Louisa May Alcott

with a shy man­ner, a timid voice, and a peace­ful ex­pres­sion, which was sel­dom dis­turbed.

There are many Beths in the world, shy and quiet, sit­ting in cor­ners till needed, and liv­ing for oth­ers so cheer­fully that no one sees the sac­ri­fices till the lit­tle cricket on the hearth stops chirp­ing, and the sweet, sun­shiny pres­ence van­ishes, leav­ing si­lence and shadow be­hind.

I hate to think I’ve got to grow up, and be Miss March, and wear long gowns, and look as prim as a China-aster! It’s bad enough to be a girl, any­way,

Tell them I think of them by day, pray for them by night, and find my best com­fort in their af­fec­tion at all times.

“I don’t think it’s fair for some girls to have plenty of pretty things, and other girls noth­ing at all,”

“I de­test rude, un­la­dy­like girls!”

you are al­to­gether too par­tic­u­lar and prim

which were very much in her way

“It was an abom­inable thing, and she don’t de­serve to be for­given.”

“My dear, don’t let the sun go down upon your anger; for­give each other, help each other, and be­gin again to­mor­row.”