XLVII. Harvest Time.

Under the umbrella

Jo never, never would learn to be proper; for when he said that as they stood upon the steps, she just put both hands into his, whispering tenderly, "Not empty now;" and, stooping down, kissed her Friedrich under the umbrella. It was dreadful, but she would have done it if the flock of draggle-tailed sparrows on the hedge had been human beings, for she was very far gone indeed, and quite regardless of everything but her own happiness. Though it came in such a very simple guise, that was the crowning moment of both their lives, when, turning from the night and storm and loneliness to the household light and warmth and peace waiting to receive them, with a glad "Welcome home!" Jo led her lover in, and shut the door.

Tail-piece

Harvest time

XLVII.

HARVEST TIME.

Fora year Jo and her Professor worked and waited, hoped and loved, met occasionally, and wrote such voluminous letters that the rise in the price of paper was accounted for, Laurie said. The second year began rather soberly, for their prospects did not brighten, and Aunt March died suddenly. But when their first sorrow was over,—for they loved the old lady in spite of her sharp tongue,—they found they had cause for rejoicing, for she had left Plumfield to Jo, which made all sorts of joyful things possible.

"It's a fine old place, and will bring a handsome sum; for of course you intend to sell it," said Laurie, as they were all talking the matter over, some weeks later.

"No, I don't," was Jo's decided answer, as she petted the fat poodle, whom she had adopted, out of respect to his former mistress.

"You don't mean to live there?"

"Yes, I do."

"But, my dear girl, it's an immense house, and will take a power of money to keep it in order. The garden and orchard alone need two or three men, and farming isn't in Bhaer's line, I take it."

"He'll try his hand at it there, if I propose it."

"And you expect to live on the produce of the place? Well, that sounds paradisiacal, but you'll find it desperate hard work."

"The crop we are going to raise is a profitable one;" and Jo laughed.

"Of what is this fine crop to consist, ma'am?"

"Boys. I want to open a school for little lads,—a good, happy, homelike school, with me to take care of them, and Fritz to teach them."

"There's a truly Joian plan for you! Isn't that just like her?" cried Laurie, appealing to the family, who looked as much surprised as he.

"I like it," said Mrs. March decidedly.

"So do I," added her husband, who welcomed the thought of a chance for trying the Socratic method of education on modern youth.

"It will be an immense care for Jo," said Meg, stroking the head of her one all-absorbing son.

"Jo can do it, and be happy in it. It's a splendid idea. Tell us all about it," cried Mr. Laurence, who had been longing to lend the lovers a hand, but knew that they would refuse his help.

"I knew you'd stand by me, sir. Amy does too—I see it in her eyes, though she prudently waits to turn it over in her mind before she speaks. Now, my dear people," continued Jo earnestly, "just understand that this isn't a new idea of mine, but a long-cherished plan. Before my Fritz came, I used to think how, when I'd made my fortune, and no one needed me at home, I'd hire a big house, and pick up some poor, forlorn little lads, who hadn't any mothers, and take care of them, and make life jolly for them before it was too late. I see so many going to ruin, for want of help at the right minute; I love so to do anything for them; I seem to feel their wants, and sympathize with their troubles, and, oh, I shouldsolike to be a mother to them!"

Mrs. March held out her hand to Jo, who took it, smiling, with tears in her eyes, and went on in the old enthusiastic way, which they had not seen for a long while.

"I told my plan to Fritz once, and he said it was just what he would like, and agreed to try it when we got rich. Bless his dear heart, he's been doing it all his life,—helping poor boys, I mean, not getting rich; that he'll never be; money doesn't stay in his pocket long enough to lay up any. But now, thanks to my good old aunt, who loved me better than I ever deserved,I'mrich, at least I feel so, and we can live at Plumfield perfectly well, if we have a flourishing school. It's just the place for boys, the house is big, and the furniture strong and plain. There's plenty of room for dozens inside, and splendid grounds outside. They could help in the garden and orchard: such work is healthy, isn't it, sir? Then Fritz can train and teach in his own way, and father will help him. I can feed and nurse and pet and scold them; and mother will be my stand-by. I've always longed for lots of boys, and never had enough; now I can fill the house full, and revel in the little dears to my heart's content. Think what luxury,—Plumfield my own, and a wilderness of boys to enjoy it with me!"

As Jo waved her hands, and gave a sigh of rapture, the family went off into a gale of merriment, and Mr. Laurence laughed till they thought he'd have an apoplectic fit.

"I don't see anything funny," she said gravely, when she could be heard. "Nothing could be more natural or proper than for my Professor to open a school, and for me to prefer to reside on my own estate."

"She is putting on airs already," said Laurie, who regarded the idea in the light of a capital joke. "But may I inquire how you intend to support the establishment? If all the pupils are little ragamuffins, I'm afraid your crop won't be profitable in a worldly sense, Mrs. Bhaer."

