English
"Please,MadamMother,couldyoulendmemywifeforhalfanhour?
Theluggagehascome,andI'vebeenmakinghayofAmy'sParisfinery,tryingtofindsomethingsIwant,"saidLaurie,cominginthenextdaytofindMrs.Laurencesittinginhermother'slap,asifbeingmade'thebaby'again.
"Certainly.Go,dear,Iforgotthatyouhaveanyhomebutthis,"andMrs.Marchpressedthewhitehandthatworetheweddingring,asifaskingpardonforhermaternalcovetousness.
"Ishouldn'thavecomeoverifIcouldhavehelpedit,butIcan'tgetonwithoutmylittlewomananymorethana..."
"Weathercockcanwithoutthewind,"suggestedJo,ashepausedforasimile.JohadgrownquiteherownsaucyselfagainsinceTeddycamehome.
"Exactly,forAmykeepsmepointingduewestmostofthetime,withonlyanoccasionalwhiffleroundtothesouth,andIhaven'thadaneasterlyspellsinceIwasmarried.
Don'tknowanythingaboutthenorth,butamaltogethersalubriousandbalmy,hey,mylady?"
"Lovelyweathersofar.Idon'tknowhowlongitwilllast,butI'mnotafraidofstorms,forI'mlearninghowtosailmyship.
Comehome,dear,andI'llfindyourbootjack.
Isupposethat'swhatyouarerummagingafteramongmythings.
Menaresohelpless,Mother,"saidAmy,withamatronlyair,whichdelightedherhusband.
"Whatareyougoingtodowithyourselvesafteryougetsettled?"askedJo,buttoningAmy'scloakassheusedtobuttonherpinafores.
"Wehaveourplans.Wedon'tmeantosaymuchaboutthemyet,becausewearesuchverynewbrooms,butwedon'tintendtobeidle.
I'mgoingintobusinesswithadevotionthatshalldelightGrandfather,andprovetohimthatI'mnotspoiled.
Ineedsomethingofthesorttokeepmesteady.
I'mtiredofdawdling,andmeantoworklikeaman."
"AndAmy,whatisshegoingtodo?"askedMrs.March,wellpleasedatLaurie'sdecisionandtheenergywithwhichhespoke.
"Afterdoingthecivilallround,andairingourbestbonnet,weshallastonishyoubytheeleganthospitalitiesofourmansion,thebrilliantsocietyweshalldrawaboutus,andthebeneficialinfluenceweshallexertovertheworldatlarge.
That'saboutit,isn'tit,MadameRecamier?"
askedLauriewithaquizzicallookatAmy.
"Timewillshow.Comeaway,Impertinence,anddon'tshockmyfamilybycallingmenamesbeforetheirfaces,"answeredAmy,resolvingthatthereshouldbeahomewithagoodwifeinitbeforeshesetupasalonasaqueenofsociety.
"Howhappythosechildrenseemtogether!"observedMr.March,findingitdifficulttobecomeabsorbedinhisAristotleaftertheyoungcouplehadgone.
"Yes,andIthinkitwilllast,"addedMrs.March,withtherestfulexpressionofapilotwhohasbroughtashipsafelyintoport.
"Iknowitwill.HappyAmy!"andJosighed,thensmiledbrightlyasProfessorBhaeropenedthegatewithanimpatientpush.
Laterintheevening,whenhismindhadbeensetatrestaboutthebootjack,Lauriesaidsuddenlytohiswife,"Mrs.Laurence."
"MyLord!"
"ThatmanintendstomarryourJo!"
"Ihopeso,don'tyou,dear?"
"Well,mylove,Iconsiderhimatrump,inthefullestsenseofthatexpressiveword,butIdowishhewasalittleyoungerandagooddealricher."
"Now,Laurie,don'tbetoofastidiousandworldly–minded.
Iftheyloveoneanotheritdoesn'tmatteraparticlehowoldtheyarenorhowpoor.
Womennevershouldmarryformoney..."Amycaughtherselfupshortasthewordsescapedher,andlookedatherhusband,whoreplied,withmaliciousgravity...
"Certainlynot,thoughyoudohearcharminggirlssaythattheyintendtodoitsometimes.
Ifmymemoryservesme,youoncethoughtityourdutytomakearichmatch.
Thataccounts,perhaps,foryourmarryingagood–for–nothinglikeme."
"Oh,mydearestboy,don't,don'tsaythat!
IforgotyouwererichwhenIsaid'Yes'.
I'dhavemarriedyouifyouhadn'tapenny,andIsometimeswishyouwerepoorthatImightshowhowmuchIloveyou."
AndAmy,whowasverydignifiedinpublicandveryfondinprivate,gaveconvincingproofsofthetruthofherwords.
"Youdon'treallythinkIamsuchamercenarycreatureasItriedtobeonce,doyou?
Itwouldbreakmyheartifyoudidn'tbelievethatI'dgladlypullinthesameboatwithyou,evenifyouhadtogetyourlivingbyrowingonthelake."
"AmIanidiotandabrute?HowcouldIthinkso,whenyourefusedarichermanforme,andwon'tletmegiveyouhalfIwanttonow,whenIhavetheright?
Girlsdoiteveryday,poorthings,andaretaughttothinkitistheironlysalvation,butyouhadbetterlessons,andthoughItrembledforyouatonetime,Iwasnotdisappointed,forthedaughterwastruetothemother'steaching.
ItoldMammasoyesterday,andshelookedasgladandgratefulasifI'dgivenheracheckforamillion,tobespentincharity.
Youarenotlisteningtomymoralremarks,Mrs.Laurence,"andLauriepaused,forAmy'seyeshadanabsentlook,thoughfixeduponhisface.
"Yes,Iam,andadmiringthemoleinyourchinatthesametime.
