24 Little Women Read By Stephanie Poppins

Welcome to Sleep Stories with Steph,

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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 12 Further Further Continued After having spent some time making up funny stories and telling them to each other,

Sally said,

Do you know the game of truth?

I hope so,

Said Meg soberly.

The game?

What is it?

Said Fred.

Why,

You pile up your hands,

You choose a number and you draw out in turn,

Then the person who draws out the number has to answer truly any questions put by the rest.

It's great fun.

Let's try it,

Said Joe,

Who liked new experiments.

Miss Kate and Mr.

Brook,

Meg and Ned declined,

But Fred,

Sally,

Joe and Laurie piled in and drew and the lot fell to Laurie.

Who are your heroes,

Asked Joe,

Grandfather and Napoleon.

Which lady do you think is the prettiest here,

Said Sally,

Margaret.

Which do you like the best,

Said Fred,

Joe,

Of course.

What silly questions you ask.

And Joe gave a disdainful shrug as the rest laughed at Laurie's matter-of-fact tone.

Try again.

Truth isn't a bad game,

Said Fred.

It's a very good one for you,

Retorted Joe.

Her turn came next.

What is your greatest fault,

Said Fred.

A quick temper.

What do you most wish for,

Asked Laurie.

A pair of boot lacings.

Not a true answer.

You must say what you really do want most.

Genius.

Don't you wish you could give it to me,

Laurie?

Joe smiled slyly in his disappointed face.

What virtues do you most admire in a man,

Asked Sally.

Courage and honesty.

Now it's my turn,

Said Fred,

As his hand came up last.

Let's give it to him,

Whispered Laurie to Joe,

Who nodded and asked at once.

Did you cheat at croquet?

Well,

Yes,

A little bit.

Good,

Said Laurie.

Didn't you take your story out of The Sea Lion?

Rather.

Don't you think the English nation perfect in every respect,

Asked Sally.

I should be ashamed of myself if I didn't.

He's a true John Bull.

Now Miss Sally,

You shall have a chance without waiting to draw,

Said Laurie.

I'll harrow up your feelings first by asking if you don't think you're something of a flirt.

You impertinent boy,

Of course I'm not,

Exclaimed Sally with an air that proved the contrary.

Well,

What do you hate most,

Asked Fred.

Spiders and rice pudding.

What do you like best,

Asked Joe.

Dancing and French gloves.

Well,

I think truth is a very silly play.

Let's have a sensible game of authors to refresh our minds,

Proposed Joe.

Ned,

Frank and the little girls joined in in this,

And while it went on,

The three elders sat apart talking.

Miss Kate took out her sketch again and Margaret watched,

While Mr.

Brook lay on the grass with a book which he did not read.

How perfectly you do it,

I wish I could draw,

Said Meg,

With mingled admiration and regret.

Well,

Why don't you learn?

I should think you had taste and talent for it,

Replied Miss Kate graciously.

I haven't time.

Your mama prefers other accomplishments,

I fancy.

So did mine,

But I proved to her I had talent by taking a few lessons privately.

Then she was quite willing I should go on.

Can't you do the same with your governess?

I have none.

I forgot,

Young ladies in America go to school more than us.

Very fine schools they are too,

Papa says.

You go to a private one,

I suppose.

I don't go at all.

I'm a governess myself.

Oh,

Indeed,

Said Miss Kate,

But she might as well have said,

Dear me,

How dreadful,

For her tone implied it.

Something in her face made Meg colour and wish she'd not been so frank.

Mr.

Brooke looked up and said quickly,

Young ladies in America love independence as much as their ancestors did,

And are admired and respected for supporting themselves.

Oh,

Yes,

Of course.

It's very nice to do so and proper in them.

We have so many respectable and worthy young women who do the same and are employed by the nobility,

Said Miss Kate in a patronising tone,

That hurt Meg's pride and made her work seem not only more distasteful,

But degrading.

Did the German song suit Miss Marge?

Inquired Mr.

Brooke,

Breaking an awkward silence.

Oh,

Yes,

It was very sweet,

And I'm much obliged to whoever translated it for me.

Meg's downcast face brightened as she spoke.

Don't you speak German?

Asked Miss Kate with a look of surprise.

Not very well.

My father who taught me is away and I don't get on very fast alone,

For I've no one to correct my pronunciation.

Try a little now,

Said Mr.

Brooke.

He's Sheila's Mary Stewart and a tutor who loves to teach.

He laid his book on her lap with an inviting smile.

