Never saw such a year , with wrecks and weddings and floods and engagements , and every sort of catastrophe ! ' exclaimed Mrs Jo . ` If you deal in girls and boys , you must expect this sort of thing , ma'am . The worst is over , I hope , till these lads begin to go off . Then I 'll stand by you ; for you 'll need every kind of support and comfort , specially if Ted bolts early , ' laughed Mr Laurie , enjoying her lamentations . ' I do n't think anything can surprise me now ; but I am anxious about Dan , and feel that someone had better go to him . It 's a rough place out there , and he may need careful nursing . Poor lad , he seems to get a good many hard knocks ! But perhaps he needs them as `` a mellerin ' process '' , as Hannah used to say . ' ` We shall hear from Demi before long , and then I 'll be off . ' With which cheerful promise Mr Laurie departed ; and Ted , finding his mother firm , soon followed , to coax his uncle to take him . Further inquiry confirmed and added interest to the news . Mr Laurie was off at once ; and Ted went into town with him , still vainly imploring to be taken to his Dan . He was absent all day ; but his mother said , calmly : ` Only a fit of the sulks because he is thwarted . He 's safe with Tom or Demi , and will come home hungry and meek at night . I know him . ' But she soon found that she could still be surprised ; for evening brought no Ted , and no one had seen him . Mr Bhaer was just setting off to find his lost son , when a telegram arrived , dated at one of the way-stations on Mr Laurie 's route : Found Ted in the cars . Take him along . Write tomorrow .
T. LAURENCE ` XXXXX bolted sooner than you expected , mother .
Bhaer Dan Demi Hannah Laurie Ted Tom floods mellerin year