Show Every Every Girls Girl's Friend MEG J Jo 0 Beth and Amy What loving book-loving girl does not know them has not wept over their trials rejoiced in their happ happiness ness and applauded their brave efforts What romantic girl has not sighed for a Laurie and felt that if she had been in Jos Jo's J os o's place Laurie would not have pleaded in vain Little Li Women is dear to ever every girl and its author is regarded with little less than worship There can be nothing but praise for Little Women The girls seem seem real flesh and blood as we read of their daily life home-life told in such a charming manner faulty girls who had their troubles and who could couldN t l. l N not always overcome the various small temptations that beset them but who were ever guided firmly but none the less lovingly by a wise earnest mother whose teachings so faithfully transcribed transcribed transcribed tran tran- scribed have served as a gentle monitor to thousands of Ii little women all over the land who did not feel their force the less because they were delivered in such an entertaining form There is none of the preaching so distasteful to girlish readers but the interest is so centred in Marmee that every word she utters takes weight and sinks into the heart All through the book its author Miss Alcott shows her rare knowledge of human nature which she uses to so good a purpose The Old-Fashioned Old Girl ranks next in our affection I think and justly has it t won a place for itself for a more natural healthy and amusing book would be hard to find In her Hospital Sketches Miss Alcott shows up a side of the war not often touched upon But in gaining the experiences from which Hospital Sketches is written Miss Alcott in injured injured injured in- in her health and was never very strong afterward However notwithstanding notwithstanding notwithstanding standing her weakness she devoted her life to writing and well She never married but spoke of herself as one destined to fill vacant niches being a wife to her father a husband to her widowed sister and a mother to her Ii little niece In her younger days Jays she wrote a great many short fairy stories and other tales which are dearly loved by bythe bythe the little folks But she was more than a fluent writer of merry interesting stories her books are full of prompt prompt- ings and incentives to right doing and kindly action We can almost feel her hervi vi vital tal presence as we read her books and she speaks most forcibly to us all Who can fill her place Her writings m mark rk an era in literature that has many I J d' d faithful followers but who can write another Little Women Miss Alcott was was- wasa a much much more beautiful ful woman before her illness than one would judge from front any portraits its of her These have not been notable successes and once caused her to remark When I dont don't look like the tragic muse I look W like a smoky relic of the great Boston fJ fire fi re j td A friend writing of her says Her conversation was just what we might imagine it from her books racy books racy pungent pungent pungent pun pun- gent and quaint She was quick to feel and keen to criticise but never in ina a scathing wiy j and it need hardly be said that she never descended to invidious invidious I dious com comparisons or petty find fault tJi i ing On the contrary her enthusiasm over th the good works work of any new new auth author r was a delightful ul to witness Itne s so full was it ff interest of and good will twill Her Her- sympathy sympathy sym sym- i pathy was always given wholly and unreservedly unreservedly t to every cause of ot philanthropy i and all that t tended to the higher r- r development of woman could be sure of oft t the ready read enlistment of her tongue and anda a tl pen Her character was noble her herr herrl rl r disposition sweet and we learn from h reminiscences of her and also from the thet t lips of one one w who o was a perso personal al friend that hat the principle bf n right doing she so strongly advocated found no truer adherent than herself and as one has I said She lived a life nobler whole- whole somer and more inspiring than the best besty y chapters of her best books The most fitting tribute that can be paid Louisa May Alcott is contained in her own lines The great deep heart that was a home for all Just eloquent and strong In protest against wrong i. i Wide charity that knew no sin no fall j O 0 noble woman I 1 never more a queen Than in in the laying down tl Of or sceptre and of crown p To To win win a greater kingdom yet unseen c Teaching us how to seek the highest goal To earn the true success To live to love to bless And make Death proud to take a royal royat soul Edyth Ellerb Ellerbeck ck U |