed, a great window cut at the back, which let in a flood ofsunshine, and gave them a fine view of the brook, the meadows, and thed

istant hills; and over the great door, painted in red letters, was "TheLaurence Museum."

All Saturday morning the boys were planning how it should be furnishedwith their spoils, and when Mr. Laurie arrived, bringing an aquariumwhich Mrs. Amy said she was tired of, their rapture was great.

The afternoon was spent in arranging things, and when the running andlugging and hammering was over, the ladies were invited to behold theinstitution.

It certainly was a pleasant place, airy, clean, and bright. A hop-vineshook its green bells round the open window, the pretty aquarium stoodin the middle of the room, with some delicate water plants rising abovethe water, and gold-fish showing their brightness as they floated to andfro below. On either side of the window were rows of shelves ready toreceive the curiosities yet to be found. Dan's tall cabinet stood beforethe great door which was fastened up, while the small door was to beused. On the cabinet stood a queer Indian idol, very ugly, but veryinteresting; old Mr. Laurence sent it, as well as a fine Chinese junk infull sail, which had a conspicuous place on the long table in the middleof the room. Above, swinging in a loop, and looking as if she was alive,hung Polly, who died at an advanced age, had been carefully stuffed, andwas no presented by Mrs. Jo. The walls were decorated with all sorts ofthings. A snake's skin, a big wasp's nest, a birch-bark canoe, a stringof birds' eggs, wreaths of gray moss from the South, and a bunch ofcotton-pods. The dead bats had a place, also a large turtle-shell, andan ostrich-egg proudly presented by Demi, who volunteered to explainthese rare curiosities to guests whenever they liked. There were so manystones that it was impossible to accept them all, so only a few of thebest were arranged among the shells on the shelves, the rest were piledup in corners, to be examined by Dan at his leisure.

Every one was eager to give something, even Silas, who sent home fora stuffed wild-cat killed in his youth. It was rather moth-eaten andshabby, but on a high bracket and best side foremost the effect wasfine, for the yellow glass eyes glared, and the mouth snarled sonaturally, that Teddy shook in his little shoes at sight of it, when hecame bringing his most cherished treasure, one cocoon, to lay upon theshrine of science.

"Isn't it beautiful? I'd no idea we had so many curious things. I gavethat; don't it look well? We might make a lot by charging something forletting folks see it."

Jack added that last suggestion to the general chatter that went on asthe family viewed the room.

"This is a free museum and if there is any speculating on it I'll paintout the name over the door," said Mr. Laurie, turning so quickly thatJack wished he had held his tongue.

"Hear! hear!" cried Mr. Bhaer.

"Speech! speech!" added Mrs. Jo.

"Can't, I'm too bashful. You give them a lecture yourself you are usedto it," Mr. Laurie answered, retreating towards the window, meaning toescape. But she held him fast, and said, laughing as she looked at thedozen pairs of dirty hands about her,

"If I did lecture, it would on the chemical and cleansing properties ofsoap. Come now, as the founder of the institution, you really ought togive us a few moral remarks, and we will applaud tremendously."

Seeing that there was no way of escaping, Mr. Laurie looked up at Pollyhanging overhead, seemed to find inspiration in the brilliant old bird,and sitting down upon the table, said, in his pleasant way,

"There is one thing I'd like to suggest, boys, and that is, I want youto get some good as well as much pleasure out of this. Just puttingcurious or pretty things here won't do it; so suppose you read up aboutthem, so that when anybody asks questions you can answer them, andunderstand the matter. I used to like these things myself, and shouldenjoy hearing about them now, for I've forgotten all I once knew. Itwasn't much, was it, Jo? Here's Dan now, full of stories about birds,and bugs, and so on; let him take care of the museum, and once a weekthe rest of you take turns to read a composition, or tell about someanimal, mineral, or vegetable. We should all like that, and I think itwould put considerable useful knowledge into our heads. What do you say,Professor?"

"I like it much, and will give the lads all the help I can. But theywill need books to read up these new subjects, and we have not many,I fear," began Mr. Bhaer, looking much pleased, planning many finelectures on geology, which he liked. "We should have a library for thespecial purpose."

"Is that a useful sort of book, Dan?" asked Mr. Laurie, pointing to thevolume that lay open by the cabinet.

"Oh, yes! it tells all I want to know about insects. I had it here tosee how to fix the butterflies right. I covered it, so it is not hurt;"and Dan caught it up, fearing the lender might think him careless.

"Give it here a minute;" and, pulling out his pencil, Mr. Laurie wroteDan's name in it, saying, as he set the book up on one of the cornershelves, where nothing stood but a stuffed bird without a tail, "There,that is the beginning of the museum library. I'll hunt up some morebooks, and Demi shall keep them in order. Where are those jolly littlebooks we used to read, Jo? 'Insect Architecture' or some such name, allabout ants having battles, and bees having queens, and crickets eatingholes in our clothes and stealing milk, and larks of that sort."

"In the garret at home. I'll have them sent out, and we will plunge intoNatural History with a will," said Mrs. Jo, ready for any thing.

"Won't it be hard to write about such things?" asked Nat, who hatedcompositions.

"At first, perhaps; but you will soon like it. If you think that hard,how would you like to have this subject given to you, as it was to agirl of thirteen: A conversation between Themistocles, Aristides, andPericles on the proposed appropriation of funds of the confederacy ofDelos for the ornamentation of Athens?" said Mrs. Jo.

The boys groaned at the mere sound of the long names, and the gentlemenlaughed at the absurdity of the lesson.

"Did she write it?" asked Demi, in an awe-stricken tone.

"Yes, but you can imagine what a piece of work she make of it, thoughshe was rather a bright child."

"I'd like to have seen it," said Mr. Bhaer.

"Perhaps I can find it for you; I went to school with her," and Mrs. Jolooked so wicked that every one knew who the little girl was.

Hearing of this fearful subject for a composition quite reconciledthe boys to the thought of writing about familiar things. Wednesdayafternoon was appointed for the lectures, as they preferred to callthem, for some chose to talk instead of write. Mr. Bhaer promised aportfolio in which the written productions should be kept, and Mrs.Bhaer said she would attend the course with great pleasure.

Then the dirty-handed society went off the wash, followed by theProfessor, trying to calm the anxiety of Rob, who had been told by Tommythat all water was full of invisible pollywogs.

"I like your plan very much, only don't be too generous, Teddy," saidMrs. Bhaer, when they were left alone. "You know most of the boys havegot to paddle their own canoes when they leave us, and too much sittingin the lap of luxury will unfit them for it."

"I'll be moderate, but do let me amuse myself. I get desperately tiredof business sometimes, and nothing freshens me up like a good frolicwith your boys. I like that Dan very much, Jo. He isn't demonstrative;but he has the eye of a hawk, and when you have tamed him a little hewill do you credit."

"I'm so glad you think so. Thank you very much for your kindness to him,especially for this museum affair; it will keep him happy while he islame, give me a chance to soften and smooth this poor, rough lad, andmake him love us. What did inspire you with such a beautiful, helpfulidea, Teddy?" asked Mrs. Bhaer, glancing back at the pleasant room, asshe turned to leave it.

Laurie took both her hands in his, and answered, with a look that madeher eyes fill with happy tears,

"Dear Jo! I have known what it is to be a motherless boy, and I nevercan forget how much you and yours have done for me all these years."