The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1876-01-13
MISCELLANY.
LITTLE WOMEN.

MlSCELLANl /.
LITTLE WOMEN: . -.
fNew York Correspondence Of the Buffalo
=; Courier.1 ",
Imagine tsll, graceful woman, whom
you call middle-aged, with dark and bril-.
liant eyes, rich and wavy hair Of brown;
a pretty mouth, that is easily indicative
of either dislike or pleasure, but usually
of the latter wei! formed woman, with
an elastic tread and gentle manner, and
you have Louise NJ. Acct, whose Lit.
tie Women has attracted almost world
wide attention, and given her many known
and unknown admirers.
It has been my good fortune to be
seated at her side three times day, or
Just twenty.one times week, Of late
and hope it will be so all winter-at
the table in we'll known clearinghouse
in New York. And although my first
meal with her was one which caused me
to forget my hunger, and stare IT. her
with every chance I got, and wonder what
she was thinking about, and if Lawry
and 10, and Beth, were only myths, and
Little Women'' only ; fairy tale, but
pOSltlVo lu8b BIC Wst%0t u1S0 OSSu tAo
good nurse in "Hospital Sketches '-still
It was not long before l Was drawn into
delightful conversation with her the fact
steadily drawing upon me that WAS re-
ally talking with 40" It was 1t dinner
one day that satisfied myself, almost to
my hearts content, with . conversation
about her books. She had just come in
from long walk, and IS she sat down to
the table with her rudy cheeks all
aglow, she turned toward Miss Holley-a
lady who is doing and has done much for
the freedmen, and who is IN advocate o
the woman reform movement - and said
something to her about being in Syracuse
last October. It was an cxcellant chance
for my tongue to free itself, and said
II understand, Miss Alcott. that you
were in that woman's congress!'
Eyes, I WAS, and am, decidedly" she
replied; land although l can't hope for
any immediate good result, still, before
long expect that women will have some
few rights
"Why, Miss Alcott!" answered quite
surprised, II never supposed that you
cared or thought much upon woman's
rights; certainly your books would never
give one that idea
'They don't! Well, then must say
they re failure. But what objection do
you have! Don't you think that lone
woman has just ~ much right to vote as
any lord Of creation? live in the little
town Of Concord; Why don't 1 have just
as much right to vote; I have to pay tax
es the samel"
didn't attempt to put forth any bold
argument why I thought it unnecessary
for women to vote, but said that tho only
positive objection I had to it was, that
when coming home from the Office where
I had been earning bread for my family
by the perspiration Of my noble brow, to
find no loving hands to caress me, no
slippers waiting me by the fire. place, but
my wife in hot discussion with some 9th.
er woman concerning politics, while tho
baby was squalling like mad in the bath
tub, and then in this fearful moment to
be asked, "Why did Mississippi 60 Demo
cratic" would be anything but pleasant.
"Ah," Miss Alcott answered, ''but We
don't intend that they shall neglect other
duties for politics. don't believe that
it will be any thing out of woman s sphere,
and the next book Tissue shall have some.
thing to say to the girls upon this sub
ject, and see if I can't exert = good in
fuence that way
added that thou ht she had already
been Of much service, that her books
were beneficial to all readers, and the
more she wrote OF them the better.
She did not remark on my observation
but continued: "The time that I really
did think l was out Of my sphere was
when, one cold winters night, I left
Washington all alone for the hospital,
during the war, to give what little help 1
could to my country, and although felt
it was my duty to do what 1 did, still
when l was brought into such close con.
tact with the dead and tho dying, and so
close to the worst Of characters,I thought
to myself that I was indeed ont Of my
sphere"
$50 your Hospital Sketches were true
tnen?'' I asked.
''Most certainly. They are letters that
l sent home and printed almost verbatim;
yes, indeed, they were true. 1 have 4
lock of poor Johns hair now, and I
treasure it very much. As for tho ser.
geant, ! have letters from him quite
oiten.''' go
"And how about Little Wonder'!" I
queried, lis that true too!''
'The most Of it; but ah that is 4 book
that astonishes me- said Miss Alcott,
with = peculiar smile playing about her
features. ~.
"Astonishes you," replied. "Well, 1
should think it would, for never was
better book written for young people,
and old too, for that Natter IL ::
"Come. come, don't make such efforts
at complimcnting don't like them, but
you haven't any idea how it astonishes
mo the more think Of it. WHY do Won
know that my first book, :Ho5Sital
Sketches fell farther below public atten.
ton than supposed it would 1t really
discouraged me, but my publisher wanted
another, and told me To- write about
girls I told him I couldn't; that /
did't know anything shout: girls; that it
was great mistake that 1 was born 4
girl, and that didn't like them; that l
would write about boys. But no, he
wanted book about girls, saying there
were too many boys books. Well, to be
brief; 1 wrote . book about girls, brought
it to the publisher with fear and trem.