"Now don't be a wet-blanket, Teddy. Of course I shall have rich pupils, also,—perhaps begin with such altogether; then, when I've got a start, I can take a ragamuffin or two, just for a relish. Rich people's children often need care and comfort, as well as poor. I've seen unfortunate little creatures left to servants, or backward ones pushed forward, when it's real cruelty. Some are naughty through mismanagement or neglect, and some lose their mothers. Besides, the best have to get through the hobbledehoy age, and that's the very time they need most patience and kindness. People laugh at them, and hustle them about, try to keep them out of sight, and expect them to turn, all at once, from pretty children into fine young men. They don't complain much,—plucky little souls,—but they feel it. I've been through something of it, and I know all about it. I've a special interest in such young bears, and like to show them that I see the warm, honest, well-meaning boys' hearts, in spite of the clumsy arms and legs and the topsy-turvy heads. I've had experience, too, for haven't I brought up one boy to be a pride and honor to his family?"

"I'll testify that you tried to do it," said Laurie, with a grateful look.

"And I've succeeded beyond my hopes; for here you are, a steady, sensible business man, doing heaps of good with your money, and laying up the blessings of the poor, instead of dollars. But you are not merely a business man: you love good and beautiful things, enjoy them yourself, and let others go halves, as you always did in the old times. Iamproud of you, Teddy, for you get better every year, and every one feels it, though you won't let them say so. Yes, and when I have my flock, I'll just point to you, and say, 'There's your model, my lads.'"

Poor Laurie didn't know where to look; for, man though he was, something of the old bashfulness came over him as this burst of praise made all faces turn approvingly upon him.

"I say, Jo, that's rather too much," he began, just in his old boyish way. "You have all done more for me than I can ever thank you for, except by doing my best not to disappoint you. You have rather cast me off lately, Jo, but I've had the best of help, nevertheless; so, if I've got on at all, you may thank these two for it;" and he laid one hand gently on his grandfather's white head, the other on Amy's golden one, for the three were never far apart.

"I do think that families are the most beautiful things in all the world!" burst out Jo, who was in an unusually uplifted frame of mind just then. "When I have one of my own, I hope it will be as happy as the three I know and love the best. If John and my Fritz were only here, it would be quite a little heaven on earth," she added more quietly. And that night, when she went to her room, after a blissful evening of family counsels, hopes, and plans, her heart was so full of happiness that she could only calm it by kneeling beside the empty bed always near her own, and thinking tender thoughts of Beth.

It was a very astonishing year altogether, for things seemed to happen in an unusually rapid and delightful manner. Almost before she knew where she was, Jo found herself married and settled at Plumfield. Then a family of six or seven boys sprung up like mushrooms, and flourished surprisingly, poor boys as well as rich; for Mr. Laurence was continually finding some touching case of destitution, and begging the Bhaers to take pity on the child, and he would gladly pay a trifle for its support. In this way the sly old gentleman got round proud Jo, and furnished her with the style of boy in which she most delighted.

Of course it was up-hill work at first, and Jo made queer mistakes; but the wise Professor steered her safely into calmer waters, and the most rampant ragamuffin was conquered in the end. How Jo did enjoy her "wilderness of boys," and how poor, dear Aunt March would have lamented had she been there to see the sacred precincts of prim, well-ordered Plumfield overrun with Toms, Dicks, and Harrys! There was a sort of poetic justice about it, after all, for the old lady had been the terror of the boys for miles round; and now the exiles feasted freely on forbidden plums, kicked up the gravel with profane boots unreproved, and played cricket in the big field where the irritable "cow with a crumpled horn" used to invite rash youths to come and be tossed. It became a sort of boys' paradise, and Laurie suggested that it should be called the "Bhaer-garten," as a compliment to its master and appropriate to its inhabitants.

It never was a fashionable school, and the Professor did not lay up a fortune; but itwasjust what Jo intended it to be,—"a happy, homelike place for boys, who needed teaching, care, and kindness." Every room in the big house was soon full; every little plot in the garden soon had its owner; a regular menagerie appeared in barn and shed, for pet animals were allowed; and, three times a day, Jo smiled at her Fritz from the head of a long table lined on either side with rows of happy young faces, which all turned to her with affectionate eyes, confiding words, and grateful hearts, full of love for "Mother Bhaer." She had boys enough now, and did not tire of them, though they were not angels, by any means, and some of them caused both Professor and Professorin much trouble and anxiety. But her faith in the good spot which exists in the heart of the naughtiest, sauciest, most tantalizing little ragamuffin gave her patience, skill, and, in time, success; for no mortal boy could hold out long with Father Bhaer shining on him as benevolently as the sun, and Mother Bhaer forgiving him seventy times seven. Very precious to Jo was the friendship of the lads; their penitent sniffs and whispers after wrong-doing; their droll or touching little confidences; their pleasant enthusiasms, hopes, and plans; even their misfortunes, for they only endeared them to her all the more. There were slow boys and bashful boys; feeble boys and riotous boys; boys that lisped and boys that stuttered; one or two lame ones; and a merry little quadroon, who could not be taken in elsewhere, but who was welcome to the "Bhaer-garten," though some people predicted that his admission would ruin the school.

Yes; Jo was a very happy woman there, in spite of hard work, much anxiety, and a perpetual racket. She enjoyed it heartily, and found the applause of her boys more satisfying than any praise of the world; for now she told no stories except to her flock of enthusiastic believers and admirers. As the years went on, two little lads of her own came to increase her happiness,—Rob, named for grandpa, and Teddy, a happy-go-lucky baby, who seemed to have inherited his papa's sunshiny temper as well as his mother's lively spirit. How they ever grew up alive in that whirlpool of boys was a mystery to their grandma and aunts; but they flourished like dandelions in spring, and their rough nurses loved and served them well.

