"Fritz, I've got a new idea," cried Mrs. Bhaer, as she met herhusband one day after school.

"Well, my dear, what is it?" and he waited willingly to hear thenew plan, for some of Mrs. Jo's ideas were so droll, it wasimpossible to help laughing at them, though usually they werequite sensible, and he was glad to carry them out.

"Daisy needs a companion, and the boys would be all the better foranother girl among them; you know we believe in bringing up littlemen and women together, and it is high time we acted up to ourbelief. They pet and tyrannize over Daisy by turns, and she isgetting spoilt. Then they must learn gentle ways, and improve theirmanners, and having girls about will do it better than any thingelse."

"You are right, as usual. Now, who shall we have?" asked Mr.Bhaer, seeing by the look in her eye that Mrs. Jo had some one allready to propose.

"Little Annie Harding."

"What! Naughty Nan, as the lads call her?" cried Mr. Bhaer,looking very much amused.

"Yes, she is running wild at home since her mother died, and is toobright a child to be spoilt by servants. I have had my eye on her forsome time, and when I met her father in town the other day I askedhim why he did not send her to school. He said he would gladly ifhe could find as good a school for girls as ours was for boys. Iknow he would rejoice to have her come; so suppose we drive overthis afternoon and see about it."

"Have not you cares enough now, my Jo, without this little gypsyto torment you?" asked Mr. Bhaer, patting the hand that lay on hisarm.

"Oh dear, no," said Mother Bhaer, briskly. "I like it, and never washappier than since I had my wilderness of boys. You see, Fritz, Ifeel a great sympathy for Nan, because I was such a naughty childmyself that I know all about it. She is full of spirits, and only needsto be taught what to do with them to be as nice a little girl asDaisy. Those quick wits of hers would enjoy lessons if they wererightly directed, and what is now a tricksy midget would soonbecome a busy, happy child. I know how to manage her, for Iremember how my blessed mother managed me, and "

"And if you succeed half as well as she did, you will have done amagnificent work," interrupted Mr. Bhaer, who labored under thedelusion that Mrs. B. was the best and most charming womanalive.

"Now, if you make fun of my plan I'll give you bad coffee for aweek, and then where are you, sir?" cried Mrs. Jo, tweaking himby the ear just as if he was one of the boys.

"Won't Daisy's hair stand erect with horror at Nan's wild ways?"asked Mr. Bhaer, presently, when Teddy had swarmed up hiswaistcoat, and Rob up his back, for they always flew at their fatherthe minute school was done.

"At first, perhaps, but it will do Posy good. She is getting prim andBettyish, and needs stirring up a bit. She always has a good timewhen Nan comes over to play, and the two will help each otherwithout knowing it. Dear me, half the science of teaching isknowing how much children do for one another, and when to mixthem."

"I only hope she won't turn out another firebrand."

"My poor Dan! I never can quite forgive myself for letting himgo," sighed Mrs. Bhaer.

At the sound of the name, little Teddy, who had never forgotten hisfriend, struggled down from his father's arms, and trotted to thedoor, looked out over the sunny lawn with a wistful face, and thentrotted back again, saying, as he always did when disappointed ofthe longed-for sight,

"My Danny's tummin' soon."

"I really think we ought to have kept him, if only for Teddy's sake,he was so fond of him, and perhaps baby's love would have donefor him what we failed to do."

"I've sometimes felt that myself; but after keeping the boys in aferment, and nearly burning up the whole family, I thought it saferto remove the firebrand, for a time at least," said Mr. Bhaer.

"Dinner's ready, let me ring the bell," and Rob began a solo uponthat instrument which made it impossible to hear one's self speak.

"Then I may have Nan, may I?" asked Mrs. Jo.

"A dozen Nans if you want them, my dear," answered Mr. Bhaer,who had room in his fatherly heart for all the naughty neglectedchildren in the world.

When Mrs. Bhaer returned from her drive that afternoon, beforeshe could unpack the load of little boys, without whom she seldommoved, a small girl of ten skipped out at the back of the carry-alland ran into the house, shouting,

"Hi, Daisy! where are you?"

