The diamond drill., 1921-02-12

1
\ lh Oats" she de-
! M scribes I'm an
| lEEN& amusing way the
I ~ N<N&&A experience of a
| tNSS M 4MA / year mt Fruitiands,
, l------ - "a - where an attempt
was made 60 es-
tabiish nm ideal community. Miss AIcott
was obliged 40 be wage Garner 10
help out the family income, and so
taught school, served ms a Eoverness
and at times worked ms a scamstress.
Wearying OF this, she wrote for the
papers stories OF n sensational nature,
which were rcmuncrative financially
but unsatisfactory 20 her as n literary
pursuit, and she abandoned this style
OF writing.
In n Washington hospital she served
ns nurse for a time, hut the work
was so hard that she failed I'm health.
and when she recovered she had 90 ind
new fields OF work. then she Travelled
M attendant 90 an invalid, and with
her visited Europe.
After several attempts at literature
Miss Aleott wrote sLittIe Women"
which was an Immediate success, rench-
years. She wrote from the heart. and
wove into the story incidents from the
lives OF herself and her three sisters
at Concord. She afterward wrote can
Old Fashioned Girl.D Little Men,
"Aunt jos Scrap Bag" "The Eight
Cousins" and "Rose In Bloom" besides
other stories and sketches.
Miss Alcott had ambition and ability
for n high grade OF literary works she
made her success as a writer OF chill
dren's stories. While her receipts from
some later work were large for those
times, she declared that she was more
proud OF the nrst s37 she received than
OF the larger amounts later.
One generation after another OF
colts CHEEKY, heslthfui stories. and
their vitality is Indicated by their ap-
pesrsnee ON the movie screen.
TN their old-fashloned New England
home the little women lived with
= Mrs. March, their brisk and CHEEKY
mother, who always had "can-I-help
you" look about her. and whom her
four girls lovingly called "Marmee."
Pretty Meg. the oldest, was sixteen,
and already showed domestic tastes
and talents. though she detested the
drudgery of household work; and, a
little vain OF her white hands, longed
at heart to be a fine lady. 10. fifteen.
wasa tall thin and coltish, and gloried
In an unconcealed scorn of polite con-
ventions. Beth, thirteen, was n low
able little thing, shy, fond of her dolls
and devoted to music, which she tried
hopefully 10 produce from the old,
jlngllng tinpan of plano. Amy,
twelve. considered herself the flower
of the family. An adorable blonde
she admitted that the trial of her life
was her nose. For, when she was
baby, 10 had accidentally dropped her
into the coal-hod and permanently
fiattened that feature, and though poor
Amy slept with a patent clothespln
pinching II, she couldn't attain the
Grecian effect she so much desired.
Father March was an army chap
lain in the Civil war, and in his ab-
sence 10 declared herself 10 be the
man Of the family. To add 20 their
slender income. she went every day 10
read to Aunt March, n peppery old
lady; and Meg, too, earned a small
salary as daily nursery goyerness to
neighbor's children.
In the big house next door TO the
Marches lived rich old gentleman,
Mr.. Laurence, and his grandson, n J
jolly chummy boy called Laurie. !
Though awe-inspiring at first, Mr..
Laurence proved both kindly and gen
erous, and even timid Beth mustered
up courage TO go over 10 the "Palace
Beautiful" nt twilight and play softly |
on the grand piano there. But, as she
confessed TO her mother, when she be-
gan she was so frightened her feet
chattered on the floor.
The night Laurie took the two older
girls 10 the theater. Amy. though not !
invited. insisted on going. too. 10
GROSSLY declared she wouldn't 60 II
Amy did. and furiously scoIdlng her
little sister, she slammed the door and
went Off, as Amy called out: you'll
be sorry for this. Jo March See II
you ANTI" The child made good her
threat by burning up the manuscript
OF a precious book which 10 had writ.
ten and on which she had spent three
years OF hard work. There was ter
rible fracns, and, though at her moth
er's bidding Amy made contrite apol'
ogy, Jo refused 10 be pacihed. II was
only when poor little Amy was nearly
drowned by falling through the ice
that consclence-stricken 10 forgave her
sister and learned a much-needed les
son Of self-control.
Meg. too, learned a saiutary lesson.
when she went 20 visit some fash.
lonable friends and had her first taste
Of Vanity Fair" Her sisters gladly
lent her all their best things. and. a.
she said TO Jo; you're dear to
lend me your giovesi feel 70 rich