There were a great many holidays at Plumfield, and one of the most delightful was the yearly apple-picking; for then the Marches, Laurences, Brookes, and Bhaers turned out in full force, and made a day of it. Five years after Jo's wedding, one of these fruitful festivals occurred,—a mellow October day, when the air was full of an exhilarating freshness which made the spirits rise, and the blood dance healthily in the veins. The old orchard wore its holiday attire; golden-rod and asters fringed the mossy walls; grasshoppers skipped briskly in the sere grass, and crickets chirped like fairy pipers at a feast; squirrels were busy with their small harvesting; birds twittered their adieux from the alders in the lane; and every tree stood ready to send down its shower of red or yellow apples at the first shake. Everybody was there; everybody laughed and sang, climbed up and tumbled down; everybody declared that there never had been such a perfect day or such a jolly set to enjoy it; and every one gave themselves up to the simple pleasures of the hour as freely as if there were no such things as care or sorrow in the world.

Mr. March strolled placidly about, quoting Tusser, Cowley, and Columella to Mr. Laurence, while enjoying—

"The gentle apple's winey juice."

The Professor charged up and down the green aisles like a stout Teutonic knight, with a pole for a lance, leading on the boys, who made a hook and ladder company of themselves, and performed wonders in the way of ground and lofty tumbling. Laurie devoted himself to the little ones, rode his small daughter in a bushel-basket, took Daisy up among the birds' nests, and kept adventurous Rob from breaking his neck. Mrs. March and Meg sat among the apple piles like a pair of Pomonas, sorting the contributions that kept pouring in; while Amy, with a beautiful motherly expression in her face, sketched the various groups, and watched over one pale lad, who sat adoring her with his little crutch beside him.

Teddy bore a charmed life

Jo was in her element that day, and rushed about, with her gown pinned up, her hat anywhere but on her head, and her baby tucked under her arm, ready for any lively adventure which might turn up. Little Teddy bore a charmed life, for nothing ever happened to him, and Jo never felt any anxiety when he was whisked up into a tree by one lad, galloped off on the back of another, or supplied with sour russets by his indulgent papa, who labored under the Germanic delusion that babies could digest anything, from pickled cabbage to buttons, nails, and their own small shoes. She knew that little Ted would turn up again in time, safe and rosy, dirty and serene, and she always received him back with a hearty welcome, for Jo loved her babies tenderly.

At four o'clock a lull took place, and baskets remained empty, while the apple-pickers rested, and compared rents and bruises. Then Jo and Meg, with a detachment of the bigger boys, set forth the supper on the grass, for an out-of-door tea was always the crowning joy of the day. The land literally flowed with milk and honey on such occasions, for the lads were not required to sit at table, but allowed to partake of refreshment as they liked,—freedom being the sauce best beloved by the boyish soul. They availed themselves of the rare privilege to the fullest extent, for some tried the pleasing experiment of drinking milk while standing on their heads, others lent a charm to leap-frog by eating pie in the pauses of the game, cookies were sown broadcast over the field, and apple-turnovers roosted in the trees like a new style of bird. The little girls had a private tea-party, and Ted roved among the edibles at his own sweet will.

When no one could eat any more, the Professor proposed the first regular toast, which was always drunk at such times,—"Aunt March, God bless her!" A toast heartily given by the good man, who never forgot how much he owed her, and quietly drunk by the boys, who had been taught to keep her memory green.

"Now, grandma's sixtieth birthday! Long life to her, with three times three!"

That was given with a will, as you may well believe; and the cheering once begun, it was hard to stop it. Everybody's health was proposed, from Mr. Laurence, who was considered their special patron, to the astonished guinea-pig, who had strayed from its proper sphere in search of its young master. Demi, as the oldest grandchild, then presented the queen of the day with various gifts, so numerous that they were transported to the festive scene in a wheelbarrow. Funny presents, some of them, but what would have been defects to other eyes were ornaments to grandma's,—for the children's gifts were all their own. Every stitch Daisy's patient little fingers had put into the handkerchiefs she hemmed was better than embroidery to Mrs. March; Demi's shoe-box was a miracle of mechanical skill, though the cover wouldn't shut; Rob's footstool had a wiggle in its uneven legs, that she declared was very soothing; and no page of the costly book Amy's child gave her was so fair as that on which appeared, in tipsy capitals, the words,—"To dear Grandma, from her little Beth."

During this ceremony the boys had mysteriously disappeared; and, when Mrs. March had tried to thank her children, and broken down, while Teddy wiped her eyes on his pinafore, the Professor suddenly began to sing. Then, from above him, voice after voice took up the words, and from tree to tree echoed the music of the unseen choir, as the boys sung, with all their hearts, the little song Jo had written, Laurie set to music, and the Professor trained his lads to give with the best effect. This was something altogether new, and it proved a grand success; for Mrs. March couldn't get over her surprise, and insisted on shaking hands with every one of the featherless birds, from tall Franz and Emil to the little quadroon, who had the sweetest voice of all.

After this, the boys dispersed for a final lark, leaving Mrs. March and her daughters under the festival tree.

Leaving Mrs. March and her daughters under the festival tree"Leaving Mrs. March and her daughters under the festival tree."—Page 583

"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, taking Teddy's little fist out of the milk-pitcher, in which he was rapturously churning.

