Mrs. Jo seldom stirred without him ; so he had his little finger in all the domestic pies , and every one found them all the better for it , for they believed in babies at Plumfield . Dick Brown , and Adolphus or Dolly Pettingill , were two eight year-olds . Dolly stuttered badly , but was gradually getting over it , for no one was allowed to mock him and Mr. Bhaer tried to cure it , by making him talk slowly . Dolly was a good little lad , quite uninteresting and ordinary , but he flourished here , and went through his daily duties and pleasures with placid content and propriety . Dick Brown 's affliction was a crooked back , yet he bore his burden so cheerfully , that Demi once asked in his queer way , `` Do humps make people good-natured ? I 'd like one if they do . '' Dick was always merry , and did his best to be like other boys , for a plucky spirit lived in the feeble little body . When he first came , he was very sensitive about his misfortune , but soon learned to forget it , for no one dared remind him of it , after Mr. Bhaer had punished one boy for laughing at him . `` God do n't care ; for my soul is straight if my back is n't , '' sobbed Dick to his tormentor on that occasion ; and , by cherishing this idea , the Bhaers soon led him to believe that people also loved his soul , and did not mind his body , except to pity and help him to bear it . Playing menagerie once with the others , some one said , `` What animal will you be , Dick ? '' `` Oh , I 'm the dromedary ; do n't you see the hump on my back ? '' was the laughing answer . `` So you are , my nice little one that do n't carry loads , but marches by the elephant first in the procession , '' said Demi , who was arranging the spectacle . `` I hope others will be as kind to the poor dear as my boys have learned to be , '' said Mrs. Jo , quite satisfied with the success of her teaching , as Dick ambled past her , looking like a very happy , but a very feeble little dromedary , beside stout Stuffy , who did the elephant with ponderous propriety . Jack Ford was a sharp , rather a sly lad , who was sent to this school , because it was cheap . Many men would have thought him a smart boy , but Mr. Bhaer did not like his way of illustrating that Yankee word , and thought his unboyish keenness and money-loving as much of an affliction as Dolly 's stutter , or Dick 's hump . Ned Barker was like a thousand other boys of fourteen , all legs , blunder , and bluster . Indeed the family called him the `` Blunderbuss , '' and always expected to see him tumble over the chairs , bump against the tables , and knock down any small articles near him . He bragged a good deal about what he could do , but seldom did any thing to prove it , was not brave , and a little given to tale-telling . He was apt to bully the small boys , and flatter the big ones , and without being at all bad , was just the sort of fellow who could very easily be led astray .
George Cole had been spoilt by an over-indulgent mother , who stuffed him with sweetmeats till he was sick , and then thought him too delicate to study , so that at twelve years old , he was a pale , puffy XXXXX , dull , fretful , and lazy .
babies boy hump menagerie one pity propriety school teaching thing