Little Women. Луиза Мэй Олкотт

be private and proper.«

      »I’m afraid he’ll laugh at our paper, and make fun of us afterward,« observed Pickwick, pulling the little curl on her forehead, as she always did when doubtful.

      Up rose Snodgrass, very much in earnest. »Sir, I give you my word as a gentleman, Laurie won’t do anything of the sort. He likes to write, and he’ll give a tone to our contributions and keep us from being sentimental, don’t you see? We can do so little for him, and he does so much for us, I think the least we can do is to offer him a place here, and make him welcome if he comes.«

      This artful allusion to benefits conferred brought Tupman to his feet, looking as if he had quite made up his mind.

      »Yes; we ought to do it, even if we are afraid. I say he may come, and his grandpa, too, if he likes.«

      This spirited burst from Beth electrified the club, and Jo left her seat to shake hands approvingly. »Now then, vote again. Everybody remember it’s our Laurie, and say, ›Aye!‹« cried Snodgrass excitedly.

      »Aye! Aye! Aye!« replied three voices at once.

      »Good! Bless you! Now, as there’s nothing like ›taking time by the fetlock‹, as Winkle characteristically observes, allow me to present the new member.« And, to the dismay of the rest of the club, Jo threw open the door of the closet, and displayed Laurie sitting on a rag bag, flushed and twinkling with suppressed laughter.

      »You rogue! You traitor! Jo, how could you?« cried the three girls, as Snodgrass led her friend triumphantly forth, and producing both a chair and a badge, installed him in a jiffy.

      »The coolness of you two rascals is amazing,« began Mr. Pickwick, trying to get up an awful frown and only succeeding in producing an amiable smile. But the new member was equal to the occasion, and rising, with a grateful salutation to the Chair, said in the most engaging manner, »Mr. President and ladies—I beg pardon, gentlemen—allow me to introduce myself as Sam Weller, the very humble servant of the club.«

      »Good! Good!« cried Jo, pounding with the handle of the old warming pan on which she leaned.

      »My faithful friend and noble patron,« continued Laurie with a wave of the hand, »who has so flatteringly presented me, is not to be blamed for the base stratagem of tonight. I planned it, and she only gave in after lots of teasing.«

      »Come now, don’t lay it all on yourself. You know I proposed the cupboard,« broke in Snodgrass, who was enjoying the joke amazingly.

      »Never mind what she says. I’m the wretch that did it, sir,« said the new member, with a Welleresque nod to Mr. Pickwick. »But on my honor, I never will do so again, and henceforth devote myself to the interest of this immortal club.«

      »Hear! Hear!« cried Jo, clashing the lid of the warming pan like a cymbal.

      »Go on, go on!« added Winkle and Tupman, while the President bowed benignly.

      »I merely wish to say, that as a slight token of my gratitude for the honor done me, and as a means of promoting friendly relations between adjoining nations, I have set up a post office in the hedge in the lower corner of the garden, a fine, spacious building with padlocks on the doors and every convenience for the mails, also the females, if I may be allowed the expression. It’s the old martin house, but I’ve stopped up the door and made the roof open, so it will hold all sorts of things, and save our valuable time. Letters, manuscripts, books, and bundles can be passed in there, and as each nation has a key, it will be uncommonly nice, I fancy. Allow me to present the club key, and with many thanks for your favor, take my seat.«

      Great applause as Mr. Weller deposited a little key on the table and subsided, the warming pan clashed and waved wildly, and it was some time before order could be restored. A long discussion followed, and everyone came out surprising, for everyone did her best. So it was an unusually lively meeting, and did not adjourn till a late hour, when it broke up with three shrill cheers for the new member.

      No one ever regretted the admittance of Sam Weller, for a more devoted, well-behaved, and jovial member no club could have. He certainly did add ›spirit‹ to the meetings, and ›a tone‹ to the paper, for his orations convulsed his hearers and his contributions were excellent, being patriotic, classical, comical, or dramatic, but never sentimental. Jo regarded them as worthy of Bacon, Milton, or Shakespeare, and remodeled her own works with good effect, she thought.

      The P. O. was a capital little institution, and flourished wonderfully, for nearly as many queer things passed through it as through the real post office. Tragedies and cravats, poetry and pickles, garden seeds and long letters, music and gingerbread, rubbers, invitations, scoldings, and puppies. The old gentleman liked the fun, and amused himself by sending odd bundles, mysterious messages, and funny telegrams, and his gardener, who was smitten with Hannah’s charms, actually sent a love letter to Jo’s care. How they laughed when the secret came out, never dreaming how many love letters that little post office would hold in the years to come.