"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, smiling as she watched Laurie and John playing cricket with the boys.

"Dear fellows! It does my heart good to see them forget business, and frolic for a day," answered Jo, who now spoke in a maternal way of all mankind. "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 from the lively lads in the distance to her father, leaning on the Professor's arm, as they walked to and fro in the sunshine, deep in one of the conversations which both enjoyed so much, and then 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.

"My castle was the most nearly realized of all. I asked for splendid things, to be sure, but in my heart I knew I should be satisfied, if I had a little home, and John, and some dear children like these. I've got them all, thank God, and am the happiest woman in the world;" and Meg laid her hand on her tall boy's head, with a face full of tender and devout content.

"My castle is very different from what I planned, but I would not alter it, though, like Jo, I don't relinquish all my artistic hopes, or confine myself to helping others fulfil their dreams of beauty. I've begun to model a figure of baby, and Laurie says it is the best thing I've ever done. I think so myself, and mean to do it in marble, so that, whatever happens, I may at least keep the image of my little angel."

As Amy spoke, a great tear dropped on the golden hair of the sleeping child in her arms; for her one well-beloved daughter was a frail little creature and the dread of losing her was the shadow over Amy's sunshine. This cross was doing much for both father and mother, for one love and sorrow bound them closely together. Amy's nature was growing sweeter, deeper, and more tender; Laurie was growing more serious, strong, and firm; and both were learning that beauty, youth, good fortune, even love itself, cannot keep care and pain, loss and sorrow, from the most blest; for—

"Into each life some rain must fall,Some days must be dark and sad and dreary."

"Into each life some rain must fall,

Some days must be dark and sad and dreary."

"She is growing better, I am sure of it, my dear. Don't despond, but hope and keep happy," said Mrs. March, as tender-hearted Daisy stooped from her knee, to lay her rosy cheek against her little cousin's pale one.

"I never ought to, while I have you to cheer me up, Marmee, and Laurie to take more than half of every burden," replied Amy warmly. "He never lets me see his anxiety, but is so sweet and patient with me, so devoted to Beth, and such a stay and comfort to me always, that I can't love him enough. So, in spite of my one cross, I can say with Meg, 'Thank God, I'm a happy woman.'"

"There's no need for me to say it, for every one can see that I'm far happier than I deserve," added Jo, glancing from her good husband to her chubby children, tumbling on the grass beside her. "Fritz is getting gray and stout; I'm growing as thin as a shadow, and am thirty; we never shall be rich, and Plumfield may burn up any night, for that incorrigible Tommy Bangswillsmoke sweet-fern cigars under the bed-clothes, though he's set himself afire three times already. But in spite of these unromantic facts, I have nothing to complain of, and never was so jolly in my life. Excuse the remark, but living among boys, I can't help using their expressions now and then."

"Yes, Jo, I think your harvest will be a good one," began Mrs. March, frightening away a big black cricket that was staring Teddy out of countenance.

"Not half so good as yours, mother. 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!"

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Uniform with "The Little Women Series."

Other Stories by LOUISA M. ALCOTT

A HOLE IN THE WALL.Illustrated. 12mo. 50 cents.An account of a poor boy's admiration for a beautiful garden to which he is invited by a little girl friend. ("How They Camped Out" in same volume.)MARJORIE'S THREE GIFTS.Illustrated. 12mo. 50 cents.A fairy tale told Marjorie comes true, and there enter into her life three good fairies: Industry, Cheerfulness, and Love. ("Roses and Forget-me-nots" in same volume.)MAY FLOWERS.Illustrated. 12mo. 50 cents.The experiences of six earnest young girls who try to make the sad lives about them happier. Full of sensible hints as to wisest methods of charity.A CHRISTMAS DREAM.Illustrated. 12mo. 50 cents.A rather spoiled child gets her first real enjoyment of Christmas by making others happy. ("Baa! Baa!" in same volume.)THE CANDY COUNTRYIllustrated. 12mo. 50 cents.A quaint little fable in which the young heroine visits Candy-land and is finally contented to return to Bread-land. ("How They Ran Away" in same volume.)LITTLE BUTTON ROSE.Illustrated. 12mo. 50 cents.A bright, vivacious child visits her maiden aunts. Her influence on the somewhat narrow characters about her is delightfully described.POPPIES AND WHEAT.Illustrated. 12mo. 50 cents.Two girls travel through Europe. The frivolous Ethel learns the advantages of culture and simple dignity from her companion.MOUNTAIN-LAUREL AND MAIDENHAIR.Illustrated. 12mo. 50 cents.The story of a New Hampshire farmer's daughter who is fond of writing verses.PANSIES AND WATER-LILIES.Illustrated. 12mo. 50 cents."Pansies" is a story of a girls' discussion of books; "Water-Lilies" a romance by the sea-shore.THE DOLLS' JOURNEY.Illustrated. 12mo. 50 cents.A droll account of the travels of two dolls. ("Shadow-Children" and "The Moss People" in same volume.)MORNING GLORIES AND QUEEN ASTOR.Illustrated. 12mo. 50 cents.Aunt Wee changes Daisy from a petulant to a cheerful girl by interesting her in the wonderful world of nature which Daisy has never before learned to appreciate justly.THE LITTLE MEN PLAY.THE LITTLE WOMEN PLAY.Adapted from Miss Alcott's famous stories, "Little Men" and "Little Women," by Elizabeth L. Gould.Illustrated. 12mo. Price 50 cents each.Two forty-five minute plays of two acts each, for eight or ten little people. They will prove a source of limitless delight.

