Little Women Page #2

- So nice of you to come.

- It was nice of me to come.

- Come by the fire.

No, I have a fire at home

where I should be this minute.

I only came to bring you these. Meg.

- Thank you, Aunt March.

- Jo.

Beth.

Amy. Where's Amy?

- Here I am, Aunt March.

- What are you doing back there?

I don't like this sneaking about.

Come into the open, I always say.

Thank you, Aunt March.

When I was a girl, I visited my aunts

to wish them a Merry Christmas.

They didn't visit me.

- See that you spend it wisely.

- We planned to visit you tomorrow.

You never know

if there will be a tomorrow.

Have you heard from your foolish father?

Waltzing away to war,

leaving others to take care of his family.

It isn't preachers that will win this war,

it's fighters.

We're very proud of Father,

and you should be, too.

- And there's nobody looking out for us.

- Highty-tighty.

- Some tea, Auntie?

- No.

If your father had listened to me,

you'd be better off today.

I begged him not to invest his money

with that swindler.

One look at him, and I knew that he would

take the pennies off a dead man's eyes.

That was years ago

and has nothing to do with now.

- It was our money that got lost anyway.

- Don't be impertinent!

It's a waste of time to talk to you.

Nobody listens to me anyhow.

- Merry Christmas.

- Merry Christmas, Aunt March.

Aunt March? You still want me

to work for you, don't you?

Fine time to ask me.

I'd like to be your companion.

- A companion should be companionable.

- I will be, I promise.

- I'm willing to bury the hatchet.

- Very well, then.

Come over after the holidays.

9:
00 sharp. Bring an apron.

Thank you, Auntie.

Merry Christmas, Aunt March.

Merry Christmas.

- Look, Jo, $1!

- She gave us each $1.

How splendid!

Now I can buy the Black Avenger.

- I'm longing for a bonnet with a feather!

- A box of Faber's drawing pencils for me!

- What will you do with your dollar, Bethy?

- I'll buy some new music.

May we go now, Marmee?

- All right.

- We'll have presents after all.

Think maybe I ought to close up...

before somebody comes in

and wants to buy something.

Merry Christmas, Mr. Grace.

Your store looks just beautiful!

- Howdy.

- We each have $1 to spend.

I would like to look

at your Faber's drawing pencils.

And I'd like the Black Avenger

by Lady Avington.

Is that the book

you were reading the other day?

- Yes, that's it.

- You'd better get another.

You almost finished that one

sitting there on that ladder.

I'm looking for a bonnet, Mr. Grace.

Velvet with a dashing feather...

and a moss rose or two,

and a wisp of a veiling...

and an ornament about here. For $1.

You do, do you?

- Over in that there shelf.

- Thank you, Mr. Grace.

Now, what'll you have?

What's the matter, cat got your tongue?

No, sir. She's overcome with "temerdity."

She would like some music,

all she can get for $1.

Over there, on that table.

I would like a dollar's worth

of Faber's drawing pencils.

And wrap them, please.

And would you tie them with a red ribbon?

- A red ribbon? All right.

- Thank you.

Got your Black Avenger, Miss Josephine?

No, I finished it.

Skimmed through it while I was waiting.

- I hope you liked it.

- Oh, but I didn't. The ending was weak.

"The Duke's Bride."

If you don't like it

when you're through with it, bring it back.

Thank you, I will.

- I've decided on this one.

- You have, have you?

- Here's five of them, Mr. Grace.

- Fine.

- Thank you, Mr. Grace.

- Merry Christmas.

Oh, just a minute.

Thank you, Mr. Grace.

- Merry Christmas.

- Goodnight.

"To my loving wife and children:

"Give my girls my love and a kiss.

"Tell them I think of them by day,

pray for them by night...

"and find my best comfort

in their affection at all times.

"I know they will remember all I said,

that they will be loving children to you...

"will work diligently so that

these hard times need not be wasted...

"fight their bosom enemies bravely...

"and conquer themselves so beautifully...

"that when I come back to them,

I may be fonder...

"and prouder than ever

of my little women."

- Ma'am?

- Yes, Hannah?

A message from poor Mrs. Hummel.

She wants to know, can you come?

Right away.

Could you get my boots, Amy, please?

My wraps, Jo?

- Goodnight, my children.

- Goodnight, Marmee.

Don't wait up for me. I might be late.

Goodnight.

Marmee really ought to have

a new pair of slippers.

I'm the man in the family

while Papa's away...

so I'll supply the slippers.

Beth thought of them first.

Then I'll buy her Army shoes,

best to be had.

And I shall get her a nice pair of gloves,

pink ones.

A little bottle of cologne from me.

She likes it. And it won't cost much.

Then maybe I can keep

some of my pencils.

- But, Jo, won't the store be closed?

- We'll storm the citadel!

Has anybody seen my clothespin?

No one's taken your clothespin.

You ask that every night.

- You probably hid it under your own bed.

- It's not there. I looked.

It's Marmee. Scuttle, girls!

Christopher Columbus!

- Kidney pie and sausage!

- Popovers!

- And coffee!

- And everything!

- I don't know when I've had a popover.

- Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas, Hannah!

The table looks beautiful, Hannah.

- You do beat the Dutch.

- Don't see what the fuss is about.

I remember when I served

a breakfast like this every day.

We must have been enormously rich.

Tell me, Hannah. How was I dressed

when we had all that money?

In diapers.

Amy, wait for Marmee.

Mom says no. You're to have

your breakfast and go to church.

- She'll meet you there.

- Why? Where is she?

At the Hummels'.

Mrs. Hummel had her baby

early this morning.

Another baby?

Popovers.

One baby after another.

Six children, half-frozen,

huddled in one bed. No fire on the stove.

So your mom took her breakfast to them.

Not that there was enough to go around.

I believe in charity...

but after all, when you cook a decent meal

once in a blue moon...

you like to see it enjoyed.

Besides, we don't have any to spare.

You're absolutely right, Hannah.

- What's the matter, Beth?

- I'm not hungry.

People are starving everywhere,

every day.

If you let that worry you,

you'll never eat at all.

I try not to think about it.

Those people are far away,

and we don't know them.

But the Hummels are near,

and we do know them.

You're not thinking of giving

our breakfast to the Hummels?

Oh, no.

You couldn't think of a thing like that.

- I could.

- So could I.

- Either all of us do it, or none of us.

- Fine, we'll vote.

- That's fair.

- All right.

But I insist on secret voting.

I'll carry the popovers. You take the milk.

- Not at all.

- I'll carry them.

- You dropped this, madam.

- Thank you.

Come on, Josephine.

- You live next door, don't you?

- Yes, I do.

My name's Theodore Laurence.

This is John Brooke, my tutor.

How do you do?

- How do you do?

- I'm Jo March...

and I'd like you to meet my sisters.

That's Meg, and the other two up the road

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