It's so hard,

I'm afraid to try,

Said Meg,

Grateful but bashful in the presence of the accomplished young lady beside her.

I'll read a bit to encourage you,

Said Miss Kate,

And she read one of the most beautiful passages in a perfectly correct but perfectly expressionless manner.

Mr.

Brooke,

Who made no comment as she returned the book,

Said innocently,

I thought it was poetry.

Some of it is.

Try this passage.

There was a queer smile about Mr.

Brooke's mouth as he opened poor Mary's lament.

Meg,

Obediently following the long grass blade which her new tutor used to point with,

Read slowly and timidly.

Down the page went the green guide,

And presently forgetting her listener in the beauty of the sad scene,

Meg read as if alone,

Giving a little touch of tragedy to the words of the unhappy queen.

If she had seen the brown eyes then,

She would have stopped short.

But she never looked up and the lesson was not spoiled.

Very well indeed,

Said Mr.

Brooke as she paused,

Quite ignoring her many mistakes and looking as if he did indeed love to teach.

Miss Kate put up her glass and having had a survey of the little tableau before her,

Shut her sketchbook saying with condescension,

You have a nice accent and in time will be a very clever reader.

I advise you to learn,

For German is a valuable accomplishment to teachers.

Now I must look after Grace,

She is romping.

And Miss Kate strolled away adding to herself with a shrug,

I didn't come to chaperone at Governess,

Though she is young and pretty.

What odd people these Yankees are,

I'm afraid Laurie will be quite spoilt among them.

I forgot that English people rather turn up their noses at governesses and don't treat them as we do,

Said Meg,

Looking after the retreating figure with an annoyed expression.

Tutors also have a rather hard time of it here,

Said Mr.

Brooke.

There's no place like America for us workers,

Miss Margaret.

And he looked so contented and cheerful that Meg was ashamed to lament her hard lot.

I'm glad I live in it then,

I don't like my work,

But I get a good deal of satisfaction out of it after all,

So I won't complain.

I only wished I liked teaching as much as you do.

I think you would if you had Laurie for a pupil.

I'll be very sorry to lose him next year,

Said Mr.

Brooke,

Busily punching holes in the turf.

Going to college,

I suppose,

Meg's lips asked the question,

But her eyes added,

And what becomes of you?

Yes,

It's high time he went,

He's ready.

As soon as he's off,

I shall turn soldier.

I'm needed.

I am glad of that,

Exclaimed Meg.

I should think every young man would want to go,

Though it's hard for the mothers and sisters who stay at home.

I have neither,

And very few friends to care whether I live or die,

Said Mr.

Brooke,

Rather bitterly,

As he absolutely put the dead rose in the hole he'd made and covered it up like a little grave.

Laurie and his grandfather would care a great deal,

And we should be very sorry to have any harm happen to you,

Said Meg,

Heartily.

Thank you,

That sounds pleasant.

Mr.

Brooke began to look cheerful again,

But before he could finish,

Ned,

Mounted on the old horse,

Came lumbering up to display his equestrian skill before the young ladies,

And there was no more quiet on that day.

Then,

As an amicable game of croquet finished the afternoon,

At sunset,

The tent was struck,

Hampers packed,

Wickets pulled up,

Boats loaded,

And the whole party floated down the river,

Singing at the tops of their voices.

Ned,

Getting sentimental,

Warbled a serenade with a pensive refrain.

Alone,

Alone,

Ah,

Woe,

Alone.

And at the lines,

We each are young,

We each have a heart,

Oh,

Why should we thus stand coldly apart?

He looked at Meg,

With such a lackadaisical expression,

She laughed outright and spoilt his song.

How can you be so cruel to me,

He whispered,

Under cover of a lively chorus?

You've kept close to that starched-up English woman all day,

And now you snub me?

I didn't mean to,

Replied Meg,

Passing over the first part of his reproach,

But you look so funny,

I really couldn't help it.

Ned was offended and turned to Sally for consolation.

There isn't a bit of float in that girl,

Is there?

Not a particle,

Returned Sally,

But she's a deer.

She's not a stricken deer,

Anyway,

Said Ned,

Trying to be witty,

And succeeding as well as very young gentlemen usually do.

On the lawn where it had gathered,

The little party separated,

With cordial goodnights and goodbyes,

For the Vaughns were going to Canada.

As the four sisters went home through the garden,

Miss Cates looked after them,

Saying,

Without the patronising tone in her voice,

In spite of their demonstrative manners,

American girls are very nice when one knows them.

And Mr.

Brook replied,

I quite agree with you.