Daisy came, and looked pleased to see her guest, but also a triflealarmed, when Nan said, still prancing, as if it was impossible tokeep still,

"I'm going to stay here always, papa says I may, and my box iscoming tomorrow, all my things had to be washed and mended,and your aunt came and carried me off. Isn't it great fun?"

"Why, yes. Did you bring your big doll?" asked Daisy, hoping shehad, for on the last visit Nan had ravaged the baby house, andinsisted on washing Blanche Matilda's plaster face, which spoiltthe poor dear's complexion for ever.

"Yes, she's somewhere round," returned Nan, with mostunmaternal carelessness. "I made you a ring coming along, andpulled the hairs out of Dobbin's tail. Don't you want it?" and Nanpresented a horse-hair ring in token of friendship, as they had bothvowed they would never speak to one another again when they lastparted.

Won by the beauty of the offering, Daisy grew more cordial, andproposed retiring to the nursery, but Nan said, "No, I want to seethe boys, and the barn," and ran off, swinging her hat by one stringtill it broke, when she left it to its fate on the grass.

"Hullo! Nan!" cried the boys as she bounced in among them withthe announcement,

"I'm going to stay."

"Hooray!" bawled Tommy from the wall on which he was perched,for Nan was a kindred spirit, and he foresaw "larks" in the future.

"I can bat; let me play," said Nan, who could turn her hand to anything, and did not mind hard knocks.

"We ain't playing now, and our side beat without you."

"I can beat you in running, any way," returned Nan, falling back onher strong point.

"Can she?" asked Nat of Jack.

"She runs very well for a girl," answered Jack, who looked downupon Nan with condescending approval.

"Will you try?" said Nan, longing to display her powers.

"It's too hot," and Tommy languished against the wall as if quiteexhausted.

"What's the matter with Stuffy?" asked Nan, whose quick eyeswere roving from face to face.

"Ball hurt his hand; he howls at every thing," answered Jackscornfully.

"I don't, I never cry, no matter how I'm hurt; it's babyish," said Nan,loftily.

"Pooh! I could make you cry in two minutes," returned Stuffy,rousing up.

"See if you can."

"Go and pick that bunch of nettles, then," and Stuffy pointed to asturdy specimen of that prickly plant growing by the wall.

Nan instantly "grasped the nettle," pulled it up, and held it with adefiant gesture, in spite of the almost unbearable sting.

"Good for you," cried the boys, quick to acknowledge courageeven in one of the weaker sex.

More nettled than she was, Stuffy determined to get a cry out ofher somehow, and he said tauntingly, "You are used to poking yourhands into every thing, so that isn't fair. Now go and bump yourhead real hard against the barn, and see if you don't howl then."

"Don't do it," said Nat, who hated cruelty.

But Nan was off, and running straight at the barn, she gave herhead a blow that knocked her flat, and sounded like abattering-ram. Dizzy, but undaunted, she staggered up, sayingstoutly, though her face was drawn with pain,

"That hurt, but I don't cry."

"Do it again," said Stuffy angrily; and Nan would have done it, butNat held her; and Tommy, forgetting the heat, flew at Stuffy like alittle game-cock, roaring out,

"Stop it, or I'll throw you over the barn!" and so shook and hustledpoor Stuffy that for a minute he did not know whether he was onhis head or his heels.

"She told me to," was all he could say, when Tommy let himalone.

"Never mind if she did; it is awfully mean to hurt a little girl," saidDemi, reproachfully.

"Ho! I don't mind; I ain't a little girl, I'm older than you and Daisy;so now," cried Nan, ungratefully.

"Don't preach, Deacon, you bully Posy every day of your life,"called out the Commodore, who just then hove in sight.

"I don't hurt her; do I, Daisy?" and Demi turned to his sister, whowas "pooring" Nan's tingling hands, and recommending water forthe purple lump rapidly developing itself on her forehead.

"You are the best boy in the world," promptly answered Daisy;adding, as truth compelled her to do, "You hurt me sometimes, butyou don't mean to."

