Little Women - 912 Freedom Library

Little Women‘If you happen to meet Mr. Bhaer, bring him home totea. I quite long to see the dear man,’ added Mrs. March.Jo heard that, but made no answer, except to kiss hermother, and walk rapidly away, thinking with a glow ofgratitude, in spite of her heartache, ‘How good she is tome! What do girls do who haven’t any mothers to helpthem through their troubles?’The dry-goods stores were not down among thecounting-houses, banks, and wholesale warerooms, wheregentlemen most do congregate, but Jo found herself inthat part of the city before she did a single errand, loiteringalong as if waiting for someone, examining engineeringinstruments in one window and samples of wool inanother, with most unfeminine interest, tumbling overbarrels, being half-smothered by descending bales, andhustled unceremoniously by busy men who looked as ifthey wondered ‘how the deuce she got there’. A drop ofrain on her cheek recalled her thoughts from baffled hopesto ruined ribbons. For the drops continued to fall, andbeing a woman as well as a lover, she felt that, though itwas too late to save her heart, she might her bonnet. Nowshe remembered the little umbrella, which she hadforgotten to take in her hurry to be off, but regret wasunavailing, and nothing could be done but borrow one or822 of 861