more tender admiration than he had ever given her as a girl.
“I’m a faded old woman, but I’m a very happy one; so don’t pity
me, Teddy;” and she glanced about the room with eyes full of a
sincere content.
“Yes, your plan seems to work better and better every year,” he
said, with an emphatic nod of approval toward the cheery scene
before him.
“How can it fail to work well when I have so much help from you
all?” answered Mrs. Jo, looking gratefully at her most generous
patron.
“It is the best joke of the family, this school of yours and its
success. So unlike the future we planned for you, and yet so suited
to you after all. It was a regular inspiration, Jo,” said Laurie,
dodging her thanks as usual.
“Ah! but you laughed at it in the beginning, and still make all
manner of fun of me and my inspirations. Didn’t you predict that
having girls with the boys would be a dead failure? Now see how
well it works;” and she pointed to the happy group of lads and
lassies dancing, singing, and chattering together with every sign of
kindly good fellowship.
“I give in, and when my Goldilocks is old enough I’ll send her to
you. Can I say more than that?”
“I shall be so proud to have your little treasure trusted to me. But
really, Teddy, the effect of these girls has been excellent. I know
you will laugh at me, but I don’t mind, I’m used to it; so I’ll tell you
that one of my favorite fancies is to look at my family as a small
world, to watch the progress of my little men, and, lately, to see
how well the influence of my little women works upon them.
Daisy is the domestic element, and they all feel the charm of her
quiet, womanly ways. Nan is the restless, energetic, strong-minded
one; they admire her courage, and give her a fair chance to work
out her will, seeing that she has sympathy as well as strength, and
the power to do much in their small world. Your Bess is the lady,
full of natural refinement, grace, and beauty. She polishes them
unconsciously, and fills her place as any lovely woman may, using
her gentle influence to lift and hold them above the coarse, rough
things of life, and keep them gentlemen in the best sense of the
fine old word.”
“It is not always the ladies who do that best, Jo. It is sometimes the
strong brave woman who stirs up the boy and makes a man of
him;” and Laurie bowed to her with a significant laugh.
“No; I think the graceful woman, whom the boy you allude to
married, has done more for him than the wild Nan of his youth; or,
better still, the wise, motherly woman who watched over him, as
Daisy watches over Demi, did more to make him what he is;” and
Jo turned toward her mother, who sat a little apart with Meg,
looking so full of the sweet dignity and beauty of old age, that
Laurie gave her a glance of filial respect and love as he replied, in
serious earnest,
“All three did much for him, and I can understand how well these
little girls will help your lads.”
“Not more than the lads help them; it is mutual, I assure you. Nat
does much for Daisy with his music; Dan can manage Nan better
than any of us; and Demi teaches your Goldilocks so easily and
well that Fritz calls them Roger Ascham and Lady Jane Grey. Dear
me! if men and women would only trust, understand, and help one
another as my children do, what a capital place the world would
be!” and Mrs. Jo’s eyes grew absent, as if she was looking at a new
and charming state of society in which people lived as happily and
innocently as her flock at Plumfield.
“You are doing your best to help on the good time, my dear.
Continue to believe in it, to work for it, and to prove its possibility
by the success of her small experiment,” said Mr. March, pausing