Laurie meanwhile posted off to comfort Amy, and told his story so well that Aunt March actually ‘sniffed’ herself, and never once said “I told you so”.  Amy came out so strong on this occasion that I think the good thoughts in the little chapel really began to bear fruit.  She dried her tears quickly, restrained her impatience to see her mother, and never even thought of the turquoise ring, when the old lady heartily agreed in Laurie’s opinion, that she behaved ‘like a capital little woman’.  Even Polly seemed impressed, for he called her a good girl, blessed her buttons, and begged her to “come and take a walk, dear”, in his most affable tone.  She would very gladly have gone out to enjoy the bright wintry weather, but discovering that Laurie was dropping with sleep in spite of manful efforts to conceal the fact, she persuaded him to rest on the sofa, while she wrote a 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, while Aunt March had pulled down the curtains and sat doing nothing in an unusual fit of benignity.

After a while, they began to think he was not going to wake up till night, and I’m not sure that he would, had he not been effectually roused by Amy’s cry of joy at sight of her mother.  There probably were a good many happy little girls in and about the city that day, but it is my private opinion that Amy was the happiest of all, when she sat in her mother’s lap and told her trials, receiving consolation and compensation in the shape of approving smiles and fond caresses.  They were alone together in the chapel, to which her mother did not object when its purpose was explained to her.

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

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

As Amy pointed to the smiling Christ child on his Mother’s knee, Mrs. March saw something on the lifted hand that made her smile.  She said nothing, but Amy understood the look, and after a minute’s pause, she added gravely, “I wanted to speak to you about this, but I forgot it.  Aunt gave me the ring today.  She called me to her and kissed me, and put it on my finger, and said I was a credit to her, and she’d like to keep me always.  She gave that funny guard to keep the turquoise on, as it’s too big.  I’d like to wear them Mother, can I?”