04-01-05-小妇人 [19]
给妈妈的信中不能提白丝的病感到很不高兴。琼日夜照看白丝，可不久白丝不认识她了，喊叫着要母亲。琼害怕了，麦格恳求允许她把真情写在信里，可海娜说还不会有危险。之后来了一封信，说马奇先生病情加重，在很长一段时间内她还不能考虑回家。
那些日子看起来多阴暗哪。那么悲伤和孤独，女孩子们工作着，等待着死亡的阴影笼罩着这个一度欢乐的家。就在那时，麦格意识到她曾经多么富有，那些东西才是真正应该在意的——爱，和平，健康。琼看着她的妹妹，想起白丝一直是那么无私——为别人而生活，努力为来到家里的人把家变成一个快乐的地方。艾米在马奇姑妈家又伤心又孤单，只想回家为白丝帮点忙。
12月的第一天，医生一早就来了。他看了看白丝，然后缓缓地说：“如果马奇太太能离开她的丈夫，我认为她现在就应该回家来。”
琼穿上外衣跑到外面的雪地里，去发电报。当她回来时，罗瑞带来一封信，说马奇先生又有好转了。这是好消息，可琼的脸上看上去是那么不开心，于是罗瑞问：“怎么了？是不是白丝病重了？”
“我已经叫妈妈回来了，”琼说道，开始哭泣起来，“白丝已经不认识我们了。”
罗瑞握住她的手，小声说：“我在这儿，琼。有我呢。你妈妈就会回来了，然后所有的事都会好了。”
“我很高兴爸爸好些了，”琼说。“现在妈妈回家里心情也不会很糟。”
“你很累了，”罗瑞说。“可我要告诉你一些事使你高兴起来。”
“是什么？”琼问。
罗瑞笑了。“我昨天就已发了一封电报给你妈妈，布鲁克先生说她会马上回来。她今天晚上就会回来，一切都会好的！”
琼用双臂搂住他。“噢，罗瑞！噢，妈妈！我太高兴了！”她不再哭了，可还是搂着罗瑞。他很吃惊，可他理了理她的头发，然后吻了她一两下。
琼轻轻把他推开。“噢，别这样，我并不是说想——！”
“我很喜欢！”罗瑞笑了，然后继续说，“祖父和我认为你母亲应该知道。万一白丝——哦，如果发生什么事，她不会饶恕我们的。她乘坐的火车早晨两点到，我去接她。”
那一整天，下着雪，时间缓慢地过去。医生来了，然后说他午夜以后再来，那时白丝的情况会有变化，变好或变坏。海娜坐在白丝床边的椅子上睡着了。劳伦斯先生等在楼下，罗瑞躺在地上权当休息。女孩子们只有等待，她们睡不着。
12点钟，似乎白丝脸上有了变化。海娜继续睡着，可女孩子们却似乎看到降临到那张小床上的阴影。一小时过去了，罗瑞离开去了车站。
两点钟，琼站在窗边看雪。她听到了一点声音，转过身来看见麦格跪在妈妈的椅子旁边。一种冰冷的恐惧感传遍琼的全身。“白丝死了，”她想。
她朝床跑过去。痛苦已从白丝脸上消失，取而代之的是一种安详的表情。琼吻了吻她，轻柔地低语：“再见，白丝，再见！”
海娜醒了过来，看了看白丝。“热退了！”她喊道，“她睡着了，呼吸很顺畅！”
医生不久就来了。“我想她会好的，”他说。“让这房子保持安静，叫她睡觉。”
麦格和琼紧紧地拥抱，她们的心情难以言表。白丝就像她从前一样躺着，手托着脸颊，平静地呼吸着。
“我希望妈妈能现在就回来，”琼低声说。
片刻之后，他们听到了楼下的门声，海娜喊了一声，然后是罗瑞快乐的声音说：“女孩们，她来了，她来了！”
■ 12 Love and Mr Brooke
When Beth woke from her long sleep，she looked into her mother's face and smiled．Then she slept again，but Mrs March held on to her daughter's thin little hand．
Hannah made breakfast while Meg and Jo listened as their mother told them about their father's health，and Mr Brooke's promise to stay with him．Then Meg and Jo closed their tired eyes and were able to rest at last．
Laurie went to give the good news to Amy at Aunt March's house． He， too， was tired after the long night， and just man-aged to finish telling his story before he fell asleep in the chair．Amy began to write a short letter to her mother， but before she could finish it， she saw Mrs March coming towards her aunt's house！Amy ran to meet her．
There were probably many happy little girls in the city that day，but Amy was the happiest of them all as she sat on her mother's knee．'I've been thinking a lot about Beth，'she said．'Everyone loves her because she isn't selfish．People wouldn't feel half so bad about me if I was sick， but I'd like to be loved and missed．I'm going to try and be like Beth as much as I can．'
Her mother kissed her．'I'm sure you will succeed，'she said．'Now I must go back to Beth． Be patient， little daughter， and we'll soon have you home again．'That evening， while Meg was writing to her father， Jo went upstairs to Beth's room and found her mother beside the bed，as the little girl slept．