"Put away the bats and things, and mind what you are about, myhearties. No fighting allowed aboard this ship," said Emil, whorather lorded it over the others.

"How do you do, Madge Wildfire?" said Mr. Bhaer, as Nan camein with the rest to supper. "Give the right hand, little daughter, andmind thy manners," he added, as Nan offered him her left.

"The other hurts me."

"The poor little hand! what has it been doing to get those blisters?"he asked, drawing it from behind her back, where she had put itwith a look which made him think she had been in mischief.

Before Nan could think of any excuse, Daisy burst out with thewhole story, during which Stuffy tried to hide his face in a bowl ofbread and milk. When the tale was finished, Mr. Bhaer lookeddown the long table towards his wife, and said with a laugh in hiseyes,

"This rather belongs to your side of the house, so I won't meddlewith it, my dear."

Mrs. Jo knew what he meant, but she liked her little black sheepall the better for her pluck, though she only said in her soberestway,

"Do you know why I asked Nan to come here?"

"To plague me," muttered Stuffy, with his mouth full.

"To help make little gentlemen of you, and I think you have shownthat some of you need it."

Here Stuffy retired into his bowl again, and did not emerge tillDemi made them all laugh by saying, in his slow wondering way,

"How can she, when she's such a tomboy?"

"That's just it, she needs help as much as you, and I expect you sether an example of good manners."

"Is she going to be a little gentleman too?" asked Rob.

"She'd like it; wouldn't you, Nan?" added Tommy.

"No, I shouldn't; I hate boys!" said Nan fiercely, for her hand stillsmarted, and she began to think that she might have shown hercourage in some wiser way.

"I am sorry you hate my boys, because they can be well-mannered,and most agreeable when they choose. Kindness in looks andwords and ways is true politeness, and any one can have it if theyonly try to treat other people as they like to be treated themselves."

Mrs. Bhaer had addressed herself to Nan, but the boys nudged oneanother, and appeared to take the hint, for that time at least, andpassed the butter; said "please," and "thank you," "yes, sir," and"no, ma'am," with unusual elegance and respect. Nan said nothing,but kept herself quiet and refrained from tickling Demi, thoughstrongly tempted to do so, because of the dignified airs he put on.She also appeared to have forgotten her hatred of boys, and played"I spy" with them till dark. Stuffy was observed to offer herfrequent sucks on his candy-ball during the game, which evidentlysweetened her temper, for the last thing she said on going to bedwas,

"When my battledore and shuttle-cock comes, I'll let you all playwith 'em."

Her first remark in the morning was "Has my box come?" andwhen told that it would arrive sometime during the day, she frettedand fumed, and whipped her doll, till Daisy was shocked. Shemanaged to exist, however, till five o'clock, when she disappeared,and was not missed till supper-time, because those at homethought she had gone to the hill with Tommy and Demi.

"I saw her going down the avenue alone as hard as she could pelt,"said Mary Ann, coming in with the hasty-pudding, and findingevery one asking, "Where is Nan?"

"She has run home, little gypsy!" cried Mrs. Bhaer, lookinganxious.

"Perhaps she has gone to the station to look after her luggage,"suggested Franz.

'That is impossible, she does not know the way, and if she found it,she could never carry the box a mile," said Mrs. Bhaer, beginningto think that her new idea might be rather a hard one to carry out.

"It would be like her," and Mr. Bhaer caught up his hat to go andfind the child, when a shout from Jack, who was at the window,made everyone hurry to the door.

There was Miss Nan, to be sure, tugging along a very largeband-box tied up in linen bag. Very hot and dusty and tired did shelook, but marched stoutly along, and came puffing up to the steps,where she dropped her load with a sigh of relief, and sat downupon it, observed as she crossed her tired arms,

"I couldn't wait any longer, so I went and got it."

"But you did not know the way," said Tommy, while the rest stoodround enjoying the joke.

"Oh, I found it, I never get lost."

"It's a mile, how could you go so far?"

"Well, it was pretty far, but I rested a good deal."

"Wasn't that thing very heavy?"