LITTLE, BROWN, & COMPANY, Publishers

254 Washington St., Boston, Mass.

Transcriber's Notes:Project Gutenberghas two versions of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.Original EditionIllustrated EditionWelcome to theProject GutenbergIllustrated Edition of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, published by Little, Brown, and Company. Some versions of the book, such as this one, use the full title of the book from the title page,Little Women; Or Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy.We used the version of the book from Little, Brown, and Company: copyright 1896, for this transcription. A scanned copy of this book is available through the internet archive, courtesy of the New York Public Library.A copy of the first version of the novel, published in 1869, was consulted for emendations, the proper rendering of words hyphenated and split between two lines for spacing, and other issues in transcribing the novel. We are not trying to change this version of the novel back to the 1869 novel, but correct the errors that were made in re-transcribing and updating the text.Throughout the dialogues, words were used to mimic accents of the speakers. Those words were retained as-is.Errors in punctuations and hyphenation were not corrected unless otherwise noted below.On page vii, in the Table of Contents, change page 7 to 1 for the beginning of Chapter One.In the List of Illustrations, for the illustration on page 147, "postmistress" was replaced with "post-mistress".In the List of Illustrations, for the illustration on page 235, "tea-pot" was replaced with "teapot".On page 30, the punctuation after 'stained they are' may be a colon, but on page 41 of the 1869 book, it is a semicolon. We used the semi-colon.On page 34, transcribe red-headed with the hyphen. See page 44 of the 1869 novel.On page 40, a period was added after "room where old Mr". See page 50 of the 1869 novel.On page 41, the semicolon after "Laurie went on the box" was replaced with a comma. See page 52 of the 1869 novel.On page 62, mantel-piece was transcribed with the hyphen. See Page 75 of the 1869 novel.On page 63, checked the clause "and I've been trying to do it this ever so long." It is written the same way on page 77 of the 1869 book. No change was made.On page 64, add period after "red and shining with merriment." See page 79 of the 1869 book.On page 68, changed weet to sweet in 'the damp weet air.' See page 84 of the 1869 novel.On page 79, add comma after I remain in the letter. See page 95 of the 1869 novel.On page 84, ferrule was an adjustment from the 1869 book, which only used one r in spelling the word (see page 101). Webster's dictionary spells ferrule with two rs.On page 109, a period was added after "and the old man quite dotes on them". See page 130 of the 1869 novel.On page 109, a period was added after "asked another voice". See page 131 of the 1869 novel.On page 112, change colon to semicolon after "if you don't;"—see page 134 of the 1869 novel.On page 113, transcribe ear-rings with the hyphen. See page 135 of the 1869 novel.On Page 123, "One thing remember, my girls:" is written as it appears in the 1896 novel. A comma instead of a colon was used after my girls in the 1869 novel (see page 146). "One thingtoremember," may work better today, or even "Remember one thing," but we left this as Ms. Alcott wrote it.On Page 124, the P. C. is the Pickwick Club from a novel by Charles Dickens. Samuel Pickwick, Tracy Tupman, Augustus Snodgrass, and Nathaniel Winkle were introdued by Charles Dickens in the first chapter ofThe Pickwick Papers. Samuel Weller makes his first appearance in Chapter Ten of that novel.On page 128, in the Pickwick Portfolio, there is no period after "it is nearly school time" in N. Winkle's letter. This period was also missing on page 151 of the 1869 novel. The missing period was intentional.On page 135, the ambiguous punctuation after "Oh, dear, no!" is an exclamation point. See page 160 of the 1869 novel.On page 146, change buttonholes to button-holes. On page 173 of the 1869 novel, this word was hyphenated and split between two lines for spacing. Transcribing the word with the hyphen matches seven other occurrences of button-hole or botton-holes in the novel. We therefore used the hyphen.On page 150, "Betty" was replaced with "Bethy". This error was also made in the 1869 novel—see page 177. The character addressed is Beth.On page 158, a period was added after "still kneeling". See page 187 of the 1869 novel.On page 160, "hard a lee" is spelled the same way in the 1869 novel (see page 189) and this novel. We left this as is.On page 166, a comma was added after "Meg" in "Meg obediently following". See page 195 of the 1869 book.On page 185, "receptable" was replaced with "receptacle". See page 217 of the 1869 novel.On page 185, transcribe door-way with the hyphen. See page 217 of the 1869 novel. Also, change doorway to door-way a few lines down the same page. See page 218 of the 1869 novel.On page 189, the comma after "published every day" was replaced with a period. See page 225 of 1869 book.On page 198, the clause: "Beth, go and ask Mr. Laurence for a couple of bottles of old wine:" was written as it appeared in the 1896 novel. The clause ended in with a semi-colon in the 1869 book (see page 234).On page 200, change needlework to needle-work. See page 236 of the 1869 novel.On page 209, "turnovers" was replaced with "turn-overs". See page 246 of the 1869 novel.On page 214, the single quotation mark before "Head Nurse of Ward" was replaced with a double quotation mark. See page 252 of the 1869 novel.On page 218, "Year's ago" was replaced with "Years ago". See page 257 of the 1869 novel.On page 219, "ask him so help" was replaced