To begin at the beginning , Mrs. Kirke called to me one day as I passed Mr. Bhaer 's room where she was rummaging . `` Did you ever see such a den , my dear ? Just come and help me put these books to rights , for I 've turned everything upside down , trying to discover what he has done with the six new handkerchiefs I gave him not long ago . '' I went in , and while we worked I looked about me , for it was ' a den ' to be sure . Books and papers everywhere , a broken meerschaum , and an old flute over the mantlepiece as if done with , a ragged bird without any tail chirped on one window seat , and a box of white mice adorned the other . Half-finished boats and bits of string lay among the manuscripts . Dirty little boots stood drying before the fire , and traces of the dearly beloved boys , for whom he makes a slave of himself , were to be seen all over the room . After a grand rummage three of the missing articles were found , one over the bird cage , one covered with ink , and a third burned brown , having been used as a holder . `` Such a man ! '' laughed good-natured Mrs. K. , as she put the relics in the rag bay . `` I suppose the others are torn up to rig ships , bandage cut fingers , or make kite tails . It 's dreadful , but I ca n't scold him . He 's so absent-minded and goodnatured , he lets those boys ride over him roughshod . I agreed to do his washing and mending , but he forgets to give out his things and I forget to look them over , so he comes to a sad pass sometimes . '' `` Let me mend them , '' said I. `` I do n't mind it , and he need n't know . I 'd like to , he 's so kind to me about bringing my letters and lending books . '' So I have got his things in order , and knit heels into two pairs of the socks , for they were boggled out of shape with his queer darns . Nothing was said , and I hoped he would n't find it out , but one day last week he caught me at it . Hearing the lessons he gives to others has interested and amused me so much that I took a fancy to learn , for Tina runs in and out , leaving the door open , and I can hear . I had been sitting near this door , finishing off the last sock , and trying to understand what he said to a new scholar , who is as stupid as I am .
The girl had gone , and I thought he had also , it was so still , and I was busily gabbling over a verb , and rocking to and fro in a most absurd way , when a little crow made me look up , and there was Mr. Bhaer looking and laughing quietly , while he made signs to XXXXX not to betray him .
Bhaer K. Kirke Tina day fire meerschaum relics rummage third