“Suppose you learn plain cooking.  That’s a useful accomplishment, which no woman should be without,” said Mrs. March, laughing inaudibly at the recollection of Jo’s dinner party, for she had met Miss Crocker and heard her account of it.

“Mother, did you go away and let everything be, just to see how we’d get on?” cried Meg, who had had suspicions all day.

“Yes, I wanted you to see how the comfort of all depends on each doing her share faithfully.  While Hannah and I did your work, you got on pretty well, though I don’t think you were very happy or amiable.  So I thought, as a little lesson, I would show you what happens when everyone thinks only of herself.  Don’t you feel that it is pleasanter to help one another, to have daily duties which make leisure sweet when it comes, and to bear and forbear, that home may be comfortable and lovely to us all?”

“We do, Mother, we do!” cried the girls.

“Then let me advise you to take up your little burdens again, for though they seem heavy sometimes, they are good for us, and lighten as we learn to carry them.  Work is wholesome, and there is plenty for everyone.  It keeps us from ennui and mischief, is good for health and spirits, and gives us a sense of power and independence better than money or fashion.”

“We’ll work like bees, and love it too, see if we don’t,” said Jo.  “I’ll learn plain cooking for my holiday task, and the next dinner party I have shall be a success.”

“I’ll make the set of shirts for father, instead of letting you do it, Marmee.  I can and I will, though I’m not fond of sewing.  That will be better than fussing over my own things, which are plenty nice enough as they are.” said Meg.

“I’ll do my lessons every day, and not spend so much time with my music and dolls.  I am a stupid thing, and ought to be studying, not playing,” was Beth’s resolution, while Amy followed their example by heroically declaring, “I shall learn to make buttonholes, and attend to my parts of speech.”

“Very good!  Then I am quite satisfied with the experiment, and fancy that we shall not have to repeat it, only don’t go to the other extreme and delve like slaves.  Have regular hours for work and play, make each day both useful and pleasant, and prove that you understand the worth of time by employing it well.  Then youth will be delightful, old age will bring few regrets, and life become a beautiful success, in spite of poverty.”

“We’ll remember, Mother!” and they did.

CHAPTER TWELVE

CAMP LAURENCE

Beth was postmistress, for, being most at home, she could attend to it regularly, and dearly liked the daily task of unlocking the little door and distributing the mail.  One July day she came in with her hands full, and went about the house leaving letters and parcels like the penny post.

“Here’s your posy, Mother!  Laurie never forgets that,” she said, putting the fresh nosegay in the vase that stood in ’Marmee’s corner’, and was kept supplied by the affectionate boy.