with "ask him to help". See page 257 of the 1869 novel.On page 219, add period after "give it to her." See page 258 of the 1869 novel.On page 230, "two, A.M." is spelled the same way, with the comma, in this book and in the 1869 novel (on page 272). The comma was retained.On page 244, "postscrips" was replaced with "postscripts". See page 287 of the 1869 novel.On page 279, place exclamation point after won't in 'No, I won't!' See page 329 in the 1869 novel.On page 286, "actingly" was replaced with "acting". See page 337 of the 1869 novel.On page 288, add comma after mankind in the clause "who felt at peace with all mankind even his mischievous pupil." See page 339 of the 1869 novel.On page 294, transcribe gray-headed with the hyphen. See page 5 of the 1869 novel.On page 295, add a comma after salary in the phrase "with an honestly-earned salary." See page 7 of the 1869 book.Checked the clause "But once get used to these slight blemishes" on page 297. The sentence appears the same way on page 10 of the 1869 novel.Checked the clause "People who hire all these things done for them never know what they lose" on page 298. The sentence has a comma after them, but is otherwise written the same way on page 11 of the 1869 novel.On page 299, transcribe door-handles with the hyphen. See page 13 of the 1869 novel.On page 339, "shortcomings" was replaced with "short-comings". See page 62 of the 1869 novel.On page 345, "furbelows and notions" was written "furbelows and quinny-dingles" in the 1869 novel. See page 59 of the 1869 novel. We made no change, and only point this out because quinny-dingles is such a memorable word that those intimate with the novel may notice the change.On page 353, change snowbank to snow-bank. See page 79 of the 1869 novel.On page 363, a double quotation mark was added before "Cross-patch, draw the latch". See page 91 of the 1869 book.On page 379, change period after Jo to a comma in the clause "as for Jo. she would have gone up". See page 109 of the 1869 book.On page 380, a comma was added after "all lying down". See page 111 of the 1869 book.On page 393, the punctuation after 'but so was everybody's' is difficult to read. It could be a colon or semicolon. In the 1869 novel, the mark is a semi-colon (see page 126). We used the semi-colon.On page 396, the second line of the verse beginning with "'Out upon you," is indented. In the 1869 version, the capital B of "Bold-faced jig!'" is lined-up under Out. We aligned the verse as the 1869 version of the novel--see page 131.On page 404, add period after heaviness. See page 140 of the 1869 novel.On page 405, transcribe needle-work with the hyphen. See page 141 of the 1869 book.On Page 411, a letter is curiously addressed to Betsey, both here and on page 148 of the 1869 book.On Page 413, removed double quotes around Yes in "Yes," they say to one another, these so kind ladies. Instead, place a single quote in front of Yes, because Bhaer is resuming his quote. The resumed quote concludes with a single quote after me and mine. See page 151 of the 1869 novel. The double quote before 'he is a stupid old fellow' is actually a triple-nested quote, ending in make themselves.On page 417, transcribe Teddy-ism as Teddyism. See page 155 of the 1869 novel.On page 451, a period was added after "I can't let you go". See page 196 of the 1869 novel.On page 463, "Tarantula" was used as the name of a dance, but the author might have meant "Tarantella," which is the name of an Italian dance about tarantulas.On page 468, transcribe chess-board with the hyphen. See page 218 of the 1869 novel.On page 512, a period was added after "she said softly". If you see page 272 of the 1869 novel, you will also notice a comma in 'she said, softly.' We added the period but not the comma.On page 514, the 1869 novel did not have a comma after oar in the sentence: "I'm not tired; but you may take an oar, if you like. See page 525 of the 1869 novel. We did not remove the comma.On page 527, 'the "the best nevvy in the world."' was replaced with "the best nevvy in the world." See page 290 of the 1869 novel.On page 527, change he to the in 'like Jenny andheballad'. See page 291 of the 1869 novel.On page 531, David and Peggotty refer to two characters from the novel "David Copperfield" by Charles Dickens.On page 534, change of to off in the clause: Daisy found it impossible to keep her eyesofher "pitty aunty," ... see page 300 of the 1869 novel.On page 541, "know'st thou the land where the citron blooms," was broken into two stanzas in the book for spacing. We transcribed this as one line. See page 308 in 1869 novel.On page 551, transcribe Dove-cote with the hyphen. See page 319 of the 1869 novel.On the first page of ads, a period was added after "THE LITTLE WOMEN SERIES.New Illustrated Edition".On the second page of ads, in the blurb for the book Comic Tragedies, a period as placed after "Portraits, etc".After the novel is a list of The Works of Louisa May Alcott. The list is not complete: for example, there are no listings for her work as Flora Fairfield or A. M. Barnard. Nevertheless, the pages are a fine structured outline of Ms. Alcott's best work.Most of the novels and stories in these four pages are published byProject Gutenberg.We included links to these titles for the reader's convenience. A change had to be made for one item. We had to list each of the three volumes of Lulu's Library to provide the links to that book. All links will only work in the HTML document.The final page is a listing of eleven stories originally published in other volumes, such asJo's Scrap-Bag,Lulu's Library, andA Garland for Girls.These works were subsequently published separately in small volumes, generally less than 100 pages, inThe Children's Friend Series.

