Little Women - 912 Freedom Library

Little Womensome great social evil would be remedied or some greatwant supplied by unfolding the glories of the Pharaohs toan audience whose thoughts were busy with the price ofcoal and flour, and whose lives were spent in trying tosolve harder riddles than that of the Sphinx.They were early, and while Miss Crocker set the heelof her stocking, Jo amused herself by examining the facesof the people who occupied the seat with them. On herleft were two matrons, with massive foreheads and bonnetsto match, discussing Women’s Rights and making tatting.Beyond sat a pair of humble lovers, artlessly holding eachother by the hand, a somber spinster eating peppermintsout of a paper bag, and an old gentleman taking hispreparatory nap behind a yellow bandanna. On her right,her only neighbor was a studious looking lad absorbed in anewspaper.It was a pictorial sheet, and Jo examined the work ofart nearest her, idly wondering what fortuitousconcatenation of circumstances needed the melodramaticillustration of an Indian in full war costume, tumbling overa precipice with a wolf at his throat, while two infuriatedyoung gentlemen, with unnaturally small feet and big eyes,were stabbing each other close by, and a disheveled femalewas flying away in the background with her mouth wide467 of 861