"Alcott, Louisa May - Little Women - March Family 01 - Little Women" - читать интересную книгу автора (Alcott Louisa May)

flask did not appear.

"She took it out a minute ago, and went off with it to put a ribbon on
it, or some such notion," replied Jo, dancing about the room to take the
first stiffness off the new army slippers.

"How nice my handkerchiefs look, don't they? Hannah washed and ironed
them for me, and I marked them all myself," said Beth, looking proudly at
the somewhat uneven letters which had cost her such labor.

"Bless the child! She's gone and put `Mother' on them instead of `M.
March'. How funny!" cried Jo, taking one up.

"Isn't that right? I thought it was better to do it so, because Meg's
initials are M.M., and I don't want anyone to use these but Marmee," said
Beth;, looking troubled.

"It's all right, dear, and a very pretty idea, quite sensible too, for
no one can ever mistake now. It will please her very much, I know," said
Meg, with a frown for Jo and a smile for Beth.

"There's Mother. Hide the basket, quick!" cried Jo, as a door slammed
and steps sounded in the hall.

Amy came in hastily, and looked rather abashed when she saw her
sisters all waiting for her.

"Where have you been, and what are you hiding behind you?" asked Meg,
surprised to see, by her hood and cloak, that lazy Amy had been out so
early.

"Don't laugh at me, Jo! I didn't mean anyone should know till the time
came. I only meant to change the little bottle for a big one, and I gave
all my money to get it, and I'm truly trying not to be selfish any more."

As she spoke, Amy showed the handsome flask which replaced the cheap
one, and looked so earnest and humble in her little effort to forget
herself that Meg hugged her on the spot, and Jo pronounced her `a trump',
while Beth ran to the window, and picked her finest rose to ornament the
stately bottle.

"You see I felt ashamed of my present, after reading and talking about
being good this morning, so I ran round the corner and changed it the
minute I was up, and I'm so glad, for mine is the handsomest now."

Another bang of the street door sent the basket under the sofa, and
the girls to the table, eager for breakfast.

"Merry Christmas, Marmee! Many of them! Thank you for our books. We
read some, and mean to every day," they all cried in chorus.