Transcriber's Notes:

Project Gutenberghas two versions of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

Welcome to theProject GutenbergIllustrated Edition of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, published by Little, Brown, and Company. Some versions of the book, such as this one, use the full title of the book from the title page,Little Women; Or Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy.

We used the version of the book from Little, Brown, and Company: copyright 1896, for this transcription. A scanned copy of this book is available through the internet archive, courtesy of the New York Public Library.

A copy of the first version of the novel, published in 1869, was consulted for emendations, the proper rendering of words hyphenated and split between two lines for spacing, and other issues in transcribing the novel. We are not trying to change this version of the novel back to the 1869 novel, but correct the errors that were made in re-transcribing and updating the text.

Throughout the dialogues, words were used to mimic accents of the speakers. Those words were retained as-is.

Errors in punctuations and hyphenation were not corrected unless otherwise noted below.

On page vii, in the Table of Contents, change page 7 to 1 for the beginning of Chapter One.

In the List of Illustrations, for the illustration on page 147, "postmistress" was replaced with "post-mistress".

In the List of Illustrations, for the illustration on page 235, "tea-pot" was replaced with "teapot".

On page 30, the punctuation after 'stained they are' may be a colon, but on page 41 of the 1869 book, it is a semicolon. We used the semi-colon.

On page 34, transcribe red-headed with the hyphen. See page 44 of the 1869 novel.

On page 40, a period was added after "room where old Mr". See page 50 of the 1869 novel.

On page 41, the semicolon after "Laurie went on the box" was replaced with a comma. See page 52 of the 1869 novel.

On page 62, mantel-piece was transcribed with the hyphen. See Page 75 of the 1869 novel.

On page 63, checked the clause "and I've been trying to do it this ever so long." It is written the same way on page 77 of the 1869 book. No change was made.

On page 64, add period after "red and shining with merriment." See page 79 of the 1869 book.

On page 68, changed weet to sweet in 'the damp weet air.' See page 84 of the 1869 novel.

On page 79, add comma after I remain in the letter. See page 95 of the 1869 novel.

On page 84, ferrule was an adjustment from the 1869 book, which only used one r in spelling the word (see page 101). Webster's dictionary spells ferrule with two rs.

On page 109, a period was added after "and the old man quite dotes on them". See page 130 of the 1869 novel.

On page 109, a period was added after "asked another voice". See page 131 of the 1869 novel.

On page 112, change colon to semicolon after "if you don't;"—see page 134 of the 1869 novel.

On page 113, transcribe ear-rings with the hyphen. See page 135 of the 1869 novel.

On Page 123, "One thing remember, my girls:" is written as it appears in the 1896 novel. A comma instead of a colon was used after my girls in the 1869 novel (see page 146). "One thingtoremember," may work better today, or even "Remember one thing," but we left this as Ms. Alcott wrote it.

On Page 124, the P. C. is the Pickwick Club from a novel by Charles Dickens. Samuel Pickwick, Tracy Tupman, Augustus Snodgrass, and Nathaniel Winkle were introdued by Charles Dickens in the first chapter ofThe Pickwick Papers. Samuel Weller makes his first appearance in Chapter Ten of that novel.

On page 128, in the Pickwick Portfolio, there is no period after "it is nearly school time" in N. Winkle's letter. This period was also missing on page 151 of the 1869 novel. The missing period was intentional.

On page 135, the ambiguous punctuation after "Oh, dear, no!" is an exclamation point. See page 160 of the 1869 novel.

On page 146, change buttonholes to button-holes. On page 173 of the 1869 novel, this word was hyphenated and split between two lines for spacing. Transcribing the word with the hyphen matches seven other occurrences of button-hole or botton-holes in the novel. We therefore used the hyphen.

On page 150, "Betty" was replaced with "Bethy". This error was also made in the 1869 novel—see page 177. The character addressed is Beth.

On page 158, a period was added after "still kneeling". See page 187 of the 1869 novel.

On page 160, "hard a lee" is spelled the same way in the 1869 novel (see page 189) and this novel. We left this as is.

On page 166, a comma was added after "Meg" in "Meg obediently following". See page 195 of the 1869 book.

On page 185, "receptable" was replaced with "receptacle". See page 217 of the 1869 novel.

On page 185, transcribe door-way with the hyphen. See page 217 of the 1869 novel. Also, change doorway to door-way a few lines down the same page. See page 218 of the 1869 novel.

On page 189, the comma after "published every day" was replaced with a period. See page 225 of 1869 book.

On page 198, the clause: "Beth, go and ask Mr. Laurence for a couple of bottles of old wine:" was written as it appeared in the 1896 novel. The clause ended in with a semi-colon in the 1869 book (see page 234).

On page 200, change needlework to needle-work. See page 236 of the 1869 novel.

On page 209, "turnovers" was replaced with "turn-overs". See page 246 of the 1869 novel.

On page 214, the single quotation mark before "Head Nurse of Ward" was replaced with a double quotation mark. See page 252 of the 1869 novel.

On page 218, "Year's ago" was replaced with "Years ago". See page 257 of the 1869 novel.

On page 219, "ask him so help" was replaced with "ask him to help". See page 257 of the 1869 novel.