'I want to tell you something， Mother，'said Jo．
'Is it about Meg？'said Mrs March．
'How quickly you guessed！'said Jo．'Yes， it's about her．Last summer，Meg lost one of her gloves at the Laurences'picnic，and later Laurie told me that Mr Brooke had it，and kept it in his coat pocket． It fell out once， and Laurie saw it．Mr Brooke told Laurie that he liked Meg but was afraid to tell her because she was so young and he was so poor． Isn't it all awful？'
'Do you think Meg likes and cares about him？'asked Mrs March，with a worried look．
'I don t know anything about love！'said Jo．
'Do you think she's not in interested in John？'said Mrs March．
'Who？'said Jo， staring．
'Mr Brooke，' said her mother．'I call him John because we became good friends at the hospital．'
'Oh，dear！' said Jo．'He's been good to Father， and nowyou'll let Meg marry him，if she wants to．'
'My dear，don't be angry，' said Mrs March．'John told us quite honestly that he loved Meg， but said he would earn enough money for a comfortable home before he asked her to marry him． He wants very much to make her love him if hecan．He's an excellent young man，but your father and I will not agree to Meg marrying before she is twenty．'
'I want her to marry Laurie， and be rich，' said Jo．'I'm afraid Laurie isn't grown-up enough for Meg，' said Mrs March
那些日子看起来多阴暗哪。那么悲伤和孤独，女孩子们工作着，等待着死亡的阴影笼罩着这个一度欢乐的家。就在那时，麦格意识到她曾经多么富有，那些东西才是真正应该在意的——爱，和平，健康。琼看着她的妹妹，想起白丝一直是那么无私——为别人而生活，努力为来到家里的人把家变成一个快乐的地方。艾米在马奇姑妈家又伤心又孤单，只想回家为白丝帮点忙。
12月的第一天，医生一早就来了。他看了看白丝，然后缓缓地说：“如果马奇太太能离开她的丈夫，我认为她现在就应该回家来。”
琼穿上外衣跑到外面的雪地里，去发电报。当她回来时，罗瑞带来一封信，说马奇先生又有好转了。这是好消息，可琼的脸上看上去是那么不开心，于是罗瑞问：“怎么了？是不是白丝病重了？”
“我已经叫妈妈回来了，”琼说道，开始哭泣起来，“白丝已经不认识我们了。”
罗瑞握住她的手，小声说：“我在这儿，琼。有我呢。你妈妈就会回来了，然后所有的事都会好了。”
“我很高兴爸爸好些了，”琼说。“现在妈妈回家里心情也不会很糟。”
“你很累了，”罗瑞说。“可我要告诉你一些事使你高兴起来。”
“是什么？”琼问。
罗瑞笑了。“我昨天就已发了一封电报给你妈妈，布鲁克先生说她会马上回来。她今天晚上就会回来，一切都会好的！”
琼用双臂搂住他。“噢，罗瑞！噢，妈妈！我太高兴了！”她不再哭了，可还是搂着罗瑞。他很吃惊，可他理了理她的头发，然后吻了她一两下。
琼轻轻把他推开。“噢，别这样，我并不是说想——！”
“我很喜欢！”罗瑞笑了，然后继续说，“祖父和我认为你母亲应该知道。万一白丝——哦，如果发生什么事，她不会饶恕我们的。她乘坐的火车早晨两点到，我去接她。”
那一整天，下着雪，时间缓慢地过去。医生来了，然后说他午夜以后再来，那时白丝的情况会有变化，变好或变坏。海娜坐在白丝床边的椅子上睡着了。劳伦斯先生等在楼下，罗瑞躺在地上权当休息。女孩子们只有等待，她们睡不着。
12点钟，似乎白丝脸上有了变化。海娜继续睡着，可女孩子们却似乎看到降临到那张小床上的阴影。一小时过去了，罗瑞离开去了车站。
两点钟，琼站在窗边看雪。她听到了一点声音，转过身来看见麦格跪在妈妈的椅子旁边。一种冰冷的恐惧感传遍琼的全身。“白丝死了，”她想。
她朝床跑过去。痛苦已从白丝脸上消失，取而代之的是一种安详的表情。琼吻了吻她，轻柔地低语：“再见，白丝，再见！”
海娜醒了过来，看了看白丝。“热退了！”她喊道，“她睡着了，呼吸很顺畅！”
医生不久就来了。“我想她会好的，”他说。“让这房子保持安静，叫她睡觉。”
麦格和琼紧紧地拥抱，她们的心情难以言表。白丝就像她从前一样躺着，手托着脸颊，平静地呼吸着。
“我希望妈妈能现在就回来，”琼低声说。
片刻之后，他们听到了楼下的门声，海娜喊了一声，然后是罗瑞快乐的声音说：“女孩们，她来了，她来了！”
■ 12 Love and Mr Brooke
