Bab Bab 11 · UNCLE TEDDY

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Chapter 11. 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 very

wearisome to the active lad, longing to be out enjoying the summer

weather, and especially difficult was it to be patient. But Dan did

his best, and every one helped him in their various ways; so the time

passed, and he was rewarded at last by hearing the doctor say, on

Saturday morning,

“This foot is doing better than I expected. Give the lad the crutch this

afternoon, and let him stump about the house a little.”

“Hooray!” shouted Nat, and raced away to tell the other boys the good

news.

Everybody was very glad, and after dinner the whole flock assembled to

behold Dan crutch himself up and down the hall a few times before he

settled in the porch to hold a sort of levee. He was much pleased at the

interest and good-will shown him, and brightened up more and more every

minute; for the boys came to pay their respects, the little girls fussed

about him with stools and cushions, and Teddy watched over him as if he

was a frail creature unable to do anything for himself. They were still

sitting and standing about the steps, when a carriage stopped at the

gate, a hat was waved from it, and with a shout of “Uncle Teddy! Uncle

Teddy!” Rob scampered down the avenue as fast as his short legs would

carry him. All the boys but Dan ran after him to see who should be

first to open the gate, and in a moment the carriage drove up with boys

swarming all over it, while Uncle Teddy sat laughing in the midst, with

his little daughter on his knee.

“Stop the triumphal car and let Jupiter descend,” he said, and jumping

out ran up the steps to meet Mrs. Bhaer, who stood smiling and clapping

her 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 so

much that I ran away with her, for I was quite pining for a sight of you

myself. 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 not

know 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 golden

hair, dainty dress, and lofty ways, for the little “Princess,” as they

called her, allowed no one to kiss her, but sat smiling down upon them,

and graciously patting their heads with her little, white hands. They

all adored her, especially Rob, who considered her a sort of doll,

and dared not touch her lest she should break, but worshipped her at a

respectful distance, made happy by an occasional mark of favor from her

little highness. As she immediately demanded to see Daisy's kitchen,

she was borne off by Mrs. Jo, with a train of small boys following. The

others, all but Nat and Demi, ran away to the menagerie and gardens

to have all in order; for Mr. Laurie always took a general survey, and

looked disappointed if things were not flourishing.

Standing on the steps, he turned to Dan, saying like an old

acquaintance, 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 woods

where 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 fresh

air will do you good. Get a cushion and a shawl, Demi, and let's carry

Dan 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,” said

Demi, inquisitively.

“We have a way of sending messages to one another, without any words. It

is a great improvement on the telegraph.”

“I know it's eyes; I saw you lift your eyebrows, and nod toward the

carriage, and Mrs. Bhaer laughed and nodded back again,” cried Nat, who

was quite at his ease with kind Mr. Laurie by this time.

“Right. Now them, come on,” and in a minute Dan found himself settled in

the carriage, his foot on a cushion on the seat opposite, nicely

covered with a shawl, which fell down from the upper regions in a most

mysterious manner, just when they wanted it. Demi climbed up to the

box beside Peter, the black coachman. Nat sat next Dan in the place of

honor, 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 so

happy, 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 with

its 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 a

book which make Dan exclaim,

“Oh! by George, isn't that a stunner?” as he turned the leaves, and saw

fine plates of butterflies, and birds, and every sort of interesting

insect, 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's

eager delight, and to hear his exclamations over certain old friends as

he came to them. Nat leaned on his shoulder to look, and Demi turned his

back to the horses, and let his feet dangle inside the carriage, so that

he might join in the conversation.

When they got among the beetles, Mr. Laurie took a curious little object

out 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 the

lads examined the queer stone-bug, that looked so old and gray, he told

them how it came out of the wrappings of a mummy, after lying for ages

in a famous tomb. Finding them interested, he went on to tell about the

Egyptians, and the strange and splendid ruins they have left behind them

the Nile, and how he sailed up the mighty river, with the handsome dark

men to work his boat; how he shot alligators, saw wonderful beasts and

birds; and afterwards crossed the desert on a camel, who pitched him

about 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's

praise worth having, for children are good critics in such cases, and to

suit 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 was

turning 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 playing

wigwam.

“Dan knows lots about them,” added Nat.