Idon'twishtomakeyouvain,butImustconfessthatI'mprouderofmyhandsomehusbandthanofallhismoney.
Don'tlaugh,butyournoseissuchacomforttome,"andAmysoftlycaressedthewell–cutfeaturewithartisticsatisfaction.
Lauriehadreceivedmanycomplimentsinhislife,butneveronethatsuitedhimbetter,asheplainlyshowedthoughhedidlaughathiswife'speculiartaste,whileshesaidslowly,"MayIaskyouaquestion,dear?"
"Ofcourse,youmay."
"ShallyoucareifJodoesmarryMr.Bhaer?"
"Oh,that'sthetroubleisit?Ithoughttherewassomethinginthedimplethatdidn'tquitesuityou.
Notbeingadoginthemanger,butthehappiestfellowalive,IassureyouIcandanceatJo'sweddingwithaheartaslightasmyheels.Doyoudoubtit,mydarling?"
Amylookedupathim,andwassatisfied.Herlittlejealousfearvanishedforever,andshethankedhim,withafacefullofloveandconfidence.
"IwishwecoulddosomethingforthatcapitaloldProfessor.
Couldn'tweinventarichrelation,whoshallobliginglydieoutthereinGermany,andleavehimatidylittlefortune?"
saidLaurie,whentheybegantopaceupanddownthelongdrawingroom,arminarm,astheywerefondofdoing,inmemoryofthechateaugarden.
"Jowouldfindusout,andspoilitall.Sheisveryproudofhim,justasheis,andsaidyesterdaythatshethoughtpovertywasabeautifulthing."
"Blessherdearheart!Shewon'tthinksowhenshehasaliteraryhusband,andadozenlittleprofessorsandprofessorinstosupport.
Wewon'tinterferenow,butwatchourchance,anddothemagoodturninspiteofthemselves.
IoweJoforapartofmyeducation,andshebelievesinpeople'spayingtheirhonestdebts,soI'llgetroundherinthatway."
"Howdelightfulitistobeabletohelpothers,isn'tit?Thatwasalwaysoneofmydreams,tohavethepowerofgivingfreely,andthankstoyou,thedreamhascometrue."
"Ah,we'lldoquantitiesofgood,won'twe?
There'sonesortofpovertythatIparticularlyliketohelp.
Out–and–outbeggarsgettakencareof,butpoorgentlefolksfarebadly,becausetheywon'task,andpeopledon'tdaretooffercharity.
Yetthereareathousandwaysofhelpingthem,ifoneonlyknowshowtodoitsodelicatelythatitdoesnotoffend.
Imustsay,Iliketoserveadecayedgentlemanbetterthanablarneryingbeggar.
Isupposeit'swrong,butIdo,thoughitisharder."
"Becauseittakesagentlemantodoit,"addedtheothermemberofthedomesticadmirationsociety.
"Thankyou,I'mafraidIdon'tdeservethatprettycompliment.
ButIwasgoingtosaythatwhileIwasdawdlingaboutabroad,Isawagoodmanytalentedyoungfellowsmakingallsortsofsacrifices,andenduringrealhardships,thattheymightrealizetheirdreams.
Splendidfellows,someofthem,workinglikeheros,poorandfriendless,butsofullofcourage,patience,andambitionthatIwasashamedofmyself,andlongedtogivethemarightgoodlift.
Thosearepeoplewhomit'sasatisfactiontohelp,forifthey'vegotgenius,it'sanhonortobeallowedtoservethem,andnotletitbelostordelayedforwantoffueltokeepthepotboiling.
Iftheyhaven't,it'sapleasuretocomfortthepoorsouls,andkeepthemfromdespairwhentheyfinditout."
"Yes,indeed,andthere'sanotherclasswhocan'task,andwhosufferinsilence.
Iknowsomethingofit,forIbelongedtoitbeforeyoumadeaprincessofme,asthekingdoesthebeggarmaidintheoldstory.
Ambitiousgirlshaveahardtime,Laurie,andoftenhavetoseeyouth,health,andpreciousopportunitiesgoby,justforwantofalittlehelpattherightminute.
Peoplehavebeenverykindtome,andwheneverIseegirlsstrugglingalong,asweusedtodo,Iwanttoputoutmyhandandhelpthem,asIwashelped."
"Andsoyoushall,likeanangelasyouare!"
criedLaurie,resolving,withaglowofphilanthropiczeal,tofoundandendowaninstitutionfortheexpressbenefitofyoungwomenwithartistictendencies.
"Richpeoplehavenorighttositdownandenjoythemselves,orlettheirmoneyaccumulateforotherstowaste.
It'snothalfsosensibletoleavelegacieswhenonediesasitistousethemoneywiselywhilealive,andenjoymakingone'sfellowcreatureshappywithit.
We'llhaveagoodtimeourselves,andaddanextrarelishtoourownpleasurebygivingotherpeopleageneroustaste.
WillyoubealittleDorcas,goingaboutemptyingabigbasketofcomforts,andfillingitupwithgooddeeds?"
"Withallmyheart,ifyouwillbeabraveSt.Martin,stoppingasyouridegallantlythroughtheworldtoshareyourcloakwiththebeggar."
"It'sabargain,andweshallgetthebestofit!"
Sotheyoungpairshookhandsuponit,andthenpacedhappilyonagain,feelingthattheirpleasanthomewasmorehomelikebecausetheyhopedtobrightenotherhomes,believingthattheirownfeetwouldwalkmoreuprightlyalongtheflowerypathbeforethem,iftheysmoothedroughwaysforotherfeet,andfeelingthattheirheartsweremorecloselyknittogetherbyalovewhichcouldtenderlyrememberthoselessblestthanthey.
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