Chapter 29
them all off to a grand family tea in honour of the Commodore.
Chapter 3
JO'S LAST SCRAPE
The March family had enjoyed a great many surprises in the course of
their varied career, but the greatest of all was when the Ugly
Duckling turned out to be, not a swan, but a golden goose, whose
literary eggs found such an unexpected market that in ten years Jo's
wildest and most cherished dream actually came true. How or why it
happened she never clearly understood, but all of a sudden she found
herself famous in a small way, and, better still, with a snug little
fortune in her pocket to clear away the obstacles of the present and
assure the future of her boys.
It began during a bad year when everything went wrong at Plumfield;
times were hard, the school dwindled, Jo overworked herself and had a
long illness; Laurie and Amy were abroad, and the Bhaers too proud to
ask help even of those as near and dear as this generous pair.
Confined to her room, Jo got desperate over the state of affairs,
till she fell back upon the long-disused pen as the only thing she
could do to help fill up the gaps in the income. A book for girls
being wanted by a certain publisher, she hastily scribbled a little
story describing a few scenes and adventures in the lives of herself
and sisters, though boys were more in her line, and with very slight
hopes of success sent it out to seek its fortune.
Things always went by contraries with Jo. Her first book, laboured
over for years, and launched full of the high hopes and ambitious
dreams of youth, foundered on its voyage, though the wreck continued
to float long afterward, to the profit of the publisher at least. The
hastily written story, sent away with no thought beyond the few
dollars it might bring, sailed with a fair wind and a wise pilot at
the helm into public favour, and came home heavily laden with an
unexpected cargo of gold and glory.
A more astonished woman probably never existed than Josephine Bhaer
when her little ship came into port with flags flying, cannon that