"I don't think I ever ought to call myself 'Unlucky Jo' again, when my greatest wish has been so beautifully gratified," said Mrs. Bhaer [Jo after marriage] . . .
"And yet your life is very different from the one you pictured so long ago. Do you remember our castles in the air?" asked Amy . . .
"Yes, I remember; but the life I wanted then seems selfish, lonely, and cold to me now. I haven't given up the hope that I may write a good book yet, but I can wait, and I'm sure it will be all the better for such experiences and illustrations as these;" and Jo pointed . . . to her mother, sitting enthroned among her daughters, with their children in her lap and at her feet, as if all found help and happiness in the face which never could grow old to them . . .
"Yes, Jo, I think your harvest will be a good one," began Mrs. March . . .
"Not half so good as yours, Marmee. Here it is, and we never can thank you enough for the patient sowing and reaping you have done," cried Jo, with the loving impetuosity which she never could outgrow.
"I hope there will be more wheat and fewer tares every year," said Amy softly.
"A large sheaf, but I know there's room in your heart for it, Marmee dear," added Meg's tender voice.
Touched to the heart, Mrs. March could only stretch out her arms, as if to gather children and grandchildren to herself, and say, with face and voice full of motherly love, gratitude, and humility, ~
"O my girls, however long you may live, I never can wish you a greater happiness than this!"
Little Women ~ Ch. 47
Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><
[Belle said] "Now do let me please myself by dressing you up in style . . . "
"You are very kind, but I don't mind my old dress, if you don't; it does well enough for a little girl like me," said Meg.
On the Thursday evening, Belle shut herself up with her maid; and, between them, they turned Meg into a fine lady . . .
"Mademoiselle is charmante, tres jolie, is she not?" cried Hortense, clasping her hands in an affected rapture.
"Come and show yourself," said Miss Belle, leading the way to the room where the others were waiting.
As Meg went rustling after, with her long skirts trailing, her ear-rings tinkling, her curls waving, and her heart beating . . . Margaret got safely down stairs, and sailed into the drawing-rooms, where the Moffats and a few early guests were assembled. She very soon discovered that there is a charm about fine clothes which attracts a certain class of people, and secures their respect. Several young ladies, who had taken no notice of her before, were very affectionate all of a sudden; several young gentlemen, who had only stared at her at the other party, now not only stared, but asked to be introduced, and said all manner of foolish but agreeable things to her . . .
The "queer feeling" did not pass away, but she imagined herself acting the new part of fine lady, and so got on pretty well, though the tight dress gave her a side-ache, the train kept getting under her feet, and she was in constant fear lest her ear-rings should fly off and get lost or broken . . .
She went and stood at a quiet window, to cool her cheeks, for the tight dress gave her an uncomfortably brilliant color. As she stood there, major Lincoln passed by; and, a minute after she heard him saying to his mother, ~
"They are making a fool of that little girl; I wanted you to see her, but they have spoilt her entirely; she's nothing but a doll, tonight."
"Oh, dear!" sighed Meg; "I wish I'd been sensible, and worn my own things; then I should not have disgusted other people, or felt so uncomfortable and ashamed of myself."
Little Women ~ Ch. 9
~~~~~~~~~~
"The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." ~I Samuel 16:7(b)
Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><
"Jo, I'm anxious about Beth."
Why, Marmee, she has seemed unusually well since [Meg's] babies came."
It's not her health that troubles me now; it's her spirits. I'm sure there is something on her mind, & I want you to discover what it is."
"What makes you think so, Marmee?"
"She sits alone a good deal, & doesn't talk to her father as much as she used to. I found her crying over the babies the other day. When she sings, the songs are always sad ones, & now & then I see a look in her face that I don't understand. This isn't like Beth, & it worries me."
"Have you asked her about it?"
"I have tried once or twice; but she either evaded my questions, or looked so distressed that I stopped. I never force my children's confidence, & I seldom have to wait for it long."
Mrs. March glanced at Jo as she spoke, but the face opposite seemed quite unconscious of any secret disquietude but Beth's; &, after sewing thoughtfully for a minute, Jo said ~
"I think she is growing up, & so begins to dream dreams, & have hopes & fears & fidgets, without knowing why, or being able to explain them. Why, Marmee, Beth's 18, but we don't realize it, & treat her like a child, forgetting she's a woman."
"So she is. Dear heart, how fast you do grow up," returned her mother, with a sigh & a smile.
