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Little women

"Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents," grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.

"It's so dreadful to be poor!" sighed Meg, looking down at her old dress.

"I don't think it's fair for some girls to have plenty of pretty things, and other girls nothing at

all," added little Amy, with an injured sniff.

"We've got Father and Mother, and each other," said Beth contentedly from her corner.The four young faces on which the firelight shone brightened at the cheerful words, but

darkened again as Jo said sadly, "We haven't got Father, and shall not have him for a long

time." She didn't say "perhaps never," but each silently added it, thinking of Father far away,

where the fighting was.

Nobody spoke for a minute; then Meg said in an altered tone, "You know the reason Mother

proposed not having any presents this Christmas was because it is going to be a hard winter for

everyone; and she thinks we ought not to spend money for pleasure, when our men are

suffering so in the army. We can't do much, but we can make our little sacrifices, and ought to

do it gladly. But I am afraid I don't." And Meg shook her head, as she thought regretfully of all

the pretty things she wanted.

"But I don't think the little we should spend would do any good. We've each got a dollar, and

the army wouldn't be much helped by our giving that. I agree not to expect anything from

Mother or you, but I do want to buy UNDINE AND SINTRAM for myself. I've wanted it so long,"

said Jo, who was a bookworm.

"I planned to spend mine in new music," said Beth, with a little sigh, which no one heard but

the hearth brush and kettle holder.

EmmaJane Austin

Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy

disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearlytwenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her.

She was the youngest of the two daughters of a most affectionate, indulgent father; and had, in

consequence of her sister's marriage, been mistress of his house from a very early period. Her

mother had died too long ago for her to have more than an indistinct remembrance of her

caresses; and her place had been supplied by an excellent woman as governess, who had fallen

little short of a mother in affection.

Sixteen years had Miss Taylor been in Mr. Woodhouse's family, less as a governess than a

friend, very fond of both daughters, but particularly of Emma. Between them it was more the

intimacy of sisters. Even before Miss Taylor had ceased to hold the nominal office of governess,

the mildness of her temper had hardly allowed her to impose any restraint; and the shadow ofauthority being now long passed away, they had been living together as friend and friend very

mutually attached, and Emma doing just what she liked; highly esteeming Miss Taylor's

judgment, but directed chiefly by her own.

The real evils, indeed, of Emma's situation were the power of having rather too much her own

way, and a disposition to think a little too well of herself; these were the disadvantages which

threatened alloy to her many enjoyments. The danger, however, was at present so

unperceived, that they did not by any means rank as misfortunes with her.

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David Copperfield Charles Dickens

Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by

anybody else, these pages must show. To begin my life with the beginning of my life, I recordthat I was born (as I have been informed and believe) on a Friday, at twelve o'clock at night. It

was remarked that the clock began to strike, and I began to cry, simultaneously.

In consideration of the day and hour of my birth, it was declared by the nurse, and by some

sage women in the neighbourhood who had taken a lively interest in me several months before

there was any possibility of our becoming personally acquainted, first, that I was destined to be

unlucky in life; and secondly, that I was privileged to see ghosts and spirits; both these gifts

inevitably attaching, as they believed, to all unlucky infants of either gender, born towards the

small hours on a Friday night.

I need say nothing here, on the first head, because nothing can show better than my history

whether that prediction was verified or falsified by the result. On the second branch of the

question, I will only remark, that unless I ran through that part of my inheritance while I was

still a baby, I have not come into it yet. But I do not at all complain of having been kept out of

this property; and if anybody else should be in the present enjoyment of it, he is heartily

welcome to keep it.

I was born with a caul, which was advertised for sale, in the newspapers, at the low price of

fifteen guineas. Whether sea-going people were short of money about that time, or were short

of faith and preferred cork jackets, I don't know; all I know is, that there was but one solitary

bidding, and that was from an attorney connected with the bill-broking business, who offered

two pounds in cash, and the balance in sherry, but declined to be guaranteed from drowning on

any higher bargain.