“More than I do, I dare say. Tell us something,” and Mr. Laurie looked

as 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 rather

embarrassed 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 was

reeling off all Mr. Hyde had told him, as they sailed down the river

a few weeks before. Mr. Laurie listened well, but found the boy more

interesting than the Indians, for Mrs. Jo had told him about Dan, and

he rather took a fancy to the wild lad, who ran away as he himself

had often longed to do, and who was slowly getting tamed by pain and

patience.

“I've been thinking that it would be a good plan for you fellows to have

a museum of your own; a place in which to collect all the curious and

interesting things that you find, and make, and have given you. Mrs. Jo

is too kind to complain, but it is rather hard for her to have the house

littered up with all sorts of rattletraps, half-a-pint of dor-bugs in

one of her best vases, for instance, a couple of dead bats nailed up in

the back entry, wasps nests tumbling down on people's heads, and stones

lying round everywhere, enough to pave the avenue. There are not many

women who would stand that sort of thing, are there, now?”

As Mr. Laurie spoke with a merry look in his eyes, the boys laughed and

nudged one another, for it was evident that some one told tales out of

school, else how could he know of the existence of these inconvenient

treasures.

“Where can we put them, then?” said Demi, crossing his legs and leaning

down 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 how

you like it. He is to come over on Monday to get it ready; then

next Saturday I shall come out, and we will fix it up, and make the

beginning, at least, of a fine little museum. Every one can bring

his 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, pleasant

work for him now that he can't knock about much.”

“Won't that be jolly?” cried Nat, while Dan smiled all over his face and

had not a word to say, but hugged his book, and looked at Mr. Laurie

as if he thought him one of the greatest public benefactors that ever

blessed 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 the

premises, take a look at the carriage-house, and have a little talk with

Mrs. Jo before I go;” and, having deposited Dan on his sofa to rest and

enjoy his book, Uncle Teddy went off to have a frolic with the lads who

were raging about the place in search of him. Leaving the little girls

to mess up-stairs, Mrs. Bhaer sat down by Dan, and listened to his eager

account of the drive till the flock returned, dusty, warm, and much

excited about the new museum, which every one considered the most

brilliant idea of the age.

“I always wanted to endow some sort of an institution, and I am going to

begin with this,” said Mr. Laurie, sitting down on a stool at Mrs. Jo's

feet.

“You have endowed one already. What do you call this?” and Mrs. Jo

pointed to the happy-faced lads, who had camped upon the floor about

him.

“I call it a very promising Bhaer-garden, and I'm proud to be a member

of 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 be

thanked 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 I

was such a bad one that she isn't done with me yet, though she has been

working 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 she

took me, and I led her such a life, it's a wonder she isn't wrinkled and

gray, 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 stroked

the curly black head at her knee as affectionately as ever, for, in

spite of every thing Teddy was her boy still.

“If it hadn't been for you, there never would have been a Plumfield. It

was 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 'The

Laurence 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 though

they had taken them off on entering the house, according to rule, they

had 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, when

the 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 order

to eat between meals, but, on this joyful occasion, we won't mind, and

have a cookie all round,” said Mrs. Jo; and when the box came she

dealt them out with a liberal hand, every one munching away in a social

circle.

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, returned

with an interesting white parcel, which, being opened, disclosed a

choice collection of beasts, birds, and pretty things cut out of crisp

sugary cake, and baked a lovely brown.

“There's one for each, and a letter to tell which is whose. Grandma and

Hannah made them, and I tremble to think what would have happened to me

if I had forgotten to leave them.”

Then, amid much laughing and fun, the cakes were distributed. A fish for

Dan, a fiddle for Nat, a book for Demi, a monkey for Tommy, a flower for

Daisy, a hoop for Nan, who had driven twice round the triangle without

stopping, 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 drive

the 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 to

get her if I'm not back early,” said Uncle Teddy, when 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 window were rows of shelves ready to

receive the curiosities yet to be found. Dan's tall cabinet stood before

the great door which was fastened up, while the small door was to be

used. On the cabinet stood a queer Indian idol, very ugly, but very

interesting; old Mr. Laurence sent it, as well as a fine Chinese junk in

full sail, which had a conspicuous place on the long table in the middle

of 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, and

was now presented by Mrs. Jo. The walls were decorated with all sorts of

things. A snake's skin, a big wasp's nest, a birch-bark canoe, a string

of birds' eggs, wreaths of gray moss from the South, and a bunch of

cotton-pods. The dead bats had a place, also a large turtle-shell, and

an ostrich-egg proudly presented by Demi, who volunteered to explain

these rare curiosities to guests whenever they liked. There were so many

stones that it was impossible to accept them all, so only a few of the

best were arranged among the shells on the shelves, the rest were piled

up in corners, to be examined by Dan at his leisure.