"Can't be helped, Marmee, so you must resign yourself to all sorts of worries, & let your birds hop out of the nest, 1 by 1. I promise never to hop very far, if that is any comfort to you."
"It is a great comfort . . . "
Little Women ~ Ch. 32
Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><
"Then it was that Margaret, sitting alone with tears dropping often on her work, felt how rich she had been in things more precious than any luxuries money could buy ~ in love, protection, peace and health, the real blessings of life."
Little Women ~ Ch. 18
Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><
"Father, Marmee, this is my friend, Professor Bhaer," [Jo] said, with a face and tone of such irrepressible pride and pleasure that she might as well have blown a trumpet and opened the door with a flourish.
If the stranger had had any doubts about his reception, they were set at rest in a minute by the cordial welcome he received. Everyone greeted him kindly, for Jo's sake at first, but very soon they liked him for his own. They could not help it, for he carried the talisman that opens all hearts, and these simple people warmed to him at once, feeling even the more friendly because he was poor; for poverty enriches those who live above it, and is a sure passport to truly hospitable spirits. Mr. Bhaer sat looking about him with the air of a traveller who knocks at a strange door, and, when it opens, finds himself at home . . . The women telegraphed their approval to one another, and Mr. March, feeling that he had got a kindred spirit, opened his choicest stores for his guest's benefit . . .
A stealthy glance now and then refreshed her like sips of fresh water after a dusty walk, for the sidelong peeps showed her several propitious omens. Mr. Bhaer's face had lost the absent-minded expression, and looked all alive with interest in the present, actually young and handsome, she thought . . .
Little Women ~ Ch. 44
Dedicated to our future son-in-law.
Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><
"I want to ask a favor of you, Marmee," Amy said, coming in, with an important air, one day.
"Well, little girl, what is it?" replied her mother, in whose eyes the stately young lady still remained 'the baby.'"
Little Women ~ Ch. 26
For my youngest "baby" who will soon be 21 ~ whether I want her to be or not. :-)
Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><
ATTENTION homeschoolers & lovers of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott . . .
Here is an opportunity to down-load a FREE (FREE!!!!) audio version of Little Women.
This is a classic radio version of the reading of the book, complete with Katherine Hepburn as Jo.
Click HERE to get your FREE copy!
Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim (a.k.a. Marmee)<><
"Oh dear, how hard it does seem to take up our packs & go on," sighed Meg, the morning after the party; for, now the holidays were over, the week of merry-making did not fit her for going on with the task she never liked.
"I wish it was Christmas or New Year all the time; wouldn't it be fun?" answered Jo, yawning dismally.
"We shouldn't enjoy ourselves half so much as we do now. But it does seem nice to have little suppers & bouquets, & go to parties, & drive home, & read & rest, & not work. It's like other people, you know, & I always envy girls who do such things; I'm so fond of luxury," said Meg, trying to decide which of two gowns was the least shabby.
"Well, we can't have it, so don't let us grumble, but shoulder our bundles & trudge along as cheerfully as Marmee does."
Little Women ~ Ch. 4
Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><
"They [the Little Women] always looked back before turning the corner, for their Marmee was always at the window, to nod & smile, & wave her hand to them. Somehow it seemed as if they couldn't have got through the day without that; for, whatever their mood might be, the last glimpse of that motherly face was sure to affect them like sunshine."
Little Women ~ Ch. 4
Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><
"She's coming! Strike up, Beth! Open the door, Amy! Three cheers for Marmee!" cried Jo, prancing about while Meg went to conduct Marmee to the seat of honor.
Beth played her gayest march, Amy threw open the door, & Meg enacted escort with great dignity. Mrs. March was both surprised & touched; & smiled with her eyes full as she examined her presents, & read the little notes which accompanied them. The slippers went on at once, a new handkerchief was slipped into her pocked, well scented with Amy's cologne, the rose was fastened in her bosom, & the nice gloves were pronounced a "perfect fit."
There was a good deal of laughing & kissing & explaining, in the simple loving fashion which makes these home-festivals so pleasant at the time, so sweet to remember long afterward . . .
Little Women ~ Ch. 2
Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><
"Merry Christmas, Marmee! Many of them! . . . "
"Merry Christmas, little daughters! . . . "
Little Women ~ Chapter 2
If any of you are not familiar with Jill, Clair & Elizabeth Novak, they are a precious family team of writers who publish wonderful works on mother/daughter relationships & building tight, loving bonds between the two through home-life-building projects & articles; namely through their magazine The Girlhood Home Companion & other publications from Remembrance Press.
