Little Men

by Louisa May Alcott

  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.

  "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."