They also retired to dress; and for half-an-hour there was a washing, brushing, and prinking that would have done any tidy woman's heart good to see.

When the bell rang, a troop of fresh-faced lads with shiny hair, clean collars, and Sunday jackets on, filed into the dining-room, where Mrs.Jo, in her one black silk, with a knot of her favorite white chrysanthemums in her bosom, sat at the head of the table, "looking splendid," as the boys said, whenever she got herself up.

Daisy and Nan were as gay as a posy bed in their new winter dresses, with bright sashes and hair ribbons.
Teddy was gorgeous to behold in a crimson merino blouse, and his best button boots, which absorbed and distracted him as much as Mr.Toot's wristbands did on one occasion.
As Mr.and Mrs.Bhaer glanced at each other down the long table, with those rows of happy faces on either side, they had a little thanksgiving all to themselves, and without a word, for one heart said to the other, "Our work has prospered, let us be grateful and go on." The clatter of knives and forks prevented much conversation for a few minutes, and Mary Ann with an amazing pink bow in her hair "flew round" briskly, handing plates and ladling out gravy.

Nearly every one had contributed to the feast, so the dinner was a peculiarly interesting ones to the eaters of it, who beguiled the pauses by remarks on their own productions.
"If these are not good potatoes I never saw any," observed Jack, as he received his fourth big mealy one.
"Some of my herbs are in the stuffing of the turkey, that's why it's so nice," said Nan, taking a mouthful with intense satisfaction.
"My ducks are prime any way; Asia said she never cooked such fat ones," added Tommy.
"Well, our carrots are beautiful, ain't they, and our parsnips will be ever so good when we dig them," put in Dick, and Dolly murmured his assent from behind the bone he was picking.
"I helped make the pies with my pumpkin," called out Robby, with a laugh which he stopped by retiring into his mug.
"I picked some of the apples that the cider is made of," said Demi.
"I raked the cranberries for the sauce," cried Nat.
"I got the nuts," added Dan, and so it went on all round the table.
"Who made up Thanksgiving ?" asked Rob, for being lately promoted to jacket and trousers he felt a new and manly interest in the institutions of his country.
"See who can answer that question," and Mr.Bhaer nodded to one or two of his best history boys.
"I know," said Demi, "the Pilgrims made it." "What for ?" asked Rob, without waiting to learn who the Pilgrims were.
"I forget," and Demi subsided.
"I believe it was because they were starved once, and so when they had a good harvest, they said, 'We will thank God for it,' and they had a day and called it Thanksgiving," said Dan, who liked the story of the brave men who suffered so nobly for their faith.
"Good! I didn't think you would remember any thing but natural history," and Mr.Bhaer tapped gently on the table as applause for his pupil.
Dan looked pleased; and Mrs.Jo said to her son, "Now do you understand about it, Robby ?" "No, I don't.

I thought pil-grins were a sort of big bird that lived on rocks, and I saw pictures of them in Demi's book." "He means penguins.