"It's so round, I couldn't get hold of it good, and I thought my armswould break right off."

"I don't see how the station-master let you have it," said Tommy.

"I didn't say anything to him. He was in the little ticket place, anddidn't see me, so I just took it off the platform."

"Run down and tell him it is all right, Franz, or old Dodd will thinkit is stolen," said Mr. Bhaer, joining in the shout of laughter atNan's coolness.

"I told you we would send for it if it did not come. Another timeyou must wait, for you will get into trouble if you run away.Promise me this, or I shall not dare to trust you out of my sight,"said Mrs. Bhaer, wiping the dust off Nan's little hot face.

"Well, I won't, only papa tells me not to put off doing things, so Idon't."

"That is rather a poser; I think you had better give her some suppernow, and a private lecture by and by," said Mr. Bhaer, too muchamused to be angry at the young lady's exploit.

The boys thought it "great fun," and Nan entertained them allsupper-time with an account of her adventures; for a big dog hadbarked at her, a man had laughed at her, a woman had given her adoughnut, and her hat had fallen into the brook when she stoppedto drink, exhausted with her exertion.

'I fancy you will have your hands full now, my dear; Tommy andNan are quite enough for one woman," said Mr. Bhaer, half anhour later.

"I know it will take some time to tame the child, but she is such agenerous, warm-hearted little thing, I should love her even if shewere twice as naughty," answered Mrs. Jo, pointing to the merrygroup, in the middle of which stood Nan, giving away her thingsright and left, as lavishly as if the big band-box had no bottom.

It was those good traits that soon made little "Giddygaddy," as theycalled her, a favorite with every one. Daisy never complained ofbeing dull again, for Nan invented the most delightful plays, andher pranks rivalled Tommy's, to the amusement of the wholeschool. She buried her big doll and forgot it for a week, and foundit well mildewed when she dragged it up. Daisy was in despair, butNan took it to the painter who as at work about the house, got himto paint it brick red, with staring black eyes, then she dressed it upwith feathers, and scarlet flannel, and one of Ned's leadenhatchets; and in the character of an Indian chief, the latePoppydilla tomahawked all the other dolls, and caused the nurseryto run red with imaginary gore. She gave away her new shoes to abeggar child, hoping to be allowed to go barefoot, but found itimpossible to combine charity and comfort, and was ordered to askleave before disposing of her clothes. She delighted the boys bymaking a fire-ship out of a shingle with two large sails wet withturpentine, which she lighted, and then sent the little vesselfloating down the brook at dusk. She harnessed the oldturkey-cock to a straw wagon, and made him trot round the houseat a tremendous pace. She gave her coral necklace for fourunhappy kittens, which had been tormented by some heartless lads,and tended them for days as gently as a mother, dressing theirwounds with cold cream, feeding them with a doll's spoon, andmourning over them when they died, till she was consoled by oneof Demi's best turtles. She made Silas tattoo an anchor on her armlike his, and begged hard to have a blue star on each cheek, but hedared not do it, though she coaxed and scolded till the soft-heartedfellow longed to give in. She rode every animal on the place, fromthe big horse Andy to the cross pig, from whom she was rescuedwith difficulty. Whatever the boys dared her to do she instantlyattempted, no matter how dangerous it might be, and they werenever tired of testing her courage.

Mr. Bhaer suggested that they should see who would study best,and Nan found as much pleasure in using her quick wits and finememory as her active feet and merry tongue, while the lads had todo their best to keep their places, for Nan showed them that girlscould do most things as well as boys, and some things better.There were no rewards in school, but Mr. Bhaer's "Well done!" andMrs. Bhaer's good report on the conscience book, taught them tolove duty for its own sake, and try to do it faithfully, sure sooner orlater the recompense would come. Little Nan was quick to feel thenew atmosphere, to enjoy it, to show that it was what she needed;for this little garden was full of sweet flowers, half hidden by theweeds; and when kind hands gently began to cultivate it, all sortsof green shoots sprung up, promising to blossom beautifully in thewarmth of love and care, the best climate for young hearts andsouls all the world over.