CHAPTER XI. UNCLE TEDDY
For a week Dan only moved from bed to sofa; a long week and a hard one,for the hurt foot was very painful at times, the quiet days were verywearisome to the active lad, longing to be out enjoying the summerweather, and especially difficult was it to be patient. But Dan didhis best, and every one helped him in their various ways; so the timepassed, and he was rewarded at last by hearing the doctor say, onSaturday morning,
"This foot is doing better than I expected. Give the lad the crutch thisafternoon, and let him stump about the house a little."
"Hooray!" shouted Nat, and raced away to tell the other boys the goodnews.
Everybody was very glad, and after dinner the whole flock assembled tobehold Dan crutch himself up and down the hall a few times before hesettled in the porch to hold a sort of levee. He was much pleased at theinterest and good-will shown him, and brightened up more and more everyminute; for the boys came to pay their respects, the little girls fussedabout him with stools and cushions, and Teddy watched over him as if hewas a frail creature unable to do anything for himself. They were stillsitting and standing about the steps, when a carriage stopped at thegate, a hat was waved from it, and with a shout of "Uncle Teddy! UncleTeddy!" Rob scampered down the avenue as fast as his short legs wouldcarry him. All he boys but Dan ran after him to see who should befirst to open the gate, and in a moment the carriage drove up with boysswarming all over it, while Uncle Teddy sat laughing in the midst, withhis little daughter on his knee.
"Stop the triumphal car and let Jupiter descend," he said, and jumpingout ran up the steps to meet Mrs. Bhaer, who stood smiling and clappingher hands like a girl.
"How goes it, Teddy?"
"All right, Jo."
Then they shook hands, and Mr. Laurie put Bess into her aunt's arms,saying, as the child hugged her tight, "Goldilocks wanted to see you somuch that I ran away with her, for I was quite pining for a sight of youmyself. We want to play with your boys for an hour or so, and to see how'the old woman who lived in a shoe, and had so many children she did notknow what to do,' is getting on."
"I'm so glad! Play away, and don't get into mischief," answered Mrs.Jo, as the lads crowded round the pretty child, admiring her long goldenhair, dainty dress, and lofty ways, for the little "Princess," as theycalled her, allowed no one to kiss her, but sat smiling down upon them,and graciously patting their heads with her little, white hands. Theyall adored her, especially Rob, who considered her a sort of doll,and dared not touch her lest she should break, but worshipped her at arespectful distance, made happy by an occasional mark of favor from herlittle highness. As she immediately demanded to see Daisy's kitchen,she was borne off by Mrs. Jo, with a train of small boys following. Theothers, all but Nat and Demi, ran away to the menagerie and gardensto have all in order; for Mr. Laurie always took a general survey, andlooked disappointed if things were not flourishing.
Standing on the steps, he turned to Dan, saying like an oldacquaintance, though he had only seen him once or twice before,
"How is the foot?"
"Better, sir."
"Rather tired of the house, aren't you?"
"Guess I am!" and Dan's eyes roved away to the green hills and woodswhere he longed to be.
"Suppose we take a little turn before the others come back? That big,easy carriage will be quite safe and comfortable, and a breath of freshair will do you good. Get a cushion and a shawl, Demi, and let's carryDan off."
The boys thought it a capital joke, and Dan looked delighted, but asked,with an unexpected burst of virtue,
"Will Mrs. Bhaer like it?"
"Oh, yes; we settled all that a minute ago."
"You didn't say any thing about it, so I don't see how you could," saidDemi, inquisitively.
"We have a way of sending messages to one another, without any words. Itis a great improvement on the telegraph."
"I know it's eyes; I saw you lift your eyebrows, and nod toward thecarriage, and Mrs. Bhaer laughed and nodded back again," cried Nat, whowas quite at his ease with kind Mr. Laurie by this time.
"Right. Now them, come on," and in a minute Dan found himself settled inthe carriage, his foot on a cushion on the seat opposite, nicelycovered with a shawl, which fell down from the upper regions in a mostmysterious manner, just when they wanted it. Demi climbed up to thebox beside Peter, the black coachman. Nat sat next Dan in the place ofhonor, while Uncle Teddy would sit opposite, to take care of the foot,he said, but really that he might study the faces before him both sohappy, yet so different, for Dan's was square, and brown, and strong,while Nat's was long, and fair, and rather weak, but very amiable withits mild eyes and good forehead.
"By the way, I've got a book somewhere here that you may like to see,"said the oldest boy of the party, diving under the seat and producing abook which make Dan exclaim,
"Oh! by George, isn't that a stunner?" as he turned the leaves, and sawfine plates of butterflies, and birds, and every sort of interestinginsect, colored like life. He was so charmed that he forgot his thanks,but Mr. Laurie did not mind, and was quite satisfied to see the boy'seager delight, and to hear this exclamations over certain old friends ashe came to them. Nat leaned on his shoulder to look, and Demi turned hisback to the horses, and let his feet dangle inside the carriage, so thathe might join in the conversation.
When they got among the beetles, Mr. Laurie took a curious little objectout of his vest-pocket, and laying it in the palm of his hand, said,
"There's a beetle that is thousands of years old;" and then, while thelads examined the queer stone-bug, that looked so old and gray, he toldthem how it came out of the wrappings of a mummy, after lying for agesin a famous tomb. Finding them interested, he went on to tell about theEgyptians, and the strange and splendid ruins they have left behind themthe Nile, and how he sailed up the mighty river, with the handsome darkmen to work his boat; how he shot alligators, saw wonderful beasts andbirds; and afterwards crossed the desert on a camel, who pitched himabout like a ship in a storm.
