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Title: Little Women; Or, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy
Author: Louisa May Alcott
Illustrator: Frank T. Merrill
Release date: August 16, 2011 [eBook #37106]
Most recently updated: September 24, 2025
Language: English
Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/37106
Credits: David Edwards, Ernest Schaal, Robert Homa, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LITTLE WOMEN; OR, MEG, JO, BETH, AND AMY ***
[Illustration: LITTLE WOMEN
MEG, JO, BETH, AND AMY
LOUISA M. ALCOTT]
LITTLE WOMEN.
[Illustration: "They all drew to the fire, mother in the big chair, with
Beth at her feet"
(See page 9) FRONTISPIECE]
LITTLE WOMEN
OR
Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy
BY
LOUISA M. ALCOTT
AUTHOR OF "LITTLE MEN," "AN OLD-FASHIONED GIRL"
"SPINNING-WHEEL STORIES," ETC.
_With more than 200 illustrations by Frank T. Merrill
and a picture of the Home of the Little Women
by Edmund H. Garrett_
BOSTON
LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the years 1868 and 1869, by
LOUISA M. ALCOTT,
In the Clerk's office of the
District Court of the District of Massachusetts.
_Copyright, 1880_,
BY LOUISA M. ALCOTT.
_Copyright, 1896_,
BY JOHN S. P. ALCOTT.
BOSTON
ALFRED MUDGE & SON INC. PRINTERS
[Illustration: Preface]
"_Go then, my little Book, and show to all
That entertain and bid thee welcome shall,
What thou dost keep close shut up in thy breast;
And wish what thou dost show them may be blest
To them for good, may make them choose to be
Pilgrims better, by far, than thee or me.
Tell them of Mercy; she is one
Who early hath her pilgrimage begun.
Yea, let young damsels learn of her to prize
The world which is to come, and so be wise;
For little tripping maids may follow God
Along the ways which saintly feet have trod._"
Adapted from JOHN BUNYAN.
[Illustration: Contents]
Part First.
CHAPTER
I. PLAYING PILGRIMS
II. A MERRY CHRISTMAS
III. THE LAURENCE BOY
IV. BURDENS
V. BEING NEIGHBORLY
VI. BETH FINDS THE PALACE BEAUTIFUL
VII. AMY'S VALLEY OF HUMILIATION
VIII. JO MEETS APOLLYON
IX. MEG GOES TO VANITY FAIR
X. THE P. C. AND P. O.
XI. EXPERIMENTS
XII. CAMP LAURENCE
XIII. CASTLES IN THE AIR
XIV. SECRETS
XV. A TELEGRAM
XVI. LETTERS
XVII. LITTLE FAITHFUL
XVIII. DARK DAYS
XIX. AMY'S WILL
XX. CONFIDENTIAL
XXI. LAURIE MAKES MISCHIEF, AND JO MAKES PEACE
XXII. PLEASANT MEADOWS
XXIII. AUNT MARCH SETTLES THE QUESTION
Part Second.
XXIV. GOSSIP
XXV. THE FIRST WEDDING
XXVI. ARTISTIC ATTEMPTS
XXVII. LITERARY LESSONS
XXVIII. DOMESTIC EXPERIENCES
XXIX. CALLS
XXX. CONSEQUENCES
XXXI. OUR FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT
XXXII. TENDER TROUBLES
XXXIII. JO'S JOURNAL
XXXIV. A FRIEND
XXXV. HEARTACHE
XXXVI. BETH'S SECRET
XXXVII. NEW IMPRESSIONS
XXXVIII. ON THE SHELF
XXXIX. LAZY LAURENCE
XL. THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW
XLI. LEARNING TO FORGET
XLII. ALL ALONE
XLIII. SURPRISES
XLIV. MY LORD AND LADY
XLV. DAISY AND DEMI
XLVI. UNDER THE UMBRELLA
XLVII. HARVEST TIME
[Illustration: Tail-piece to Contents]
[Illustration: List of illustrations.]
[The Illustrations, designed by FRANK T. MERRILL, drawn, engraved,
and printed under the supervision of GEORGE T. ANDREW.]
PAGE
They all drew to the fire, mother in the big chair, with
Beth at her feet
Preface
Contents
Tail-piece to Contents
List of Illustrations
Tail-piece to Illustrations
Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents
Beth put a pair of slippers down to warm
I used to be so frightened when it was my turn to sit in
the big chair
Do it this way, clasp your hands so
It was a cheerful, hopeful letter
How you used to play Pilgrim's Progress
No one but Beth could get much music out of the old piano
At nine they stopped work and sung as usual
Merry Christmas
The procession set out
Out came Meg with gray horse-hair hanging about her face
A little figure in cloudy white
The lovers kneeling to receive Don Pedro's blessing
We talked over the fence
Tail-piece
Eating apples and crying over the "Heir of Redclyffe"
Jo undertook to pinch the papered locks
Mrs. Gardiner greeted them
Face to face with the Laurence boy
They sat down on the stairs
Tell about the party
The kitten stuck like a burr just out of reach
Curling herself up in the big chair
Reading that everlasting Belsham
He took her by the ear! by the ear!
Mr. Laurence hooked up a big fish
Tail-piece
Being neighborly
Laurie opened the window
Poll tweaked off his wig
Putting his finger under her chin
Please give these to your mother
Tail-piece
O sir, they do care very much
Mr. Laurence often opened his study door
She put both arms around his neck and kissed him
The Cyclops
Amy bore without flinching several tingling blows
You do know her
Girls, where are you going?
I burnt it up
Held Amy up by his arms and hockey
Packing the go abroady trunk
Meg's partner appeared
Asked to be introduced
I wouldn't, Meg
Holding a hand of each, Mrs. March said, &c.
Mr. Pickwick
Jo threw open the door of the closet
Jo spent the morning on the river
Amy sat down to draw
O Pip! O Pip!
Miss Crocker made a wry face
We'll work like bees
Beth was post-mistress
Amy capped the climax by putting a clothes-pin on her nose 151
Mr. Laurence waving his hat
Now, Miss Jo, I'll settle you
A very merry lunch it was
He went prancing down a quiet street
"Oh, rise," she said
A stunning blow from the big Greek lexicon
He sneezed
The Portuguese walked the plank
Will you give me a rose?
Miss Kate put up her glass
Ellen Tree
Tail-piece
Swinging to and fro in his hammock
It was rather a pretty little picture
Waved a brake before her face
I see him bow and smile
Tail-piece
Jo was very busy
Hurrah for Miss March
Jo darted away
Jo laid herself on the sofa and affected to read
November is the most disagreeable month in the year
One of them horrid telegraph things
She came suddenly upon Mr. Brooke
The man clipped
Tail-piece
Letters
She rolled away
I wind the clock
Yours Respectful, Hannah Mullet
Tail-piece
It didn't stir, and I knew it was dead
He sat down beside her
What do you want now?
Beth did have the fever
Gently stroking her head as her mother used to do
Amy's Will
Polish up the spoons and the fat silver teapot
On his back, with all his legs in the air Next |