when she stopped to drink, exhausted
with her exertion.

"I fancy you will have your hands full now, my dear; Tommy and Nan are
quite enough for one woman," said Mr. Bhaer, half an hour later.

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

It was those good traits that soon made little "Giddygaddy," as they
called her, a favorite with every one. Daisy never complained of being
dull again, for Nan invented the most delightful plays, and her pranks
rivalled Tommy's, to the amusement of the whole school. She buried her
big doll and forgot it for a week, and found it well mildewed when she
dragged it up. Daisy was in despair, but Nan took it to the painter who
as at work about the house, got him to paint it brick red, with staring
black eyes, then she dressed it up with feathers, and scarlet flannel,
and one of Ned's leaden hatchets; and in the character of an Indian
chief, the late Poppydilla tomahawked all the other dolls, and caused
the nursery to run red with imaginary gore. She gave away her new shoes
to a beggar child, hoping to be allowed to go barefoot, but found it
impossible to combine charity and comfort, and was ordered to ask leave
before disposing of her clothes. She delighted the boys by making a
fire-ship out of a shingle with two large sails wet with turpentine,
which she lighted, and then sent the little vessel floating down the
brook at dusk. She harnessed the old turkey-cock to a straw wagon, and
made him trot round the house at a tremendous pace. She gave her coral
necklace for four unhappy kittens, which had been tormented by some
heartless lads, and tended them for days as gently as a mother, dressing
their wounds with cold cream, feeding them with a doll's spoon, and
mourning over them when they died, till she was consoled by one of
Demi's best turtles. She made Silas tattoo an anchor on her arm like
his, and begged hard to have a blue star on each cheek, but he dared not
do it, though she coaxed and scolded till the soft-hearted fellow longed
to give in. She rode every animal on the place, from the big horse Andy
to the cross pig, from whom she was rescued with difficulty. Whatever
the boys dared her to do she instant