Little women

CHAPTER TWENTY CONFIDENTIAL

I don't think I have any words in which to tell the meeting of the motherand daughters. Such hours are beautiful to live, but very hard to describe,so I will leave it to the imagination of my readers, merely saying that thehouse was full of genuine happiness, and that Meg's tender hope wasrealized, for when Beth woke from that long, healing sleep, the firstobjects on which her eyes fell were the little rose and Mother's face. Tooweak to wonder at anything, she only smiled and nestled close in theloving arms about her, feeling that the hungry longing was satisfied at last.Then she slept again, and the girls waited upon their mother, for she wouldnot unclasp the thin hand which clung to hers even in sleep.

 Hannah had 'dished up' an astonishing breakfast for the traveler, findingit impossible to vent her excitement in any other way, and Meg and Jo fedtheir mother like dutiful young storks, while they listened to her whisperedaccount of Father's state, Mr. Brooke's promise to stay and nurse him, thedelays which the storm occasioned on the homeward journey, and theunspeakable comfort Laurie's hopeful face had given her when she arrived,worn out with fatigue, anxiety, and cold. 

What a strange yet pleasant day that was. So brilliant and gay without,for all the world seemed abroad to welcome the first snow. So quiet andreposeful within, for everyone slept, spent with watching, and a Sabbathstillness reigned through the house, while nodding Hannah mounted guardat the door. With a blissful sense of burdens lifted off, Meg and Jo closedtheir weary eyes, and lay at rest, like storm-beaten boats safe at anchor ina quiet harbor. Mrs. March would not leave Beth's side, but rested in thebig chair, waking often to look at, touch, and brood over her child, like amiser over some recovered treasure.

Laurie meanwhile posted off to comfort Amy, and told his story so wellthat Aunt March actually 'sniffed' herself, and never once said "I told youso". Amy came out so strong on this occasion that I think the goodthoughts in the little chapel really began to bear fruit. She dried her tearsquickly, restrained her impatience to see her mother, and never eventhought of the turquoise ring, when the old lady heartily agreed in Laurie'sopinion, that she behaved 'like a capital little woman'. Even Polly seemedimpressed, for he called her a good girl, blessed her buttons, and beggedher to "come and take a walk, dear", in his most affable tone. She wouldvery gladly have gone out to enjoy the bright wintry weather, butdiscovering that Laurie was dropping with sleep in spite of manful effortsto conceal the fact, she persuaded him to rest on the sofa, while she wrotea note to her mother. She was a long time about it, and when she returned,he was stretched out with both arms under his head, sound asleep, whileAunt March had pulled down the curtains and sat doing nothing in anunusual fit of benignity. 

After a while, they began to think he was not going to wake up tillnight, and I'm not sure that he would, had he not been effectually rousedby Amy's cry of joy at sight of her mother. There probably were a goodmany happy little girls in and about the city that day, but it is my privateopinion that Amy was the happiest of all, when she sat in her mother's lapand told her trials, receiving consolation and compensation in the shape ofapproving smiles and fond caresses. They were alone together in thechapel, to which her mother did not object when its purpose was explainedto her. 

"On the contrary, I like it very much, dear," looking from the dustyrosary to the well-worn little book, and the lovely picture with its garlandof evergreen. "It is an excellent plan to have some place where we can goto be quiet, when things vex or grieve us. There are a good many hardtimes in this life of ours, but we can always bear them if we ask help in theright way. I think my little girl is learning this."

"Yes, Mother, and when I go home I mean to have a corner in the bigcloset to put my books and the copy of that picture which I've tried tomake. The woman's face is not good, it's too beautiful for me to draw, butthe baby is done better, and I love it very much. I like to think He was alittle child once, for then I don't seem so far away, and that helps me."