Little Women
684 pages
File size: 4.3 MB
‘Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents,’
grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.
‘It’s so dreadful to be poor!’ sighed Meg, looking down at
her old dress.
‘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, with an
injured sniff.
‘We’ve got Father and Mother, and each other,’ said Beth
contentedly from her corner.
The four young faces on which the firelight shone brightened
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
fighting was.
Nobody spoke for a minute; then Meg said in an altered 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 little sacrifices, and ought to do it
gladly. But I am afraid I don’t.’ And Meg shook her head, as she thought
regretfully of all the pretty things she wanted.
‘But I don’t think the little we should spend would do any
good. We’ve each got a dollar, and the army wouldn’t be much helped by our
giving that. I agree not to expect anything from Mother or you, but I do want
to buy UNDINE AND SINTRAM for myself. I’ve wanted it so long,’ said Jo, who was
a bookworm.
‘I planned to spend mine in new music,’ said Beth, with a
little sigh, which no one heard but the hearth brush and kettle holder.
‘I shall get a nice box of Faber’s drawing pencils. I really
need them,’ said Amy decidedly.
‘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 enough to earn it,’ cried Jo, examining the heels of
her shoes in a gentlemanly manner.
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