Little Women

shall enjoy it!' exclaimed Meg, coming home one warm day to find Jo laid upon the sofa in an unusual state of

she'd ask me to go with her; if she had, I should have felt as if I ought to do it;

weet, and feared she'd find it impossible to part from me. I quaked till she was fairly in the carriage, and had a final fright, for, as it drove off, she popped out h

ears were after her,' said Beth, as she cud

hire, is she not?' observed Amy

esn't matter; it's too warm to be particula

and do nothing,' replied Meg, from the depths of the rocking-chair. `I've been routed up early all winter, a

a heap of books, and I'm going to improve my shining hours read

red Amy, as a return snub fo

with Laurie; that's proper and a

r a while, but play all the time, and re

ew songs, and my children need fitting up for the summer; they

ing to Mrs. March, who sat sewing i

ou like it. I think by Saturday night you will find that

be delicious, I'm sure,

airy Gamp", says. Fun for ever, and no grubbing!' crie

t, to `rest and read', which meant yawn, and imagine what pretty summer dresses she would get with her salary. Jo spent the morning on the river with Laurie, and the afternoon reading and crying over The Wide, Wide World, up in the apple-tree. Beth began by rummaging everything out of the big closet where her family resided; but, getting tired before half done, she left her establishment topsy-turvy, a

ger; the weather was unusually variable, and so were tempers; an unsettled feeling possessed everyone, and Satan found plenty of mischief for the idle hands to do. As the height of luxury, Meg put out some of her sewing, and then found time hang so heavily that she fell to snipping and spoiling her clothes, in her attempts to furbish them up * la Moffat. Jo read till her eyes gave out, and she was sick of books; got so fidgety that even good-natured Laurie had a quarrel with her, and so reduced in spirits that she desperately wished she had gone out with Aunt March. Beth got on pretty well, for she was constantly forgetting that it was to be all play, and no work, an fell back into her old ways now and then; but something in the air affected her, and more than once her tranquillity was much disturbed; so much so, that, on one occasion, she actually shook poor dear Joanna, and told her she was a `fright'. Amy fared worst of all, for her resources were small; and when her sisters left her to amuse and care for herself, she soon found tha

happened?' cried Jo, st

ck again, looking relieved, but rath

and let us do the best we can. It's a very queer thing for her to do, she doesn't act a bit like her

'm aching for something to do - that is, some

the truth of Hannah's saying, `Housekeeping ain't no joke.' There was plenty of food in the larder, and, while Beth

not to think of her, for she'd take care of herself,' said

boiled tea was very bitter, the omelette scorched, and the biscuits speckled with saleratus; b

' she said, producing the more palatable viands with which she had provided herself, and disposing of the bad

`Never mind, I'll get the dinner and be servant; you be mistress, keep your hands nice, se

ing the litter under the sofa, and shutting the blinds, to save the trouble of dusting. Jo, with perfect faith in her o

you think about having company,' said Meg,

or a relish", as Hannah says. We'll have lettuce, and make a salad. I don't know how, but the book t

nd molasses candy fit to eat. I wash my hands of the dinner-party; and since yo

and help with the pudding. You'll give me your advice

nd a few trifles. You had better ask Mother's leave

ol,' and Jo went off in a huff at

going out to dinner, and can't worry about thing

going to take a vacation today, and read,

in the morning, made Jo feel as if some natural phenomenon had occurred; for an

downstairs. `There's Beth crying; that's a sure sign that somethi

eth sobbing over Pip, the canary, who lay dead in the cage, with his little cla

op left. O Pip! O Pip! how could I be so cruel to you?' cried Be

tle heart, and finding him stiff and cold shook

maybe he will get warm and r

e shall be buried in the garden; and I'll never have another bird, never, my Pip! for I'm

ight this week, and Pip has had the worst of the experiment. Make the shroud, and lay him in my box; and, after th

Putting on a big apron she fell to work, and got the dishes piled up ready for washing, when she discovered that the fir

oung lobster, some very old asparagus, and two boxes of acid strawberries. By the time she got cleared up the dinner arrived, and the stove was red-hot. Hannah had left a pan of bread to rise, Meg had worked it up early

"riz" enough when it

t, while the dear departed lay in state in the domino box. A strange sense of helplessness fell upon the girls as the grey bonnet vanished round the comer; and despair seized them when, a few minutes later, Miss Crocker appeared, and said she'd come to dinner. Now, this lady was a thin, yellow spinster, with a sharp nose and inquis

asparagus for an hour, and was grieved to find the heads cooked off and the stalks harder than ever. The bread burnt black, for the salad-dressing so aggravated her that she let everything else go till she had convinced herself that she could not make it fit to eat. The lobster was a scarlet mystery to her, but

ht Jo, as she rang the bell half an hour later than usual, and stood, hot, tired, and dispirited, surveying the feast spread for Laurie, accustome

had a pitcher of rich cream to eat with it. Her hot cheeks cooled a trifle, and she drew a long breath, as the pretty glass plates went round, and everyone looked graciously at the little rosy islands floating in a sea of cream. Miss Crocker tasted first, made a wry face, and drank some water hastily. Jo, who had refused, thinking there

it?' exclaime

d the cream is sour,' replie

n the refrigerator. She turned scarlet, and was on the verge of crying, when she met Laurie's eyes, which would look merry in spite of his heroic efforts; the comical side of the affair suddenly struck he

story at another friend's dinner-table. They did sober themselves for Beth's sake; Laurie dug a grave under the ferns in the grove, little Pip was laid in, with many tears, by his te

lies Pi

d the 7th

and lame

t forgot

order. Meg helped Jo clear away the remains of the feast, which took half the afternoon, and left them so tired that they agreed to be contented with tea and toast for supper. Laurie took Amy for a drive, which was a deed of charity, for the

ands done; and one or two necessary bits of sewing neglected till the last minute. As twilight fell, dewy and still, one by one they g

is has been!' began Jo, u

r than usual, but so un

t like home

ittle Pip,' sighed Beth, glancing with f

you shall have another bir

r place among them, looking as if her holid

er week of it?' she asked, as Beth nestled up to her, and the rest tur

' cried Jo,

' echoed

etter to have a few duties, and

d Jo, shaking her head. `I'm tired of it, an

an should be without,' said Mrs. March, laughing inaudibly at the recollection

thing be, just to see how we'd get on?'

think you were very happy or amiable; so I thought, as a little lesson, I would show you what happens when everyone thinks only of herself. Don't you feel that it is p

er, we do!' cr

us, and lighten as we learn to carry them. Work is wholesome, and there is plenty for everyone; it keeps us from ennui a

t!' said Jo. `I'll learn plain cooking for my holiday ta

e. I can and I will, though I'm not fond of sewing; that will be better than f

thing, and ought to be studying, not playing,' was Beth's resolution; while Amy followed their exam

nd delve like slaves. Have regular hours for work and play; make each day both useful and pleasant, and prove that you understand the worth of ti

mber, Mother!