Anxious to put Tom out of suspense and see how Nan would take the news , Mrs Jo answered quickly : ` Tom 's engagement to Dora West . ' ` Really ? ' and Nan looked so surprised that Mrs Jo was afraid she might be fonder of her old playmate than she knew ; but her next words set the fear at rest , and made everything comfortable and merry at once . ' I knew my prescription would work wonders if he only took it long enough . Dear old Tom , I 'm so glad . Bless you ! bless you ! ' And she shook both his hands with hearty affection . ` It was an accident , Nan . I did n't mean to , but I 'm always getting into messes , and I could n't seem to get out of this any other way . Mother Bhaer will tell you all about it . I must go and make myself tidy . Going to tea with Demi . See you later . ' Stammering , blushing , and looking both sheepish and gratified , Tom suddenly bolted , leaving the elder lady to enlighten the younger at length , and have another laugh over this new sort of courtship , which might well be called accidental . Nan was deeply interested , for she knew Dora , thought her a nice little thing , and predicted that in time she would make Tom an excellent wife , since she admired and ` appreciated ' him so much . ' I shall miss him of course , but it will be a relief to me and better for him ; dangling is so bad for a boy . Now he will go into business with his father and do well , and everyone be happy . I shall give Dora an elegant family medicine-chest for a wedding-present , and teach her how to use it . Tom ca n't be trusted , and is no more fit for the profession than Silas . '
The latter part of this speech relieved Mrs Jo 's mind , for Nan had looked about her as if she had lost something valuable when she began ; but the medicine-chest seemed to cheer her , and the thought of XXXXX in a safe profession was evidently a great comfort .
Bhaer Demi Dora Jo Nan Silas Tom West accident medicine-chest