Little Women

570 Pages·2013·1.2 MB·English

Little Women
by Louisa May Alcott
StyledbyLimpidSoft
Contents
CHAPTERONE 4
CHAPTERTWO 16
CHAPTERTHREE 28
CHAPTERFOUR 40
CHAPTERFIVE 53
CHAPTERSIX 67
CHAPTERSEVEN 75
CHAPTEREIGHT 83
CHAPTERNINE 96
CHAPTERTEN 115
CHAPTERELEVEN 130
CHAPTERTWELVE 143
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN 165
CHAPTERFOURTEEN 176
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CONTENTS
CHAPTERFIFTEEN 187
CHAPTERSIXTEEN 197
CHAPTERSEVENTEEN 207
CHAPTEREIGHTEEN 215
CHAPTERNINETEEN 224
CHAPTERTWENTY 234
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE 242
CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO 256
CHAPTERTWENTY-THREE 264
CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR 277
CHAPTERTWENTY-FIVE 290
CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX 298
CHAPTERTWENTY-SEVEN 310
CHAPTERTWENTY-EIGHT 318
CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE 334
CHAPTERTHIRTY 348
CHAPTERTHIRTY-ONE 361
CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO 374
CHAPTERTHIRTY-THREE 387
CHAPTERTHIRTY-FOUR 403
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CONTENTS
CHAPTERTHIRTY-FIVE 420
CHAPTERTHIRTY-SIX 432
CHAPTERTHIRTY-SEVEN 438
CHAPTERTHIRTY-EIGHT 451
CHAPTERTHIRTY-NINE 465
CHAPTERFORTY 481
CHAPTERFORTY-ONE 488
CHAPTERFORTY-TWO 501
CHAPTERFORTY-THREE 510
CHAPTERFORTY-FOUR 528
CHAPTERFORTY-FIVE 534
CHAPTERFORTY-SIX 541
CHAPTERFORTY-SEVEN 557
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CHAPTER ONE
PLAYING PILGRIMS
“Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents,”
grumbledJo,lyingontherug.
“It’ssodreadfultobepoor!” sighedMeg,lookingdown
atherolddress.
“I don’t think it’s fair for some girls to have plenty of
pretty things, and other girls nothing at all,” added little
Amy,withaninjuredsniff.
“We’vegotFatherandMother,andeachother,”saidBeth
contentedlyfromhercorner.
Thefouryoungfacesonwhichthefirelightshonebright-
ened at the cheerful words, but darkened again as Jo said
sadly, “We haven’t got Father, and shall not have him for
a long time.” She didn’t say “perhaps never,” but each
silently added it, thinking of Father far away, where the
fightingwas.
Nobodyspokeforaminute; thenMegsaidinanaltered
tone, “You know the reason Mother proposed not having
any presents this Christmas was because it is going to be
a hard winter for everyone; and she thinks we ought not
to spend money for pleasure, when our men are suffering
so in the army. We can’t do much, but we can make our
littlesacrifices, andought todo itgladly. ButI amafraid I
CHAPTER ONE
don’t,”andMegshookherhead,asshethoughtregretfully
ofalltheprettythingsshewanted.
“But I don’t think the little we should spend would do
anygood. We’veeachgotadollar, andthearmywouldn’t
be much helped by our giving that. I agree not to expect
anythingfromMotheroryou,butIdowanttobuyUndine
andSintranformyself. I’vewanteditsolong,”saidJo,who
wasabookworm.
“Iplannedtospendmineinnewmusic,”saidBeth,with
a little sigh, which no one heard but the hearth brush and
kettle-holder.
“IshallgetaniceboxofFaber’sdrawingpencils;Ireally
needthem,”saidAmydecidedly.
“Mother didn’t say anything about our money, and she
won’t wish us to give up everything. Let’s each buy what
we want, and have a little fun; I’m sure we work hard
enoughtoearnit,”criedJo,examiningtheheelsofhershoes
inagentlemanlymanner.
“IknowIdo–teachingthosetiresomechildrennearlyall
day, when I’m longing to enjoy myself at home,” began
Meg,inthecomplainingtoneagain.
“You don’t have half such a hard time as I do,” said Jo.
“How would you like to be shut up for hours with a ner-
vous,fussyoldlady,whokeepsyoutrotting,isneversatis-
fied,andworriesyoutillyou’rereadytoflyoutthewindow
orcry?”
“It’s naughty to fret, but I do think washing dishes and
keepingthingstidyistheworstworkintheworld.Itmakes
mecross, andmyhandsgetsostiff, Ican’tpracticewellat
all.” And Beth looked at her rough hands with a sigh that
anyonecouldhearthattime.
“I don’t believe any of you suffer as I do,” cried Amy,
“for you don’t have to go to school with impertinent girls,
whoplagueyouifyoudon’tknowyourlessons,andlaugh
at your dresses, and label your father if he isn’t rich, and
insultyouwhenyournoseisn’tnice.”
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CHAPTER ONE
“Ifyoumeanlibel,I’dsayso,andnottalkaboutlabels,as
ifPapawasapicklebottle,”advisedJo,laughing.
“IknowwhatImean,andyouneedn’tbestatiricalabout
it. It’spropertousegoodwords,andimproveyourvocabi-
lary,”returnedAmy,withdignity.
“Don’tpeckatoneanother,children. Don’tyouwishwe
hadthemoneyPapalostwhenwewerelittle,Jo? Dearme!
Howhappyandgoodwe’dbe,ifwehadnoworries!” said
Meg,whocouldrememberbettertimes.