"Uncle Teddy tells stories 'most as well as Grandpa," said Demi,approvingly, when the tale was done, and the boys' eyes asked for more.
"Thank you," said Mr. Laurie, quite soberly, for he considered Demi'spraise worth having, for children are good critics in such cases, and tosuit them is an accomplishment that any one may be proud of.
"Here's another trifle or two that I tucked into my pocket as I wasturning over my traps to see if I had any thing that would amuse Dan,"and Uncle Teddy produced a fine arrow-head and a string of wampum.
"Oh! tell about the Indians," cried Demi, who was fond of playingwigwam.
"Dan knows lots about them," added Nat.
"More than I do, I dare say. Tell us something," and Mr. Laurie lookedas interested as the other two.
"Mr. Hyde told me; he's been among 'em, and can talk their talk,and likes 'em," began Dan, flattered by their attention, but ratherembarrassed by having a grown-up listener.
"What is wampum for?" asked curious Demi, from his perch.
The others asked questions likewise, and, before he knew it, Dan wasreeling off all Mr. Hyde had told him, as they sailed down the rivera few weeks before. Mr. Laurie listened well, but found the boy moreinteresting than the Indians, for Mrs. Jo had told him about Dan, andhe rather took a fancy to the wild lad, who ran away as he himselfhad often longed to do, and who was slowly getting tamed by pain andpatience.
"I've been thinking that it would be a good plan for you fellows to havea museum of your own; a place in which to collect all the curious andinteresting things that you find, and make, and have given you. Mrs. Jois too kind to complain, but it is rather hard for her to have the houselittered up with all sorts of rattletraps, half-a-pint of dor-bugs inone of her best vases, for instance, a couple of dead bats nailed up inthe back entry, wasps nests tumbling down on people's heads, and stoneslying round everywhere, enough to pave the avenue. There are not manywomen who would stand that sort of thing, are there, now?"
As Mr. Laurie spoke with a merry look in his eyes, the boys laughed andnudged one another, for it was evident that some one told tales out ofschool, else how could he know of the existence of these inconvenienttreasures.
"Where can we put them, then?" said Demi, crossing his legs and leaningdown to argue the question.
"In the old carriage-house."
"But it leaks, and there isn't any window, nor any place to put things,and it's all dust and cobwebs," began Nat.
"Wait till Gibbs and I have touched it up a bit, and then see howyou like it. He is to come over on Monday to get it ready; thennext Saturday I shall come out, and we will fix it up, and make thebeginning, at least, of a fine little museum. Every one can bringhis things, and have a place for them; and Dan is to be the head man,because he knows most about such matters, and it will be quiet, pleasantwork for him now that he can't knock about much."
"Won't that be jolly?" cried Nat, while Dan smiled all over his face andhad not a word to say, but hugged his book, and looked at Mr. Laurieas if he thought him one of the greatest public benefactors that everblessed the world.
"Shall I go round again, sir?" asked Peter, as they came to the gate,after two slow turns about the half-mile triangle.
"No, we must be prudent, else we can't come again. I must go over thepremises, take a look at the carriage-house, and have a little talk withMrs. Jo before I go;" and, having deposited Dan on his sofa to rest andenjoy his book, Uncle Teddy went off to have a frolic with the lads whowere raging about the place in search of him. Leaving the little girlsto mess up-stairs, Mrs. Bhaer sat down by Dan, and listened to his eageraccount of the drive till the flock returned, dusty, warm, and muchexcited about the new museum, which every one considered the mostbrilliant idea of the age.
"I always wanted to endow some sort of an institution, and I am going tobegin with this," said Mr. Laurie, sitting down on a stool at Mrs. Jo'sfeet.
"You have endowed one already. What do you call this?" and Mrs. Jopointed to the happy-faced lads, who had camped upon the floor abouthim.
"I call it a very promising Bhaer-garden, and I'm proud to be a memberof it. Did you know I was the head boy in this school?" he asked,turning to Dan, and changing the subject skilfully, for he hated to bethanked for the generous things he did.
"I thought Franz was!" answered Dan, wondering what the man meant.
"Oh, dear no! I'm the first boy Mrs. Jo ever had to take care of, and Iwas such a bad one that she isn't done with me yet, though she has beenworking at me for years and years."
"How old she must be!" said Nat, innocently.
"She began early, you see. Poor thing! she was only fifteen when shetook me, and I led her such a life, it's a wonder she isn't wrinkled andgray, and quite worn out," and Mr. Laurie looked up at her laughing.
"Don't Teddy; I won't have you abuse yourself so;" and Mrs. Jo strokedthe curly black head at her knee as affectionately as ever, for, inspite of every thing Teddy was her boy still.
"If it hadn't been for you, there never would have been a Plumfield. Itwas my success with you, sir, that gave me courage to try my pet plan.So the boys may thank you for it, and name the new institution 'TheLaurence Museum,' in honor of its founder, won't we, boys?" she added,looking very like the lively Jo of old times.
"We will! we will!" shouted the boys, throwing up their hats, for thoughthey had taken them off on entering the house, according to rule, theyhad been in too much of a hurry to hang them up.