Welcome to Sleep Stories with Steph,
Your go-to podcast that offers you a calm and relaxing transition into a great night's sleep.
It is time to relax and fully let go.
There is nothing you need to be doing now and nowhere you need to go.
Close your eyes and feel yourself sink into the support beneath you and let all the worries of the day drift away.
This is your time and your space.
Take a deep breath in through your nose and let it out with a long sigh.
There is nothing you need to be doing now and nowhere you need to go.
Happy listening.
Chapter 20 continued.
That evening,
While Meg was writing to her father to report the traveller's safe arrival,
Jo slipped upstairs into Beth's room and,
Finding her mother in her usual place,
Stood a minute,
Twisting her fingers in her hair,
With a worried gesture and undecided look.
What is it,
Dear?
Asked Mrs March,
Holding out her hand with a face that invited confidence.
I want to tell you something,
Mother.
About Meg.
How quickly you guessed.
Yes,
It's about her.
Though it's a little thing,
It fidgets me.
Beth is asleep,
So speak low and tell me about it.
That Moffat hasn't been here,
I hope?
Asked Mrs March.
No,
I should have shut the door in his face if he had,
Said Jo.
Last summer,
Meg left a pair of gloves over at the Lawrence's.
We forgot all about it till Teddy told me Mr Brook had it.
He kept it in his waistcoat pocket.
Once it fell out and Teddy joked him about it,
Mr Brook owned that he liked Meg,
But he didn't say so.
She was so young and he was so poor,
He said.
Isn't that a dreadful state of things?
Do you think Meg cares for him?
Asked Mrs March,
With an anxious look.
Mercy me,
I don't know anything about love and such nonsense,
Cried Jo,
With a funny mixture of interest and contempt.
In novels,
The girls show it by starting and blushing and fainting away.
Now Meg doesn't do anything of the sort.
She eats and drinks and sleeps like a sensible creature.
She looks straight in my face when I talk about Mr Brook and only blushes a little bit when Teddy jokes about lovers.
I forbid him to do it,
But he doesn't mind me,
As he ought.
Then you think Meg is not interested in John?
Who?
Mr Brook,
I call him John now,
We fell into the way of doing so at the hospital.
Oh dear,
I knew you'd take his part.
My dear,
Don't get so angry about it.
I'll tell you how it happened.
John went with me,
At Mr Lawrence's request,
And was so devoted to poor father,
We couldn't help getting fond of him.
He was perfectly open and honourable about Meg.
He told us he loved her,
But would earn a comfortable home before he asked her to marry him.
He only wanted our leave to love her and work for her,
And the right to make her love him if he could.
He's an excellent young man,
And we could not refuse to listen to him.
But I will not consent to Meg engaging herself so young.
Of course not,
Said Jo,
It would be idiotic.
I knew there was mischief brewing,
I felt it,
And now it's worse than I imagined.
I wish I could marry Meg myself and keep her safe in the family.
This odd arrangement made Mrs March smile,
But she said gravely,
Jo,
I confide in you and I don't wish you to say anything to Meg yet.
When John comes back and I see them together,
I can judge better of her feelings towards him.
She'll see his in those handsome eyes she talks about and then it'll be all up with her,
Said Jo.
She's got such a soft heart,
It'll melt like butter in the sun if anyone looks sentimentally.
She read the short report she sent more than she did your letters,
And she pinched me when I spoke of it.
She likes brown eyes and doesn't think John is an ugly name.
She'll go and fall in love and there's an end of peace and fun and cosy times together.
I see it all.
They'll go on lovering around the house and we'll have to dodge.
Meg will be absorbed and no good to me anymore.
Brooke will scratch up a fortune somehow,
Carry her off and make a hole in the family,
Then I shall break my heart and everything will be abominably uncomfortable.
Dear me,
Why won't we all boys?
Then there won't be any bother.
Jo leaned her chin on her knees in a disconsolate attitude and shook her fist at the reprehensible John.
Mrs March sighed and Jo looked up with an air of relief.
You don't like it,
Mother?
I'm glad of it.
Send him about his business and not tell Meg a word.
I did wrong to sigh,
Jo,
Said Mrs March.
It's natural and right you should all go to homes of your own in your time,
But I do want to keep my girls as long as I can and I'm sorry this has happened so soon for Meg is only seventeen.
It'll be some years before John can make a home for her.
Your father and I have agreed she shall not bind herself in any way nor be married before twenty.
If she and John love one another they can wait and test their love by doing so.
She is conscientious and I have no fear of her treating him unkindly.
My pretty tender-hearted girl,
I hope things will always go happily for her.
Had you rather her marry a rich man?
Asked Jo.
Money is a good and useful thing,
Jo,
And I hope my girls will never feel the need of it too bitterly nor be tempted too much.
I should like to know John was firmly established as some good business,
Which gave him an income large enough to keep free from debt and make Meg comfortable,
But I'm not ambitious for a splendid fortune,
A fashionable position or a great name.
If rank and money come with love and virtue also,
I should accept them gratefully and enjoy your good fortune,
But I know by experience how much genuine happiness can be had in a plain little house where the daily bread is earned and some privations give sweetness to the few pleasures.
I'm content to see Meg begin humbly,
For if I'm not mistaken she will be rich in the possession of a good man's heart,
And that is much better than a fortune.
I understand,
Mother,
And I quite agree,
But I'm disappointed about Meg,
Said Jo resolutely.
I plan to have her marry Teddy by and by and sit in the lap of luxury all her days.
Wouldn't that be nice?
He's younger than she,
You know,
Began Mrs March,
But then Jo broke in only a little,
He's old for his age and tall,
And can be quite grown up in his manners if he likes.
Then he's rich and generous and good and loves us all,
And I say it's a pity my plan's spoiled.
I'm afraid Laurie is hardly grown up enough to tempt Meg,
And all too much of a weathercock just now for anyone to depend upon,
Said Mrs March.
Don't let's make plans,
Jo,
Let time and their own hearts make your friends.
We can't meddle safely in such manners,
And we'd better not get romantic rubbish,
As you call it,
Into our heads,
Lest it spoil our friendship.
Well,
I won't,
But I hate to see things going all crisscross and getting snarled up,
When a paw here and a snip there would straighten it right out.
I wish wearing flat irons on our heads would keep us from growing up,
But buds will be roses and kittens cats,
More the pity.
What's that about flat irons and cats?
Asked Meg as she crept into the room with a finished letter in her hand.
Only one of my stupid speeches.
I'm going to bed,
Said Jo.
Come,
Peggy.
And she unfolded herself like an animated puzzle.
Quite right and beautifully written.
Please add that I send my love to John,
Said Mrs March,
As she glanced over the letter and gave it back.
Do you call him John?
Said Meg,
Smiling,
With her innocent eyes looking down into her mother's.
Yes,
He's been like a son to us.
We're very fond of him,
Father and I,
Replied Mrs March,
Returning the look with a keen one.
I am glad of that,
Said Meg.
He's so lonely.
Good night,
Mother dear.
It's so inexpressibly comfortable to have you back here.
The kiss Mrs March gave Meg was a very tender one.
And as she went away,
Mrs March said with a mixture of satisfaction and regret.
She does not love John yet,
But I think somehow she will soon learn to.
