The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-08-04
LITTLE WOMEN
BY LOUISA NJ. ALCOTT
Condensation by mss Carolyn Wells

Condensation by i
In their old-fashioned New England
home the little women lived with Mrs.
March, their brisk and CHEEKY mother
who always had a "can-I-help-you"
look about her, and whom her four
girls lovingly called "Marmee"
Pretty Meg, the oldest, was Is, and
already showed domestic tastes and
talents, though she detested the drug
cry of household work and a little
vain of her white hands, longed at
heart to be a fine lady. 10, IS, was
tall, thin and coltish, and gloried in
an unconcealed scorn of polite con-
ventions. Beth, IS, was a loveable
little thing, shy, fond of her dolls and
devoted to music, which she tried
hopefully to produce from the old,
jingling tinpan Of a piano Amy, /,
considered herself the flower of the
family. An adorable blonde, she adj
mitted that the trial of her life was
her nose. For, when she was a baby
10 had accidently dropped her into a
coal bod and permanently flattened
, that feature, and though poor Amy
slept with a patent clothespin pinch
ing it, she couldn't attain the Grecian
erect so much desired
Father March was an army chap
lain in the Civil war, and in his alb.
sence 10 declared herself to be the
man of the family. To add to their
income, she went every day to read
to Aunt March, a peppery old lady;
and Meg, too, earned a small salary
as daily nursery governess to a
neighbours children.
In the big house next door to the
Marches lived a rich old gentleman,
Mr.. Laurence, and his grandson, a jol-
ly, chummy boy called Laurie. Though
awe-inspiring at first, Mr.. Laurence
proved both kindly and generous, and
even timid Beth mustered up courage
! to go over to the palace Beautiful"
at twilight and play softly on the
grand piano there. But, as she con-
| fessed to her mother, when she began
she was SO frightened that her feet
| chartered on the floor!
The night Laurie took the other two
girls to the theatre, Amy, though not
| invited, insisted on going too. 10
Grossly declared she wouldn't go if
Amy did, and furiously scolding her
| little sister, she slammed the door
and went off, as Amy called out:
You'll be sorry for this, 10. March!
See if you amt" The child made
| good her threat by burning a precious
book which 10 had written, and on
| which she had spent three years of
hard work. There was a terrible fra
cas-, and though at her mothers bid
ding, Amy made contrite apology
10 refused to be pacified 1t was only
when poor Amy was nearly drowned
by falling through the ice that con.
science-stricken 10 forgave her sister
and learned a much-needed lesson in
self-control.
Meg, too, learned a salutary lesson
when she went to visit some friends
and had her first taste of VANITY
Fair Her sisters gladly lent her all
their best things, and as she said tc
10: You're dear to lend me your
gloves! I feel so rich and elegant
with two new pairs and the old ones
cleaned up for common!" Yet she
soon saw that her wardrobe was sad
ly inadequate to the environment in
which she found herself Whereupor
the rich friends lent her some Of their
own finery; and. after laughingly ap
plying paint and powder, they laced
her into a sky-blue silk dress, so low
that modest Meg blushed at herself
IN the mirror, and Laurie, who was
at the party, openly expressed his sur
} prlsed disapproval. Chagrin and re
morse followed, and it was not unit
after her confession to Marmee, tha
Meg realized the trumpery value o.
fashionable rivalry and the real worth
OF simplicity and contentment
All of the four girls had leanings
toward life Of luxury and ease, anc
when Mrs. March smilingly proposed
! that they try a whole week of "al
, play and no work." they agreed eager
ly. But the experiment was a mis-
cradle failure; and after mortifyin;
scenes at company luncheon, a ca
nary bird dead from neglect, severa
slight illnesses and lost tempers, tn
girls decided that lounging and lark
ing didn't pay.
, Now John Brooke, the tutor Of LAT
Z RE, was secret admirer Of prett
Meg. Discovering this, the mischiey
l Gus boy wrote Meg a passionate low
. letter, purporting to be from Brooke
= This prank caused terrible upset 4
both houses, but later on Brooke pu
the momentous question, and Me
: meekly whispered, YES, John" on
r hid her face on his waistcoat Jc
laundering in, was uansnxed wit
establishment and dismay, and e.
l claimed, "Oh, DO somebody com
t quick! John Brooke is acting dreac
, fully, and Meg likes I'll"
at Christmas, Father March cam
home from the war, and great cele
? bratton was made The neighbor
: from the Laurence house were invited
, and there never was such q Christina
dinner as they had that day!
Later came the first break in the