Mother is always ready to be your confidant , Father to be your friend , and both of us hope and trust that our daughters , whether married or single , will be the pride and comfort of our lives . '' `` We will , Marmee , we will ! '' cried both , with all their hearts , as she bade them good night . CHAPTER TEN THE P.C. AND P.O. . As spring came on , a new set of amusements became the fashion , and the lengthening days gave long afternoons for work and play of all sorts . The garden had to be put in order , and each sister had a quarter of the little plot to do what she liked with . Hannah used to say , `` I 'd know which each of them gardings belonged to , ef I see 'em in Chiny , '' and so she might , for the girls ' tastes differed as much as their characters . Meg 's had roses and heliotrope , myrtle , and a little orange tree in it . Jo 's bed was never alike two seasons , for she was always trying experiments . This year it was to be a plantation of sun flowers , the seeds of which cheerful land aspiring plant were to feed Aunt Cockle-top and her family of chicks . Beth had old-fashioned fragrant flowers in her garden , sweet peas and mignonette , larkspur , pinks , pansies , and southernwood , with chickweed for the birds and catnip for the pussies . Amy had a bower in hers , rather small and earwiggy , but very pretty to look at , with honeysuckle and morning-glories hanging their colored horns and bells in graceful wreaths all over it , tall white lilies , delicate ferns , and as many brilliant , picturesque plants as would consent to blossom there . Gardening , walks , rows on the river , and flower hunts employed the fine days , and for rainy ones , they had house diversions , some old , some new , all more or less original . One of these was the ` P.C. ' , for as secret societies were the fashion , it was thought proper to have one , and as all of the girls admired Dickens , they called themselves the Pickwick Club . With a few interruptions , they had kept this up for a year , and met every Saturday evening in the big garret , on which occasions the ceremonies were as follows : Three chairs were arranged in a row before a table on which was a lamp , also four white badges , with a big ` P.C. ' in different colors on each , and the weekly newspaper called , The Pickwick Portfolio , to which all contributed something , while Jo , who reveled in pens and ink , was the editor . At seven o'clock , the four members ascended to the clubroom , tied their badges round their heads , and took their seats with great solemnity . Meg , as the eldest , was Samuel Pickwick , Jo , being of a literary turn , Augustus Snodgrass , Beth , because she was round and rosy , Tracy Tupman , and Amy , who was always trying to do what she could n't , was Nathaniel Winkle . Pickwick , the president , read the paper , which was filled with original tales , poetry , local news , funny advertisements , and hints , in which they good-naturedly reminded each other of their faults and short comings . On one occasion , Mr. Pickwick put on a pair of spectacles without any glass , rapped upon the table , hemmed , and having stared hard at Mr. Snodgrass , who was tilting back in his chair , till he arranged himself properly , began to read : _________________________________________________ `` THE PICKWICK PORTFOLIO '' MAY 20 , 18 -- POET 'S CORNER ANNIVERSARY ODE Again we meet to celebrate With badge and solemn rite , Our fifty-second anniversary , In Pickwick Hall , tonight . We all are here in perfect health , None gone from our small band : Again we see each well-known face , And press each friendly hand .
Our XXXXX , always at his post , With reverence we greet , As , spectacles on nose , he reads Our well-filled weekly sheet .
Cockle-top Father Hall Jo Pickwick Tupman gardings morning-glories o'clock year