Every one was eager to give something, even Silas, who sent home for

a stuffed wild-cat killed in his youth. It was rather moth-eaten and

shabby, but on a high bracket and best side foremost the effect was

fine, for the yellow glass eyes glared, and the mouth snarled so

naturally, that Teddy shook in his little shoes at sight of it, when he

came bringing his most cherished treasure, one cocoon, to lay upon the

shrine of science.

“Isn't it beautiful? I'd no idea we had so many curious things. I gave

that; don't it look well? We might make a lot by charging something for

letting folks see it.”

Jack added that last suggestion to the general chatter that went on as

the family viewed the room.

“This is a free museum and if there is any speculating on it I'll paint

out the name over the door,” said Mr. Laurie, turning so quickly that

Jack 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 used

to it,” Mr. Laurie answered, retreating towards the window, meaning to

escape. But she held him fast, and said, laughing as she looked at the

dozen pairs of dirty hands about her,

“If I did lecture, it would on the chemical and cleansing properties of

soap. Come now, as the founder of the institution, you really ought to

give us a few moral remarks, and we will applaud tremendously.”

Seeing that there was no way of escaping, Mr. Laurie looked up at Polly

hanging 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 you

to get some good as well as much pleasure out of this. Just putting

curious or pretty things here won't do it; so suppose you read up about

them, so that when anybody asks questions you can answer them, and

understand the matter. I used to like these things myself, and should

enjoy hearing about them now, for I've forgotten all I once knew. It

wasn'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 week

the rest of you take turns to read a composition, or tell about some

animal, mineral, or vegetable. We should all like that, and I think it

would 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 they

will need books to read up these new subjects, and we have not many,

I fear,” began Mr. Bhaer, looking much pleased, planning many fine

lectures on geology, which he liked. “We should have a library for the

special purpose.”

“Is that a useful sort of book, Dan?” asked Mr. Laurie, pointing to the

volume that lay open by the cabinet.

“Oh, yes! it tells all I want to know about insects. I had it here to

see 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 wrote

Dan's name in it, saying, as he set the book up on one of the corner

shelves, where nothing stood but a stuffed bird without a tail, “There,

that is the beginning of the museum library. I'll hunt up some more

books, and Demi shall keep them in order. Where are those jolly little

books we used to read, Jo? 'Insect Architecture' or some such name, all

about ants having battles, and bees having queens, and crickets eating

holes 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 into

Natural History with a will,” said Mrs. Jo, ready for any thing.

“Won't it be hard to write about such things?” asked Nat, who hated

compositions.

“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 a

girl of thirteen: A conversation between Themistocles, Aristides, and

Pericles on the proposed appropriation of funds of the confederacy of

Delos for the ornamentation of Athens?” said Mrs. Jo.

The boys groaned at the mere sound of the long names, and the gentlemen

laughed 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 made of it, though

she 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. Jo

looked so wicked that every one knew who the little girl was.

Hearing of this fearful subject for a composition quite reconciled

the boys to the thought of writing about familiar things. Wednesday

afternoon was appointed for the lectures, as they preferred to call

them, for some chose to talk instead of write. Mr. Bhaer promised a

portfolio 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 to wash, followed by the

Professor, trying to calm the anxiety of Rob, who had been told by Tommy

that all water was full of invisible pollywogs.

“I like your plan very much, only don't be too generous, Teddy,” said

Mrs. Bhaer, when they were left alone. “You know most of the boys have

got to paddle their own canoes when they leave us, and too much sitting

in the lap of luxury will unfit them for it.”

“I'll be moderate, but do let me amuse myself. I get desperately tired

of business sometimes, and nothing freshens me up like a good frolic

with 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 he

will 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 is

lame, give me a chance to soften and smooth this poor, rough lad, and

make him love us. What did inspire you with such a beautiful, helpful

idea, Teddy?” asked Mrs. Bhaer, glancing back at the pleasant room, as

she turned to leave it.

Laurie took both her hands in his, and answered, with a look that made

her eyes fill with happy tears,

“Dear Jo! I have known what it is to be a motherless boy, and I never

can forget how much you and yours have done for me all these years.”