Page 74 - LITTLE WOMEN
P. 74
Little Women
‘That reminds me,’ said Meg, ‘that I’ve got something
to tell. It isn’t funny, like Jo’s story, but I thought about it
a good deal as I came home. At the Kings’ today I found
everybody in a flurry, and one of the children said that her
oldest brother had done something dreadful, and Papa had
sent him away. I heard Mrs. King crying and Mr. King
talking very loud, and Grace and Ellen turned away their
faces when they passed me, so I shouldn’t see how red and
swollen their eyes were. I didn’t ask any questions, of
course, but I felt so sorry for them and was rather glad I
hadn’t any wild brothers to do wicked things and disgrace
the family.’
‘I think being disgraced in school is a great deal tryinger
than anything bad boys can do,’ said Amy, shaking her
head, as if her experience of life had been a deep one.
‘Susie Perkins came to school today with a lovely red
carnelian ring. I wanted it dreadfully, and wished I was her
with all my might. Well, she drew a picture of Mr. Davis,
with a monstrous nose and a hump, and the words,
‘Young ladies, my eye is upon you!’ coming out of his
mouth in a balloon thing. We were laughing over it when
all of a sudden his eye was on us, and he ordered Susie to
bring up her slate. She was parrylized with fright, but she
went, and oh, what do you think he did? He took her by
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