They have graciously given all of us a terrific CHRISTmas gift! Their most recent issue of The Girlhood Home Companion is entirely devoted to Little Women & they are giving us a glimpse into that issue by gifting us all w/a FREE PDF Little Women Christmas Brunch!!! Full of yummy recipes & homey, heartfelt remembrances of the season.
Here's their invitation:
Hello Mothers, Daughters, and Grandmothers, We would like to share a complimentary copy of the "Little Women" Christmas Brunch prepared by Elizabeth Novak for this special edition of The Girlhood Home Companion. Just follow the link to download your free copy: http://remembrancepress.com/?p=1771. Merry Christmas from Remembrance Press!
I can't wait to try these recipes & I'm looking forward to ordering my copy of the Little Women issue!
Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><
P.S. I was blessed to have been a contributor to her book "The Gift of Family Writing."
Jo was the 1st to wake in the gray dawn of Christmas morning. No stockings hung at the fireplace, & for a moment she felt as much disappointed as she did long ago when her little sock fell down because it was so crammed with goodies. Then she remembered her Marmee's promise, &, slipping her hand under her pillow, drew out a little crimson-covered Book. She knew it very well, for it was that beautiful old story of the best life ever lived, & Jo felt that it was a true guide-book for any pilgrim going the long journey. She woke Meg with a "Merry Christmas," & bade her see what was under her pillow. A green-covered Book appeared, with the same picture inside, & a few words written by their Marmee, which made their one present very precious in their eyes. Presently Beth & Amy woke, to rummage & find their little Books also, ~ one dove-colored, the other blue; & all sat looking at & talking about them, while the east grew rosy with the coming day . . .
"Girls," said Meg seriously, looking from the tumbled head beside her to the 2 little night-capped ones in the room beyond, "Marmee wants us to read & love & mind these Books, & we must begin at once. We used to be faithful about it . . . we have neglected many things. You can do as you please; but I shall keep my Book on the table here, & read a little every morning as soon as I wake, for I know it will do me good, & help me through the day."
Then she opened her new Book & began to read. Jo put her arm round her, &, leaning cheek to cheek, read also, with the quiet expression so seldom seen on her restless face.
Little Women ~ Ch. 2
CHRISTmas blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><
"I was very unwise to let you go among people of whom I know so little, --kind, I dare say, but worldly, ill-bred, & full of these vulgar ideas about young people. I am more sorry than I can express for the mischief this visit may have done you, Meg . . ."
". . . But it is nice to be praised & admired, & I can't help saying I like it," said Meg, looking half ashamed of the confession.
"This is perfectly natural, & quite harmless, if the liking does not become a passion, & lead one to do foolish or unmaidenly things. Learn to know & value the praise which is worth having, & to excite the admiration of excellent people by being modest as well as pretty."
Little Women ~ Ch. IX
Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><
"It's my dreadful temper! I try to cure it; I think I have, & then it breaks out worse than ever. O Marmee, what shall I do? What shall I do?" cried Jo, in despair.
"Watch & pray, dear; never get tired of trying; & never think it is impossible to conquer your fault," said Mrs. March, drawing the blowzy head to her shoulder, & kissing the wet cheek so tenderly that Jo cried harder than ever.
"You don't know, you can't guess how bad it is! It seems as if I could do anything when I'm in a passion; I get so savage, I could hurt any one, & enjoy it. I'm afraid I shall do something dreadful some day, & spoil my life, & make everybody hate me. O Marmee, help me, do help me!"
"I will, my child, I will. Don't cry so bitterly, but remember this day, & resolve, with all y our soul, that you will never know another like it. Jo, dear, we all have our temptations, some far greater than yours, & it often takes us all our lives to conquer them. You think your temper is the worst int he world; but mine used to be just like it."
"Yours, Marmee? Why, you are never angry!" and, for the moment Jo forgot remorse in surprise.
"I've been trying to cure it for 40 years, & have only succeeded in controlling it. I am angry nearly every day of my life, Jo; but I have learned not to show it; & I still hope to learn not to feel it, thought it may take another 40 years to do so."
The patience & the humility of the face she loved so well was a better lesson to Jo than the wisest lecture, the sharpest reproof. She felt comforted at once by the sympathy & confidence given her; the knowledge that her own mother had a fault like hers, & tried to mend it, made her own easier to bear & strengthened her resolution to cure it; though 40 years seemed rather a long time to watch & pray, to a girl of 15.
