"That's the way some of the best mines have been found," said Mr. Scholfield: "just by sheer accident. There was a man I knew, in California, had his mule run away from him one day: it was somewhere in that Tuolomne region; and if that mule didn't run straight down into a gulch that was just washed full of free gold,--and the fellow had been walking in it some time before he noticed it! There's a heap o' luck in this world." "Yes," said Mr. March, "there's a great deal of luck; but there is a great deal which is set down to luck which isn't luck. Now, if my little girl here hadn't had the good-will and the energy to try to earn some money for her mother and me, she wouldn't have been searching for a short cut to Rosita over these hills, and would never have found this mine." "That's so," said Mr. Scholfield, looking admiringly at Nelly. "She's a most uncommon girl, that Nelly of yours. I think we ought to call the mine after her; it's hers." "No," said Mr. March: "I like her name for it best. Let us call it 'The Good Luck.'" Mrs. March was watching for her husband and children when they came down the lane. She had been much more excited about the silver mine than she had confessed to Mr. March. All day long she had been unable to keep it out of her mind. The prospect was too tempting. "Why should it not have happened to us, as well as to so many people," she thought. "Oh! if we only could have just money enough to give Rob and Nelly a good education, I would not ask for any thing more. And, even if this is not very much of a mine, it might give us money enough for that." With such hopes and imaginations as these Mrs. March's mind had been full all day long; and, when she saw Mr. March and Rob and Nelly coming toward the house, she felt almost afraid to see them, lest she should see disappointment written on their faces. Not at all. Rob and Nelly came bounding on ahead, and, as they drew near the door, they shouted out:-- "The Good Luck! The Good Luck! It is named 'The Good Luck.'" "They wanted to call it 'The Little Nelly,' but Nelly wouldn't," said Rob. "I don't see why. If I'd found it, I'd have called it 'The Rob,' I know. They didn't ask me to let them call it for me. If they had, they might and welcome." "It is really a mine, then?" said Mrs. March, looking at her husband. "Yes, Sarah, I think it is," he replied. "If Scholfield and Billy know,--and they seem to be very sure,--there is good promise of silver there; and Nelly herself has named it 'The Good Luck.'" "Oh, Nelly! did you, really?" exclaimed Mrs. March. "You dear child!" And she threw both arms around Nelly, and gave her a great hug. "That's a lovely name. I do believe it will bring luck." "I didn't want it named after me," said Nelly. "It isn't as if it was a live thing--" "Subjunctive mood, dear! 'as if it were,'" interrupted Mrs. March.