4 Burdens

CHAPTER 4 Burdens Now that the holidays were over, the day began sourly. Meg tried to hide her envy of girls who didn't have so many burdens. Jo didn't feel like going back to work. Beth had a headache, and Amy complained because she hadn't finished her schoolwork. With their hot turnovers in hand, the girls headed outdoors. Marmee smiled and nodded to them from the window. That

seemed to brighten their spirits. Meg took being poor the hardest. She loved fine things and had warm memories of better days. The two older girls had begged to help financially. So Meg worked as a governess for the Kings, and Jo was a companion to their father's elder sister, Aunt March, who was rich and frail. Despite their differences, Jo and Aunt March got along very well. Jo often spent time in the large library when her aunt didn't need her. The poverty of the family affected the girls differently. While they tried to be cheerful, Beth wept a little because she couldn't afford music lessons. Quiet and shy, she did her lessons at home and spent a lot of time with her dolls. She was a giving child, whose greatest joy was caring for others. Amy's worst problem was her nose. She blamed Jo, who accidentally dropped her as a

baby. All the pinching in the world couldn't give her an aristocratic point. In terms of talent, Amy was the artist, forever drawing flowers, fairies, and all the pretty noses she so desired. All in all, they were happy girls who found comfort in one another, when the outside world was so disappointing. A hard day's work was rewarded by long conversations after supper when mother and daughters talked for hours. On this night, Mrs. March told a moving story. While she was cutting jackets, an old man came into the shop. All four of his sons were in the army. Two were killed, one was a prisoner, and the last was sick in a Washington hospital. Marmee said she was grateful to run into a man so accepting of his duty, which made her very thankful for her blessings.

"Tell us another story with a moral," Jo asked. So Marmee began a tale about four girls who had enough to eat, drink, and wear. They had many wonderful friends and a family who loved them very much. Still, these girls weren't happy, always asking for this and wishing for that. All four sisters stole silent glances at one another and sewed faster as their mother continued. "When you feel unhappy, count your blessings and be grateful—for there are always those in the world with less," Marmee said. The girls enjoyed the story and all agreed to stop complaining and to find happiness in their own small blessings, keeping Marmee's words very close to their hearts.