第38章

AndLauriemeantwhathesaid。

“Iknowyouwill，andI’meversomuchobliged。Youarealwaysagreatcomforttome，Teddy，“returnedJo，gratefullyshakinghands。

“Well，now，don’tbedismal，there’sagoodfellow。It’sallrightyousee。Megishappy，Brookewillflyroundandgetsettledimmediately，Grandpawillattendtohim，anditwillbeveryjollytoseeMeginherownlittlehouse。We’llhavecapitaltimesaftersheisgone，forIshallbethroughcollegebeforelong，andthenwe’llgoabroadonsomenicetriporother。Wouldn’tthatconsoleyou？“

“Iratherthinkitwould，butthere’snoknowingwhatmayhappeninthreeyears，“saidJothoughtfully。

“That’strue。Don’tyouwishyoucouldtakealookforwardandweewhereweshallallbethen？Ido，“returnedLaurie。

“Ithinknot，forImightseesomethingsad，andeveryonelookssohappynow，Idon’tbelievetheycouldbemuchimproved。“AndJo’seyeswentslowlyroundtheroom，brighteningastheylooked，fortheprospectwasapleasantone。

FatherandMothersattogether，quietlyrelivingthefirstchapteroftheromancewhichforthembegansometwentyyearsago。

Amywasdrawingthelovers，whosatapartinabeautifulworldoftheirown，thelightofwhichtouchedtheirfaceswithagracethelittleartistcouldnotcopy。Bethlayonhersofa，talkingcheerilywithheroldfriend，whoheldherlittlehandasifhefeltthatitpossessedthepowertoleadhimalongthepeacefulwayshewalked。

Joloungedinherfavoritelowseat，withthegravequietlookwhichbestbecameher，andLaurie，leaningonthebackofherchair，hischinonalevelwithhercurlyhead，smiledwithhisfriendliestaspect，andnoddedatherinthelongglasswhichreflectedthemboth。

SothecurtainfallsuponMeg，Jo，Beth，andAmy。Whetheriteverrisesagain，dependsuponthereceptiongiveNthefirstactofthedomesticdramacalledLITTLEWOMEN。

InorderthatwemaystartafreshandgotoMeg’sweddingwithfreeminds，itwillbewelltobeginwithalittlegossipabouttheMarches。Andhereletmepremisethatifanyoftheeldersthinkthereistoomuch`lovering’inthestory，asIfeartheymay(I’mnotafraidtheyoungfolkswillmakethatobjection)，IcanonlysaywithMrs。March，“WhatcanyouexpectwhenIhavefourgaygirlsinthehouse，andadashingyoungneighborovertheway？“

Thethreeyearsthathavepassedhavebroughtbutfewchangestothequietfamily。Thewarisover，andMr。Marchsafelyathome，busywithhisbooksandthesmallparishwhichfoundinhimaministerbynatureasbygrace，aquiet，studiousman，richinthewisdomthatisbetterthanlearning，thecharitywhichcallsallmankind`brother’，thepietythatblossomsintocharacter，makingitaugustandlovely。

Theseattributes，inspiteofpovertyandthestrictintegritywhichshuthimoutfromthemoreworldlysuccesses，attractedtohimmanyadmirablepersons，asnaturallyassweetherbsdrawbees，andasnaturallyhegavethemthehoneyintowhichfiftyyearsofhardexperiencehaddistillednobitterdrop。Earnestyoungmenfoundthegray-headedscholarasyoungatheartasthey，thoughtfulortroubledwomeninstinctivelybroughttheirdoubtstohim，sureoffindingthegentlestsympathy，thewisestcounsel。Sinnerstoldtheirsinstothepure-heartedoldmanandwerebothrebukedandsaved。Giftedmenfoundacompanioninhim。Ambitiousmencaughtglimpsesofnoblerambitionsthantheirown，andevenworldlingsconfessedthathisbeliefswerebeautifulandtrue，although`theywouldn’tpay’。

Tooutsidersthefiveenergeticwomenseemedtorulethehouse，andsotheydidinmanythings，butthequietscholar，sittingamonghisbooks，wasstilltheheadofthefamily，thehouseholdconscience，anchor，andcomforter，fortohimthebusy，anxiouswomenalwaysturnedintroubloustimes，findinghim，inthetruestsenseofthosesacredwords，husbandandfather。

Thegirlsgavetheirheartsintotheirmother’skeeping，theirsoulsintotheirfather’s，andtobothparents，wholivedandlaboredsofaithfullyforthem，theygavealovethatgrewwiththeirgrowthandboundthemtenderlytogetherbythesweetesttiewhichblesseslifeandoutlivesdeath。

Mrs。Marchisasbriskandcheery，thoughrathergrayer，thanwhenwesawherlast，andjustnowsoabsorbedinMeg’saffairsthatthehospitalsandhomesstillfullofwounded`boys’andsoldiers’

widows，decidedlymissthemotherlymissionary’svisits。

JohnBrookedidhisdutymanfullyforayear，gotwounded，wassenthome，andnotallowedtoreturn。Hereceivednostarsorbars，buthedeservedthem，forhecheerfullyriskedallhehad，andlifeandloveareverypreciouswhenbothareinfullbloom。Perfectlyresignedtohisdischarge，hedevotedhimselftogettingwell，preparingforbusiness，andearningahomeforMeg。Withthegoodsenseandsturdyindependencethatcharacterizedhim，herefusedMr。Laurence’smoregenerousoffers，andacceptedtheplaceofbookkeeper，feelingbettersatisfiedtobeginwithanhonestlyearnedsalarythanbyrunninganyriskswithborrowedmoney。

Meghadspentthetimeinworkingaswellaswaiting，growingwomanlyincharacter，wiseinhousewifelyarts，andprettierthanever，forloveisagreatbeautifier。Shehadhergirlishambitionsandhopes，andfeltsomedisappointmentatthehumblewayinwhichthenewlifemustbegin。NedMoffathadjustm