On page 219, add period after "give it to her." See page 258 of the 1869 novel.

On page 230, "two, A.M." is spelled the same way, with the comma, in this book and in the 1869 novel (on page 272). The comma was retained.

On page 244, "postscrips" was replaced with "postscripts". See page 287 of the 1869 novel.

On page 279, place exclamation point after won't in 'No, I won't!' See page 329 in the 1869 novel.

On page 286, "actingly" was replaced with "acting". See page 337 of the 1869 novel.

On page 288, add comma after mankind in the clause "who felt at peace with all mankind even his mischievous pupil." See page 339 of the 1869 novel.

On page 294, transcribe gray-headed with the hyphen. See page 5 of the 1869 novel.

On page 295, add a comma after salary in the phrase "with an honestly-earned salary." See page 7 of the 1869 book.

Checked the clause "But once get used to these slight blemishes" on page 297. The sentence appears the same way on page 10 of the 1869 novel.

Checked the clause "People who hire all these things done for them never know what they lose" on page 298. The sentence has a comma after them, but is otherwise written the same way on page 11 of the 1869 novel.

On page 299, transcribe door-handles with the hyphen. See page 13 of the 1869 novel.

On page 339, "shortcomings" was replaced with "short-comings". See page 62 of the 1869 novel.

On page 345, "furbelows and notions" was written "furbelows and quinny-dingles" in the 1869 novel. See page 59 of the 1869 novel. We made no change, and only point this out because quinny-dingles is such a memorable word that those intimate with the novel may notice the change.

On page 353, change snowbank to snow-bank. See page 79 of the 1869 novel.

On page 363, a double quotation mark was added before "Cross-patch, draw the latch". See page 91 of the 1869 book.

On page 379, change period after Jo to a comma in the clause "as for Jo. she would have gone up". See page 109 of the 1869 book.

On page 380, a comma was added after "all lying down". See page 111 of the 1869 book.

On page 393, the punctuation after 'but so was everybody's' is difficult to read. It could be a colon or semicolon. In the 1869 novel, the mark is a semi-colon (see page 126). We used the semi-colon.

On page 396, the second line of the verse beginning with "'Out upon you," is indented. In the 1869 version, the capital B of "Bold-faced jig!'" is lined-up under Out. We aligned the verse as the 1869 version of the novel--see page 131.

On page 404, add period after heaviness. See page 140 of the 1869 novel.

On page 405, transcribe needle-work with the hyphen. See page 141 of the 1869 book.

On Page 411, a letter is curiously addressed to Betsey, both here and on page 148 of the 1869 book.

On Page 413, removed double quotes around Yes in "Yes," they say to one another, these so kind ladies. Instead, place a single quote in front of Yes, because Bhaer is resuming his quote. The resumed quote concludes with a single quote after me and mine. See page 151 of the 1869 novel. The double quote before 'he is a stupid old fellow' is actually a triple-nested quote, ending in make themselves.

On page 417, transcribe Teddy-ism as Teddyism. See page 155 of the 1869 novel.

On page 451, a period was added after "I can't let you go". See page 196 of the 1869 novel.

On page 463, "Tarantula" was used as the name of a dance, but the author might have meant "Tarantella," which is the name of an Italian dance about tarantulas.

On page 468, transcribe chess-board with the hyphen. See page 218 of the 1869 novel.

On page 512, a period was added after "she said softly". If you see page 272 of the 1869 novel, you will also notice a comma in 'she said, softly.' We added the period but not the comma.

On page 514, the 1869 novel did not have a comma after oar in the sentence: "I'm not tired; but you may take an oar, if you like. See page 525 of the 1869 novel. We did not remove the comma.

On page 527, 'the "the best nevvy in the world."' was replaced with "the best nevvy in the world." See page 290 of the 1869 novel.

On page 527, change he to the in 'like Jenny andheballad'. See page 291 of the 1869 novel.

On page 531, David and Peggotty refer to two characters from the novel "David Copperfield" by Charles Dickens.

On page 534, change of to off in the clause: Daisy found it impossible to keep her eyesofher "pitty aunty," ... see page 300 of the 1869 novel.

On page 541, "know'st thou the land where the citron blooms," was broken into two stanzas in the book for spacing. We transcribed this as one line. See page 308 in 1869 novel.

On page 551, transcribe Dove-cote with the hyphen. See page 319 of the 1869 novel.

On the first page of ads, a period was added after "THE LITTLE WOMEN SERIES.New Illustrated Edition".

On the second page of ads, in the blurb for the book Comic Tragedies, a period as placed after "Portraits, etc".

After the novel is a list of The Works of Louisa May Alcott. The list is not complete: for example, there are no listings for her work as Flora Fairfield or A. M. Barnard. Nevertheless, the pages are a fine structured outline of Ms. Alcott's best work.

Most of the novels and stories in these four pages are published byProject Gutenberg.We included links to these titles for the reader's convenience. A change had to be made for one item. We had to list each of the three volumes of Lulu's Library to provide the links to that book. All links will only work in the HTML document.

The final page is a listing of eleven stories originally published in other volumes, such asJo's Scrap-Bag,Lulu's Library, andA Garland for Girls.These works were subsequently published separately in small volumes, generally less than 100 pages, inThe Children's Friend Series.

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