We were laughing over it when all of a sudden his eye was on us , and he ordered Susie to bring up her slate . She was parry_lized with fright , but she went , and oh , what do you think he did ? He took her by the ear -- the ear ! Just fancy how horrid ! -- and led her to the recitation platform , and made her stand there half an hour , holding the slate so everyone could see . '' `` Did n't the girls laugh at the picture ? '' asked Jo , who relished the scrape . `` Laugh ? Not one ! They sat still as mice , and Susie cried quarts , I know she did . I did n't envy her then , for I felt that millions of carnelian rings would n't have made me happy after that . I never , never should have got over such a agonizing mortification . '' And Amy went on with her work , in the proud consciousness of virtue and the successful utterance of two long words in a breath . `` I saw something I liked this morning , and I meant to tell it at dinner , but I forgot , '' said Beth , putting Jo 's topsy-turvy basket in order as she talked . `` When I went to get some oysters for Hannah , Mr. Laurence was in the fish shop , but he did n't see me , for I kept behind the fish barrel , and he was busy with Mr. Cutter the fish-man . A poor woman came in with a pail and a mop , and asked Mr. Cutter if he would let her do some scrubbing for a bit of fish , because she had n't any dinner for her children , and had been disappointed of a day 's work . Mr. Cutter was in a hurry and said ` No ' , rather crossly , so she was going away , looking hungry and sorry , when Mr. Laurence hooked up a big fish with the crooked end of his cane and held it out to her . She was so glad and surprised she took it right into her arms , and thanked him over and over . He told her to ` go along and cook it ' , and she hurried off , so happy ! Was n't it good of him ?
Oh , she did look so funny , hugging the big , slippery fish , and hoping Mr. XXXXX 's bed in heaven would be ` aisy ' . ''
Amy Beth Cutter Hannah Jo Laurence Susie day hour morning