“Yousaidtheotherdayyouthoughtwewereadealhap-
pierthantheKingchildren,fortheywerefightingandfret-
tingallthetime,inspiteoftheirmoney.”
“So I did, Beth. Well, I think we are. For though we do
have to work, we make fun of ourselves, and are a pretty
jollyset,asJowouldsay.”
“Jo does use such slang words!” observed Amy, with a
reprovinglookatthelongfigurestretchedontherug.
Joimmediatelysatup,putherhandsinherpockets,and
begantowhistle.
“Don’t,Jo. It’ssoboyish!”
“That’swhyIdoit.”
“Idetestrude,unladylikegirls!”
“Ihateaffected,niminy-piminychits!”
“Birds in their little nests agree,” sang Beth, the peace-
maker, with such a funny face that both sharp voices soft-
enedtoalaugh,andthe“pecking”endedforthattime.
“Really, girls, you are both to be blamed,” said Meg, be-
ginning to lecture in her elder-sisterly fashion. “You are
oldenoughtoleaveoffboyishtricks,andtobehavebetter,
Josephine. It didn’t matter so much when you were a lit-
tlegirl,butnowyouaresotall,andturnupyourhair,you
shouldrememberthatyouareayounglady.”
“I’m not! And if turning up my hair makes me one, I’ll
wearitintwotailstillI’mtwenty,”criedJo,pullingoffher
net,andshakingdownachestnutmane.“IhatetothinkI’ve
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CHAPTER ONE
gottogrowup,andbeMissMarch,andwearlonggowns,
andlookasprimasaChinaAster! It’sbadenoughtobea
girl, anyway, when I like boy’s games and work and man-
ners! Ican’tgetovermydisappointmentinnotbeingaboy.
Andit’sworsethanevernow,forI’mdyingtogoandfight
withPapa. AndIcanonlystayhomeandknit,likeapoky
oldwoman!”
And Jo shook the blue army sock till the needles rattled
likecastanets,andherballboundedacrosstheroom.
“PoorJo! It’stoobad,butitcan’tbehelped. Soyoumust
try to be contented with making your name boyish, and
playing brother to us girls,” said Beth, stroking the rough
head with a hand that all the dish washing and dusting in
theworldcouldnotmakeungentleinitstouch.
“As for you, Amy,” continued Meg, “you are altogether
tooparticularandprim. Yourairsarefunnynow,butyou’ll
growupanaffectedlittlegoose,ifyoudon’ttakecare.Ilike
yournicemannersandrefinedwaysofspeaking,whenyou
don’ttrytobeelegant. Butyourabsurdwordsareasbadas
Jo’sslang.”
“IfJoisatomboyandAmyagoose,whatamI,please?”
askedBeth,readytosharethelecture.
“You’readear,andnothingelse,”answeredMegwarmly,
andnoonecontradictedher,forthe‘Mouse’wasthepetof
thefamily.
Asyoungreadersliketoknow‘howpeoplelook’,wewill
takethismomenttogivethemalittlesketchofthefoursis-
ters,whosatknittingawayinthetwilight,whiletheDecem-
ber snow fell quietly without, and the fire crackled cheer-
fullywithin. Itwasacomfortableroom, thoughthecarpet
wasfadedandthefurnitureveryplain,foragoodpictureor
twohungonthewalls,booksfilledtherecesses,chrysanthe-
mumsandChristmasrosesbloomedinthewindows,anda
pleasantatmosphereofhomepeacepervadedit.
Margaret, the eldest of the four, was sixteen, and very
pretty,beingplumpandfair,withlargeeyes,plentyofsoft
brownhair,asweetmouth,andwhitehands,ofwhichshe
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CHAPTER ONE
wasrathervain. Fifteen-year-oldJowasverytall,thin,and
brown, and reminded one of a colt, for she never seemed
to know what to do with her long limbs, which were very
muchinherway. Shehadadecidedmouth,acomicalnose,
and sharp, gray eyes, which appeared to see everything,
and were by turns fierce, funny, or thoughtful. Her long,
thick hair was her one beauty, but it was usually bundled
into a net, to be out of her way. Round shoulders had Jo,
big hands and feet, a flyaway look to her clothes, and the
uncomfortableappearanceofagirlwhowasrapidlyshoot-
ing up into a woman and didn’t like it. Elizabeth, or Beth,
as everyone called her, was a rosy, smooth- haired, bright-
eyedgirlofthirteen,withashymanner,atimidvoice,and
apeacefulexpressionwhichwasseldomdisturbed. Herfa-
thercalledher‘LittleMissTranquility’,andthenamesuited
her excellently, for she seemed to live in a happy world of
her own, only venturing out to meet the few whom she
trustedandloved. Amy, thoughtheyoungest, wasamost
important person, in her own opinion at least. A regular
snow maiden, with blue eyes, and yellow hair curling on
her shoulders, pale and slender, and always carrying her-
self like a young lady mindful of her manners. What the
charactersofthefoursisterswerewewillleavetobefound
out.
The clock struck six and, having swept up the hearth,
Beth put a pair of slippers down to warm. Somehow the
sight of the old shoes had a good effect upon the girls, for
Mother was coming, and everyone brightened to welcome
her. Megstoppedlecturing,andlightedthelamp,Amygot
outoftheeasychairwithoutbeingasked,andJoforgothow
tiredshewasasshesatuptoholdtheslippersnearertothe
blaze.
“They are quite worn out. Marmee must have a new
pair.”
“IthoughtI’dgethersomewithmydollar,”saidBeth.
“No,Ishall!” criedAmy.
“I’mtheoldest,”beganMeg,butJocutinwithadecided,
“I’m the man of the family now Papa is away, and I shall
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