the last crumb had vanished, which it speedily did, you may be
sure.
The young ladies had gone into the garden, and while they waited
till Franz 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 amused him very much, and he was never tired of teasing
Jo about her.
“Nicely; she is getting quite mannerly, and begins to see the error
of her wild ways.”
“Don’t the boys encourage her in them?”
“Yes; but I keep talking, and lately she has improved much. You
saw how prettily 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 few months will work wonders.”
Here Mrs. Jo’s remarks were cut short by the appearance of Nan
tearing round the corner at a break-neck pace, driving a
mettlesome team of four boys, and followed by Daisy trundling
Bess in a wheelbarrow. Hat off, hair flying, whip cracking, and
barrow bumping, up they came in a cloud of dust, looking as wild
a set of little hoydens as one would wish to see.
“So, these are the model children, are they? It’s lucky I didn’t bring
Mrs. Curtis out to see your school for the cultivation of morals and
manners; she would never have recovered from the shock of this
spectacle,” said Mr. Laurie, laughing at Mrs. Jo’s premature
rejoicing over Nan’s improvement.
“Laugh away; I’ll succeed yet. As you used to say at College,
quoting some professor, ‘Though the experiment has failed, the
principle remains the same,’ ” said Mrs. Bhaer, joining in the
merriment.
“I’m afraid Nan’s example is taking effect upon Daisy, instead of
the other way. Look at my little princess! she has utterly forgotten
her dignity, and is screaming like the rest. Young ladies, what does
this mean?” and Mr. Laurie rescued his small daughter from
impending destruction, for the four horses were champing their
bits and curvetting madly 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,”
screamed Daisy.
“Hi! go long!” cried the princess, giving such a flourish with her
whip that the horses ran away, and were seen no more.
“My precious child! come away from this ill-mannered crew
before you are quite spoilt. Good-by, Jo! Next time I come, I shall
expect to find the boys making patchwork.”
“It wouldn’t hurt them a bit. I don’t give in, mind you; for my
experiments always fail a few times before they succeed. Love to
Amy and my blessed Marmee,” called Mrs. Jo, as the carriage
drove away; and the last Mr. Laurie saw of her, she was consoling
Daisy for her failure by a ride in the wheelbarrow, and looking as
if she liked it.
Great was the excitement all the week about the repairs in the
carriage-house, which went briskly on in spite of the incessant
questions, advice, and meddling of the boys. Old Gibbs was nearly
driven wild with it all, but managed to do his work nevertheless;
and by Friday night the place was all in order roof mended, shelves
up, walls whitewashed, a great window cut at the back, which let
in a flood of sunshine, and gave them a fine view of the brook, the
meadows, and the distant hills; and over the great door, painted in
red letters, was “The Laurence Museum.”
All Saturday morning the boys were planning how it should be
furnished with their spoils, and when Mr. Laurie arrived, bringing
an aquarium which Mrs. Amy said she was tired of, their rapture
was great.
The afternoon was spent in arranging things, and when the running
and lugging and hammering was over, the ladies were invited to
behold the institution.
It certainly was a pleasant place, airy, clean, and bright. A
hop-vine shook its green bells round the open window, the pretty
aquarium stood in the middle of the room, with some delicate
water plants rising above the water, and gold-fish showing their
brightness as they floated to and fro below. On either side of the