Little Women ~ Ch. 8
Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><
Mrs. March [Marmee] broke the silence that followed Jo's words, by saying in her cheery voice, "Do you remember how you used to play Pilgrim's Progress when you were little things? Nothing delighted you more than to have me tie my piece-bags on your backs for burdens, give you hats & sticks & rolls of paper, & let you travel through the house from the cellar, which was the City of Destruction, up, up, to the house-top, where you had all the lovely things you could collect to make a Celestial City."
"What fun it was, especially by the lions, fighting Apollyon, & passing through the Valley where the hobgoblins were!" said Jo.
"I liked the place where the bundles fell off & tumbled downstairs," said Meg.
"My favorite part was when we came out on the flat roof where our flowers & arbors & pretty things were, & all stood & sand for joy up there in the sunshine," said Beth, smiling, as if that pleasant moment had come back to her" . . .
. . . "If I wasn't too old for such things, I'd rather like to play it over again," said Amy, who began to talk of renouncing childish things at the mature age of twelve.
"We never are too old for this, my dear," said Marmee, "because it is a play we are playing all the time in one way or another. Our burdens are here, our road is before us, & the longing for goodness & happiness is the guide that leads us through many troubles & mistakes to the peace which is the true Celestial City. Now, my little pilgrims, suppose you begin again, not in play, but in earnest, & see how far on your can get before father comes home."
Little Women ~ Ch. 1
Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><
Now, if she had been the heroine of a moral story-book, she ought at this period of her life to have become quite saintly, renounced the world, & gone about doing good in a mortified bonnet, with tracts in her pocket. But, you see, Jo wasn't a heroine; she was only a struggling human girl, like hundreds of others, & she just acted out her nature, being sad, cross, listless, or energetic, as the mood suggested . . . Jo had got so far, she was learning to do her duty, & to feel unhappy if she did not; but to do it cheerfully ~~ ah, that was another thing! She had wanted to do something splendid, no matter how hard . . .
Providence had taken her at her word; here was the task, not what she had expected, but better, because self had no part in it: now, could she do it? She decided she would try; &, in her 1st attempt, she found the helps I have suggested. Still another was given her, & she took it, not as a reward, but as a comfort, as Christian took the refreshment afforded by the little arbor where he rested, as he climbed the hill called Difficulty.
"Why don't you write? That always used to make you happy," said her Marmee, once, when the desponding fit overshadowed Jo . . . "write something for us, & never mind the rest of the world. Try it, dear; I'm sure it would do you good, & please us very much" . . .
An hour afterward her Marmee peeped in, & there she was, scratching away, w/her black pinafore on, & an absorbed expression, which caused Mrs. March to smile, & slip away, well pleased w/the success of her suggestion. Jo never knew how it happened, but something got into that story that went straight to the hearts of those who read it; for, when her family had laughed & cried over it, her father sent it, much against her will, to one of the popular magazines, &, to her utter surprise . . . Letters from several persons, whose praise was honor, followed the appearance of the little story, newspapers copied it, & strangers as well as friends admired it . . .
"I don't understand it. What can there be in a simple little story like that, to make people praise it so?" she said, quite bewildered.
"There is truth in it, Jo, that's the secret . . . You wrote w/no thought of fame or money, & put your heart into it, my daughter; you have had the bitter, now comes the sweet. Do your best, & grow as happy as we are in your success."
Little Women ~ Ch. 42
"The longings of your heart are not incidental, they are critical messages. The desires of your heart are not to be ignored, they are to be consulted. As the wind turns the weather vane, so God uses your passions to turn your life. God is too gracious to ask you to do something you hate." ~Max Lucado~Just Like Jesus.
Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><
"He bore it as long as he could; but when he was appealed to for an opinion, he blazed up with honest indignation, & defended religion with all the eloquence of truth, ~ an eloquence which made his broken English musical, & his plain face beautiful. He had a hard fight, for the wise men argued well; but he didn't know when he was beaten, & stood to his colors like a man. Somehow, as he talked, the world got right again to Jo; the old beliefs, that had lasted so long, seemed better than the new; God was not a blind force, & immortality was not a pretty fable, but a blessed fact. She felt as if she had solid ground under her feet again; Jo wanted to clap her hands & thank him.
