Merry Christmas Marmee Thank you for our books they cried Merry Christmas daughters I want to tell you about the poor woman nearby with a newborn baby Six children crowd into one bed to stay warm There is nothing to eat Will you give them your breakfast as a Christmas gift Everyone wanted to help carry the food to the children They soon were in a bare and miserable room with broken windows and no fi re The sick mother and hungry children smiled at the girls You are angels the woman cried Quickly they made a fi re fi xed the broken windows with old hats and fed the family as if they were hungry birds When they returned home they shouted Three cheers for Marmee and sat their mother in a seat of honor She was surprised as they gave her their gifts Then they presented their play 10
Afterward Hannah appeared and invited them to go to supper When they saw the table they were amazed There was ice cream cake fruit and French candies In the middle of the table were four bouquets of fl owers Mrs March said Old Mr Laurence sent it The Laurence boy’s grandfather from next door We don’t even know him Meg said Their mother explained Hannah told one of his servants about what you did with your breakfast He sent a note saying he wanted to send these to you in honor of the day Someday they hoped to get to know the old man who lived next door 11
3 The Laurence Boy A few days later Meg ran upstairs and waved a piece of paper at Jo It’s an invitation from Mrs Gardiner for you and me to go to a dance on New Year’s Eve Meg shouted They talked and argued about clothes for the party Meg worried that their dresses weren’t nice enough The day of the party Jo burned Meg’s hair with the curling papers but fi nally they were ready to go Have a good time Mrs March called Mrs Gardiner greeted them kindly Meg felt comfortable with Mrs Gardiner’s daughter but Jo stood with her back against the wall feeling out of place She slipped behind some curtains to watch the party But another shy person 12
had chosen the same place to hide She found herself face-to-face with the Laurence boy Oh dear Jo stammered The boy laughed He admitted that he hid because he didn’t know many people Jo said it was the same reason she hid She thanked him for the Christmas surprise from his grandfather My name is Jo she said I’m Laurie he said Laurie told Jo about his time in school far away and how they went on walking trips around Switzerland with their teachers Oh said Jo did you go to Paris Last winter Laurie said In French he asked Who is the young lady in the pretty slippers Jo said It’s my sister Margaret Do you think she is pretty Yes Laurie said She dances like a lady Jo and Laurie watched the party and talked until they felt like old friends She liked him 13
