Jo's Boys - Bibliotecadigital.puc-campinas.edu.br

Chapter 3 30much obliged,' continued the unabashed visitor as he tripped over the door-mat.'She is about sixty, born in Nova Zembla, married just forty years ago today, and has eleven daughters.Anything else, sir?' And Ted's sober face was such a funny contrast to his ridiculous reply that the reporterowned himself routed, and retired laughing just as a lady followed by three beaming girls came up the steps.'We are all the way from Oshkosh, and couldn't go home without seein' dear Aunt Jo. My girls just admire herworks, and lot on gettin' a sight of her. I know it's early; but we are goin' to see Holmes and Longfeller, andthe rest of the celebrities, so we ran out here fust thing. Mrs Erastus Kingsbury Parmalee, of Oshkosh, tell her.We don't mind waitin'; we can look round a spell if she ain't ready to see folks yet.'All this was uttered with such rapidity that Ted could only stand gazing at the buxom damsels, who fixed theirsix blue eyes upon him so beseechingly that his native gallantry made it impossible to deny them a civil replyat least.'Mrs Bhaer is not visible today--out just now, I believe; but you can see the house and grounds if you like,' hemurmured, falling back as the four pressed in gazing rapturously about them.'Oh, thank you! Sweet, pretty place I'm sure! That's where she writes, ain't it? Do tell me if that's her picture!Looks just as I imagined her!'With these remarks the ladies paused before a fine engraving of the Hon. Mrs Norton, with a pen in her handand a rapt expression of countenance, likewise a diadem and pearl necklace.Keeping his gravity with an effort, Teddy pointed to a very bad portrait of Mrs Jo, which hung behind thedoor, and afforded her much amusement, it was so dismal, in spite of a curious effect of light upon the end ofthe nose and cheeks as red as the chair she sat in.'This was taken for my mother; but it is not very good,' he said, enjoying the struggles of the girls not to lookdismayed at the sad difference between the real and the ideal. The youngest, aged twelve, could not concealher disappointment, and turned away, feeling as so many of us have felt when we discover that our idols arevery ordinary men and women.'I thought she'd be about sixteen and have her hair braided in two tails down her back. I don't care aboutseeing her now,' said the honest child, walking off to the hall door, leaving her mother to apologize, and hersisters to declare that the bad portrait was 'perfectly lovely, so speaking and poetic, you know, 'specially aboutthe brow'.'Come girls, we must be goin', if we want to get through today. You can leave your albums and have themsent when Mrs Bhaer has written a sentiment in 'em. We are a thousand times obliged. Give our best love toyour ma, and tell her we are so sorry not to see her.' Just as Mrs. Erastus Kingsbury Parmalee uttered thewords her eye fell upon a middle-aged woman in a large checked apron, with a handkerchief tied over herhead, busily dusting an end room which looked like a study.'One peep at her sanctum since she is out,' cried the enthusiastic lady, and swept across the hall with her flockbefore Teddy could warn his mother, whose retreat had been cut off by the artist in front, the reporter at theback of the house--for he hadn't gone and the ladies in the hall.'They've got her!' thought Teddy, in comical dismay. 'No use for her to play housemaid since they've seen theportrait.'Mrs Jo did her best, and being a good actress, would have escaped if the fatal picture had not betrayed her.