Take good care of him for me , Beth , and tell me all about the babies , and give heaps of love to everyone . From your faithful Jo . P.S. On reading over my letter , it strikes me as rather Bhaery , but I am always interested in odd people , and I really had nothing else to write about . Bless you ! DECEMBER My Precious Betsey , As this is to be a scribble-scrabble letter , I direct it to you , for it may amuse you , and give you some idea of my goings on , for though quiet , they are rather amusing , for which , oh , be joyful ! After what Amy would call Herculaneum efforts , in the way of mental and moral agriculture , my young ideas begin to shoot and my little twigs to bend as I could wish . They are not so interesting to me as Tina and the boys , but I do my duty by them , and they are fond of me . Franz and Emil are jolly little lads , quite after my own heart , for the mixture of German and American spirit in them produces a constant state of effervescence . Saturday afternoons are riotous times , whether spent in the house or out , for on pleasant days they all go to walk , like a seminary , with the Professor and myself to keep order , and then such fun ! We are very good friends now , and I 've begun to take lessons . I really could n't help it , and it all came about in such a droll way that I must tell you . To begin at the beginning , Mrs. Kirke called to me one day as I passed Mr. Bhaer 's room where she was rummaging . `` Did you ever see such a den , my dear ? Just come and help me put these books to rights , for I 've turned everything upside down , trying to discover what he has done with the six new handkerchiefs I gave him not long ago . '' I went in , and while we worked I looked about me , for it was ' a den ' to be sure . Books and papers everywhere , a broken meerschaum , and an old flute over the mantlepiece as if done with , a ragged bird without any tail chirped on one window seat , and a box of white mice adorned the other . Half-finished boats and bits of string lay among the manuscripts . Dirty little boots stood drying before the fire , and traces of the dearly beloved boys , for whom he makes a slave of himself , were to be seen all over the room . After a grand rummage three of the missing articles were found , one over the bird cage , one covered with ink , and a third burned brown , having been used as a holder . `` Such a man ! ''
laughed good-natured Mrs. K. , as she XXXXX the relics in the rag bay .
came chirped found give missing put see spent went write