A swift-sailing steamer had brought these scanty news , and happier ones might come at any hour ; but kind Franz had not added that the sailors reported the captain 's boat as undoubtedly wrecked by the falling mast , since the smoke hid its escape , and the gale soon drove all far asunder . But this sad rumour reached Plumfield in time ; and deep was the mourning for the happyhearted Commodore , never to come singing home again . Mrs Jo refused to believe it , stoutly insisting that Emil would outlive any storm and yet turn up safe and gay . It was well she clung to this hopeful view , for poor Mr Bhaer was much afflicted by the loss of his boy , because his sister 's sons had been his so long he scarcely knew a different love for his very own . Now was a chance for Mrs Juno to keep her word ; and she did , speaking cheerily of Emil , even when hope waxed faint and her heart was heavy . If anything could comfort the Bhaers for the loss of one boy , it would have been the affection and sorrow shown by all the rest . Franz kept the cable busy with his varying messages , Nat sent loving letters from Leipzig , and Tom harassed the shipping agents for news . Even busy Jack wrote them with unusual warmth ; Dolly and George came often , bearing the loveliest flowers and the daintiest bon-bons to cheer Mrs Bhaer and sweeten Josie 's grief ; while good-hearted Ned travelled all the way from Chicago to press their hands and say , with a tear in his eye : ' I was so anxious to hear all about the dear old boy , I could n't keep away . ' ` That 's right comfortable , and shows me that if I did n't teach my boys anything else , I did give them the brotherly love that will make them stand by one another all their lives , ' said Mrs Jo , when he had gone . Rob answered reams of sympathizing letters , which showed how many friends they had ; and the kindly praises of the lost man would have made Emil a hero and a saint , had they all been true . The elders bore it quietly , having learned submission in life 's hard school ; but the younger people rebelled ; some hoped against hope and kept up , others despaired at once , and little Josie , Emil 's pet cousin and playmate , was so broken-hearted nothing could comfort her . Nan dosed in vain , Daisy 's cheerful words went by like the wind , and Bess 's devices to amuse her all failed utterly . To cry in mother 's arms and talk about the wreck , which haunted her even in her sleep , was all she cared to do ; and Mrs Meg was getting anxious when Miss Cameron sent Josie a kind note bidding her learn bravely her first lesson in real tragedy , and be like the self-sacrificing heroines she loved to act . That did the little girl good , and she made an effort in which Teddy and Octoo helped her much ; for the boy was deeply impressed by this sudden eclipse of the firefly whose light and life all missed when they were gone , and lured her out every day for long drives behind the black mare , who shook her silvery bells till they made such merry music Josie could not help listening to it , and whisked her over the snowy roads at a pace which set the blood dancing in her veins and sent her home strengthened and comforted by sunshine , fresh air , and congenial society -- three aids young sufferers seldom can resist . As Emil was helping nurse Captain Hardy , safe and well , aboard the ship , all this sorrow would seem wasted ; but it was not , for it drew many hearts more closely together by a common grief , taught some patience , some sympathy , some regret for faults that lie heavy on the conscience when the one sinned against is gone , and all of them the solemn lesson to be ready when the summons comes . A hush lay over Plumfield for weeks , and the studious faces on the hill reflected the sadness of those in the valley . Sacred music sounded from Parnassus to comfort all who heard ; the brown cottage was beseiged with gifts for the little mourner , and Emil 's flag hung at half-mast on the roof where he last sat with Mrs Jo . So the weeks went heavily by till suddenly , like a thunderbolt out of a clear sky , came the news , ` All safe , letters on the way . ' Then up went the flag , out rang the college bells , bang went Teddy 's long-unused cannon , and a chorus of happy voices cried ` Thank God ' , as people went about , laughing , crying , and embracing one another in a rapture of delight . By and by the longed-for letters came , and all the story of the wreck was told ; briefly by Emil , eloquently by Mrs Hardy , gratefully by the captain , while Mary added a few tender words that went straight to their hearts and seemed the sweetest of all .
Never were letters so read , passed round , admired , and cried over as these ; for Mrs Jo carried them in her pocket when Mr XXXXX did not have them in his , and both took a look at them when they said their prayers at night .
Bhaer Dolly Emil Franz Nat Tom half-mast mourner right storm