When Beth woke from her long sleep，she looked into her mother's face and smiled．Then she slept again，but Mrs March held on to her daughter's thin little hand．
Hannah made breakfast while Meg and Jo listened as their mother told them about their father's health，and Mr Brooke's promise to stay with him．Then Meg and Jo closed their tired eyes and were able to rest at last．
Laurie went to give the good news to Amy at Aunt March's house． He， too， was tired after the long night， and just man-aged to finish telling his story before he fell asleep in the chair．Amy began to write a short letter to her mother， but before she could finish it， she saw Mrs March coming towards her aunt's house！Amy ran to meet her．
There were probably many happy little girls in the city that day，but Amy was the happiest of them all as she sat on her mother's knee．'I've been thinking a lot about Beth，'she said．'Everyone loves her because she isn't selfish．People wouldn't feel half so bad about me if I was sick， but I'd like to be loved and missed．I'm going to try and be like Beth as much as I can．'
Her mother kissed her．'I'm sure you will succeed，'she said．'Now I must go back to Beth． Be patient， little daughter， and we'll soon have you home again．'That evening， while Meg was writing to her father， Jo went upstairs to Beth's room and found her mother beside the bed，as the little girl slept．
'I want to tell you something， Mother，'said Jo．
'Is it about Meg？'said Mrs March．
'How quickly you guessed！'said Jo．'Yes， it's about her．Last summer，Meg lost one of her gloves at the Laurences'picnic，and later Laurie told me that Mr Brooke had it，and kept it in his coat pocket． It fell out once， and Laurie saw it．Mr Brooke told Laurie that he liked Meg but was afraid to tell her because she was so young and he was so poor． Isn't it all awful？'
'Do you think Meg likes and cares about him？'asked Mrs March，with a worried look．
'I don t know anything about love！'said Jo．
'Do you think she's not in interested in John？'said Mrs March．
'Who？'said Jo， staring．
'Mr Brooke，' said her mother．'I call him John because we became good friends at the hospital．'
'Oh，dear！' said Jo．'He's been good to Father， and nowyou'll let Meg marry him，if she wants to．'
'My dear，don't be angry，' said Mrs March．'John told us quite honestly that he loved Meg， but said he would earn enough money for a comfortable home before he asked her to marry him． He wants very much to make her love him if hecan．He's an excellent young man，but your father and I will not agree to Meg marrying before she is twenty．'
'I want her to marry Laurie， and be rich，' said Jo．'I'm afraid Laurie isn't grown-up enough for Meg，' said Mrs March