"She did neither; but she remembered this scene, & gave the Professor her heartiest respect, for she knew it cost him an effort to speak out then & there, because his conscience would not let him be silent. She began to see that character is a better possession than money, rank, intellect, or beauty; & to feel that if greatness is what a wise man has defined it to be, 'truth, reverence, & good-will,' then her friend Friedrich Bhaer was not only good, but great."
Little Women ~ Chapter 34 [emphasis mine, KW<><]
Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><
"My Jo, you may say anything to your mother, for it is my greatest happiness & pride to feel that my girls confide in me, & know how much I love them."
"I thought I'd grieved you."
"No, dear; but speaking of Father reminded me how much I miss him, how much I owe him & how faithfully I should watch & work to keep his little daughters safe & good for him"
"Yet you told him to go [to war], Mother, & didn't cry when he went, & never complain now, or seem as if you needed any help," said Jo, wondering.
"I gave my best to the country I love, & kept my tears till he was gone. Why should I complain, when we both have merely done our duty & will surely be happier for it in the end? If I don't seem to need help, it is because I have a better Friend, even than Father, to comfort & sustain me. My child, the troubles & temptations of your life are beginning, & may be many; but you can overcome & outlive them all if you learn to feel the strength & tenderness of your Heavenly Father as you do that of your earthly one. The more you love & trust Him, the nearer you will feel to Him, & the less you will depend on human power & wisdom. His love & care never tire or change, can never be taken from you, but may become the source of life-long peace, happiness & strength. Believe this heartily, & go to God w/all your little cares, & hopes, & sins, & sorrows, as freely & confidingly as you come to your mother."
Jo's only answer was to hold her mother close, &, in the silence which followed, the sincerest prayer she had ever prayed left her heart without words; for in that sad, yet happy hour, she had learned not only the bitterness of remorse & despair, but the sweetness of self-denial & self-control; &, led by her mother's hand, she had drawn nearer to the Friend Who welcomes every child w/a love stronger than that of any father, tenderer than that of any mother.
Little Women ~ Ch. 8
Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><
"The household happiness did not come all at once, but John & Meg had found the key to it, & each year of married life taught them how to use it, unlocking the treasuries of real home-love & mutual helpfulness, which the poorest may possess, & the richest cannot buy. This is the sort of shelf on which young wives & mothers may consent to be laid, safe from the restless fret & fever of the world, finding loyal lovers in the little sons & daughters who cling to them, undaunted by sorrows, poverty, or age; walking side by side, through fair & stormy weather, with a faithful friend, who is, in the true sense of the good old Saxon word, the 'house-band,' & learning, as Meg learned, that a woman's happiest kingdom is home, her highest honor that art of ruling it, not as a queen, but a wise wife & mother."
Little Women ~ Chapter 38
{Dedicated to my Sweetheart, my husband, my "house-band" ~ we will celebrate 27 years of marriage in a mere 3 days. He is the godly husband my parents & I always prayed I would have. I am a blessed woman.}
Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><
So the spring days came & went, the sky grew clearer, the earth greener, the flowers were up fair & early, & the birds came back in time to say good-by to Beth, who, like a tired but trustful child, clung to the hands that had led her all her life, as Father & Mother guided her tenderly through the Valley of the Shadow, & gave her up to God.
Seldom, except in books, do the dying utter memorable words, see visions or depart w/beatified countenances; & those who have sped many parting souls know that to most the end comes as naturally & simply as sleep. As Beth had hoped, the "tide went out easily;" & in the dark hour before the dawn, on the bosom where she had drawn her first breath, she quietly drew her last, w/no farewell but one loving look, one little sigh.
With tears & prayers & tender hands, Mother & sisters made her ready for the long sleep that pain would never mar again, seeing w/grateful eyes the beautiful serenity that soon replaced the pathetic patience that had wrung their hearts so long, & feeling, w/reverent joy, that to their darling death was a benignant angel, not a phantom full of dread.
When morning came, for the first time in many months the fire was out, Jo's place was empty [beside Beth], & the room was very still. But a bird sang blithely on a budding bough, close by, the snow-drops blossomed freshly at the window, & the spring sunshine streamed in like a benediction over the placid face upon the pillow, ~ a face so full of painless peace that those who loved it best smiled through their tears, & thanked God that Beth was well at last.
Little Women ~ Chapter 40
{Dedicated to my mother ~ Lorene Chandler, Feb. 1930 - Sept. 2011 ~ Who's "tide went out easily" as we had prayed it would. PTL.}
Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><
Edinburgh
