Produced by David Reed ********************************************************************** THIS EBOOK WAS ONE OF PROJECT GUTENBERG'S EARLY FILES PRODUCED AT A TIME WHEN PROOFING METHODS AND TOOLS WERE NOT WELL DEVELOPED. THERE IS AN IMPROVED EDITION OF THIS TITLE WHICH MAY BE VIEWED AT EBOOK (#41127) ********************************************************************** ROSE IN BLOOM A Sequel to “Eight Cousins” By Louisa May Alcott Preface As authors may be supposed to know better than anyone else what they intended to do when writing a book, I beg leave to say that there is no moral to this story. Rose is not designed for a model girl, and the Sequel was simply written in fulfillment of a promise, hoping to afford some amusement, and perhaps here and there a helpful hint, to other roses getting ready to bloom. L. M. Alcott September 1876 Contents Chapter 1. Coming Home Chapter 2. Old Friends with New Faces Chapter 3. Miss Campbell Chapter 4. Thorns Among the Roses Chapter 5. Prince Charming Chapter 6. Polishing Mac Chapter 7. Phebe Chapter 8. Breakers Ahead Chapter 9. New Year's Calls Chapter 10. The Sad and Sober Part Chapter 11. Small Temptations Chapter 12. At Kitty's Ball Chapter 13. Both Sides Chapter 14. Aunt Clara's Plan Chapter 15. Alas for Charlie! Chapter 16. Good Works Chapter 17. Among the Haycocks Chapter 18. Which Was It? Chapter 19. Behind the Fountain Chapter 20. What Mac Did Chapter 21. How Phebe Earned Her Welcome Chapter 22. Short and Sweet Chapter 1 COMING HOME Three young men stood together on a wharf one bright October day awaiting the arrival of an ocean steamer with an impatience which found a vent in lively skirmishes with a small lad, who pervaded the premises like a will-o'-the-wisp and afforded much amusement to the other groups assembled there. “They are the Campbells, waiting for their cousin, who has been abroad several years with her uncle, the doctor,” whispered one lady to another as the handsomest of the young men touched his hat to her as he passed, lugging the boy, whom he had just rescued from a little expedition down among the piles. “Which is that?” asked the stranger. “Prince Charlie, as he's called a fine fellow, the most promising of the seven, but a little fast, people say,” answered the first speaker with a shake of the head. “Are the others his brothers?” “No, cousins. The elder is Archie, a most exemplary young man. He has just gone into business with the merchant uncle and bids fair to be an honor to his family. The other, with the eyeglasses and no gloves, is Mac, the odd one, just out of college.” “And the boy?” “Oh, he is Jamie, the youngest brother of Archibald, and the pet of the whole family. Mercy on us he'll be in if they don't hold on to him!”