Little Women

LEY OF HU

d Amy one day, as Laurie clattered by on horse

And very handsome ones they are, too," cried Jo,

yes, and I don't see why you need

a centaur, and she called him a Cyclops,

Amy, finishing Jo with her Latin. "I just wish I had a little of the money Laurie sp

Jo had gone off in another

in debt, and it won't be my turn

t do you mean?" An

an't pay them, you know, till I have money, for Mar

o be pricking bits of rubber to make balls." And Meg tried

in schooltime, and trading them off for pencils, bead rings, paper dolls, or something else, at recess. If one girl likes another, she gives her a lime. If she's mad with her, she e

and restore your credit?" as

and leave a few cents over for a t

the money. Make it last as long as you

nd feast, for I haven't tasted a lime this week. I felt delicate about t

ugh her 'set', and the attentions of her friends became quite overwhelming. Katy Brown invited her to her next party on the spot. Mary Kingsley insisted on lending her her watch till recess, and Jenny Snow, a satirical young lady, who had basely twitted Amy upon her limeless state, promptly buried the hatchet and offered to furnish answers to certain a

March to assume the airs of a studious young peacock. But, alas, alas! Pride goes before a fall, and the revengeful Snow turned the tables with disastrous success. No sooner had the guest pa

Boys are trying enough to human patience, goodness knows, but girls are infinitely more so, especially to nervous gentlemen with tyrannical tempers and no more talent for teaching than Dr. Blimber. Mr. Davis knew any quantity of Greek, Latin, algebra, and ologies of all sorts so he was called a fine teacher, and manners, morals, feelings, and examples were not considered of any particular importance. It was a most unfortunate moment for denouncing Amy, and Jenny knew it. Mr. Dav

, attention,

pairs of blue, black, gray, and brown eyes wer

h, come to

re, but a secret fear oppressed her, fo

desk," was the unexpected command which a

her neighbor, a young lady

possessing a human heart would relent when that delicious perfume met his nose. Unfortunately, Mr

that

e," stamm

e rest im

g glance at her

re there ar

er lie

usting things two by two, and

times, and as each doomed couple, looking oh, so plump and juicy, fell from her reluctant hands, a shout from the street completed the anguish of the girls, for it told them that their feast was being exu

r. Davis gave a portentous "Hem!" and

sorry this has happened, but I never allow my rules to be infrin

rather a favorite with 'old Davis', as, of course, he was called, and it's my private belief that he would have broken his word if the indignation of

ead defiantly, and bore without flinching several tingling blows on her little palm. They were neither many nor heavy, but that made no dif

recess," said Mr. Davis, resolved to do

eemed impossible, and for a second she felt as if she could only drop down where she stood, and break her heart with crying. A bitter sense of wrong and the thought of Jenny Snow helped her to bear it, and, taking t

ial affair, but to her it was a hard experience, for during the twelve years of her life she had been governed by love alone, and a blow of that sort had never touched her

came to an end at last, and the word 'Reces

said Mr. Davis, looking,

and when the older girls arrived, some time later, an indignation meeting was held at once. Mrs. March did not say much but looked disturbed, and comforted her afflicted little daughter in her tenderest manner. Meg bathed the insulted hand with glycerine and te

o unusually nervous. Just before school closed, Jo appeared, wearing a grim expression as she stalked up to the desk, and delivered a letter from her mother

ing. "I don't approve of corporal punishment, especially for girls. I dislike Mr. Davis's manner of teaching and don't thin

l his old school. It's perfectly maddening to think of t

d some punishment for disobedience," was the severe reply, which ra

I was disgraced before the

r, and it is quite time you set about correcting it. You have a good many little gifts and virtues, but there is no need of parading them, for conceit spoils the finest genius. There is not muc

ad a really remarkable talent for music, and she didn't know it, never guessed what sweet littl

would have helped me, I'm so stupid," said B

g at her with such mischievous meaning in his merry black eyes that Beth suddenly turned ve

ie did his best, and sang delightfully, being in a particularly lively humor, for to the Marches he seldom showed the moody side of his chara

has much talent. He will make a fine man, i

conceited, is

why he is so charming and

ts and be elegant, but not to show off

s manner and conversations, if modestly used, but i

d gowns and ribbons at once, that folks may know you'v