Peace reigned for an hour , then the bell rang and Mary came giggling up to say : ' A queer kind of a lady wants to know if she can catch a grasshopper in the garden . ' ' A what ? ' cried Mrs Jo , dropping her pen with a blot ; for of all the odd requests ever made , this was the oddest . ' A grasshopper , ma'am . I said you was busy , and asked what she wanted , and says she : `` I 've got grasshoppers from the grounds of several famous folks , and I want one from Plumfield to add to my collection . '' Did you ever ? ' And Mary giggled again at the idea . ` Tell her to take all there are and welcome . I shall be glad to get rid of them ; always bouncing in my face and getting in my dress , ' laughed Mrs Jo . Mary retired , to return in a moment nearly speechless with merriment . ` She 's much obliged , ma'am , and she 'd like an old gown or a pair of stockings of yours to put in a rug she 's making . Got a vest of Emerson 's , she says , and a pair of Mr. Holmes 's trousers , and a dress of Mrs Stowe 's . She must be crazy ! ' ` Give her that old red shawl , then I shall make a gay show among the great ones in that astonishing rug . Yes , they are all lunatics , these lion-hunters ; but this seems to be a harmless maniac , for she does n't take my time , and gives me a good laugh , ' said Mrs Jo , returning to her work after a glance from the window , which showed her a tall , thin lady in rusty black , skipping wildly to and fro on the lawn in pursuit of the lively insect she wanted . No more interruptions till the light began to fade , then Mary popped her head in to say a gentleman wished to see Mrs Bhaer , and would n't take no for an answer . ` He must . I shall not go down . This has been an awful day , and I wo n't be disturbed again , ' replied the harassed authoress , pausing in the midst of the grand finale of her chapter . ' I told him so , ma'am ; but he walked right in as bold as brass .
I guess he 's another crazy one , and I declare I 'm ` most afraid of him , he 's so big and black , and cool as cucumbers , though I will say he 's good-looking , ' added XXXXX , with a simper ; for the stranger had evidently found favour in her sight despite his boldness .
Bhaer Emerson Jo Mary Plumfield authoress day fro hour lion-hunters