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1、CHAPTER1GossipInorderthatwemaystartafreshandgotoMeg'sweddingwithfreeminds,itwillbewelltobeginwithalittlegossipabouttheMarches.Andhereletmepremisethatifanyoftheeldersthinkthereistoomuch`lovering'inthestory,asIfeartheymay(I'mnotafraidtheyoungfolkswillmakethatobjectio
2、n),IcanonlysaywithMrs.March,"WhatcanyouexpectwhenIhavefourgaygirlsinthehouse,andadashingyoungneighborovertheway?"Thethreeyearsthathavepassedhavebroughtbutfewchangestothequietfamily.Thewarisover,andMr.Marchsafelyathome,busywithhisbooksandthesmallparishwhichfoundinhi
3、maministerbynatureasbygrace,aquiet,studiousman,richinthewisdomthatisbetterthanlearning,thecharitywhichcallsallmankind`brother',thepietythatblossomsintocharacter,makingitaugustandlovely.Theseattributes,inspiteofpovertyandthestrictintegritywhichshuthimoutfromthemorew
4、orldlysuccesses,attractedtohimmanyadmirablepersons,asnaturallyassweetherbsdrawbees,andasnaturallyhegavethemthehoneyintowhichfiftyyearsofhardexperiencehaddistillednobitterdrop.Earnestyoungmenfoundthegray-headedscholarasyoungatheartasthey,thoughtfulortroubledwomenins
5、tinctivelybroughttheirdoubtstohim,sureoffindingthegentlestsympathy,thewisestcounsel.Sinnerstoldtheirsinstothepure-heartedoldmanandwerebothrebukedandsaved.Giftedmenfoundacompanioninhim.Ambitiousmencaughtglimpsesofnoblerambitionsthantheirown,andevenworldlingsconfesse
6、dthathisbeliefswerebeautifulandtrue,although`theywouldn'tpay'.Tooutsidersthefiveenergeticwomenseemedtorulethehouse,andsotheydidinmanythings,butthequietscholar,sittingamonghisbooks,wasstilltheheadofthefamily,thehouseholdconscience,anchor,andcomforter,fortohimthebusy
7、,anxiouswomenalwaysturnedintroubloustimes,findinghim,inthetruestsenseofthosesacredwords,husbandandfather.Thegirlsgavetheirheartsintotheirmother'skeeping,theirsoulsintotheirfather's,andtobothparents,wholivedandlaboredsofaithfullyforthem,theygavealovethatgrewwiththei
8、rgrowthandboundthemtenderlytogetherbythesweetesttiewhichblesseslifeandoutlivesdeath.Mrs.Marchisasbriskandcheery,thoughrathergrayer,thanwhenwesawh
