04-01-05-小妇人 [3]
亲，并轻柔地给婴儿穿衣服。女孩子们则把其他孩子抱到炉火旁边，然后像喂小鸟一样喂给他们东西吃。
那顿饭吃得很高兴，虽然女孩子们并没有吃到东西。可没有任何人能比这些在圣诞节早晨将早餐送给别人的饿肚子的女孩子更高兴了。
马奇太太随后看到她的礼物时又惊又喜。此后是一阵大笑、亲吻和解释。然后，那天剩下的时光里女孩子们都忙忙碌碌的。琼喜欢写剧本，那天晚上她们四个就要演其中一个剧。她们已经记住了台词，还费力地为剧中的不同人物做了怪异和精彩的服装。
圣诞节晚上，其他一些女孩子都来看表演。一开始，幕后传出了四姐妹的许多低语和笑声，然后，幕帘开启，演出开始。
那是一个关于雨果、美丽的赞拉和勇敢的罗德里歌的激动人心的故事（雨果由琼扮演，她戴着一撮黑胡子！）。还有两个鬼魂、一个残暴的国王以及一个由纸和木头做成的城堡。不幸的是，当罗德里歌和赞拉从城堡中出逃时，城堡塌了下来。所有观众都尖声大笑，可演员们将城堡扶起，又历经许多的风险和神秘，最终获得了幸福的结局。
每个来访者都十分喜欢那出剧。这件令人激动、妙趣横生的事件过后，发生了一件令每个人都吃惊的事。
“你们这些年轻小姐都留下来吃晚饭好吗？”海娜问道。
当女孩子们看见餐桌的时候，她们简直不敢相信自己的眼睛！冰淇淋、蛋糕、水果和法国巧克力！在桌子正中还摆着给四位演员每人一束鲜花！
“哪来的？”艾米问。
“可能是圣诞老人送来的，”白丝说。
“妈妈做的，”麦格说。
“马奇姑妈送来的，”琼说。
“你们都错了，”马奇太太笑着说，“是老劳伦斯先生送来的！”
“是那个劳伦斯家的小男孩的祖父？”麦格问，“可我们不认识他呀。”
“海娜给他的仆人讲了你们的早餐聚会，那让他感到很高兴，”马奇太太说，“很多年前他就认识我父亲。今天下午他送来张纸条，问他可否给我的孩子送些圣诞礼物。”
“这一定是那个男孩的主意，我知道，”琼说，“他一定是想认识我们，可他很怕羞。我们在街上碰到他时麦格不让我跟他讲话。她说女孩子主动跟陌生人搭讪太没礼貌。”
“你是说住在隔壁大房子里的人吗？”其他女孩子中的一个问。“我妈妈认识劳伦斯先生。她说除了骑马和跟家庭教师散步，他总让孙子呆在屋里，让他用功学习。我们曾邀请那男孩参加我们的聚会，可他没来。”
“那个男孩需要些乐趣，”琼说。
■ 3 The Laurence boy
'Look！'said Meg，excitedly，a day or two later．
She waved a piece of paper at Jo．'An invitation to a New Year's party at Sallie Gardiner's house，and it's for both of us．Mother says we can go， but what shall we wear？'
'Our best cotton dresses，'said Jo， 'because we haven't got anything else Yours is as good as new， but mine has a burn and a hole in the back．'
Then you must keep your back out of sight，'said Meg．'I'll have a new ribbon for my hair， and my new slippers．And my gloves are all right．'
'Mine are stained，soI'll have to go without．'
'You must wear gloves to a dance， Jo！ cried Meg．
'Then we'll each wear one good one and carry a bad one，'said Jo．
Meg looked worried．'All right， but you will behave nicely，won't you？Don't stare，or put your hands behind your back．'
On New Year's Eve，the two younger sisters watched the two older girls get ready for the party．There was a lot of running up and down，and laughing and talking．Meg wanted some curls around her face，so Jo began to work on the papered ends of Meg's hair with a pair of hot tongs．
'Should they smoke like that？'asked Beth．
'It's the wetness drying，'said Jo．
'What a strange burning smell！'said Amy．
'I'll take the papers off now，'said Jo，'and you'll see lots of little curls．
She took the papers off-and，to her horror，the burnt hair came off with them！
'Oh，oh！What have you done to my hair！'cried Meg．
'I always get things wrong，'said Jo unhappily．'I'm so sorry．I suppose the tongs were too hot．'
Don't worry，'Amy told Meg， who was crying．'Just tie your ribbon so that the ends come on to your forehead a little，and it will look quite fashionable．'
At last，Meg and Jo were ready and went off to the Gardiners'house where Mrs Gardiner welcomed them kindly．Meg immediately began to enjoy herself with Sallie，but Jo wasn't interested in girlish talk and stood with her back carefully against wall，watching the dancing．Soon Meg was asked to dance，then Jo saw a big red-haired boy coming towards her and she quickly went through a door into a small room．Unfortunately， another shy person was already hiding there and she found herself looking at the'Laurence boy'．
'Oh dear，I didn't know any one was here！'Jo said．
The boy laughed．'Don't go． I came in here because I don't know any people， but I think I've seen you before，'he said，'You live near us，don't you？'
'Next door， said Jo．'We enjoyed your nice Christmas present．'
'My grandfather sent it，Miss March．'
'But you gave your grandfather the idea，didn't you， Mr Laurence？
I'm not Mr Laurence，only Laurie，'he said．
'And I'm not Miss March，only Jo，'she said．'Do you like parties？
'Sometimes，'he answered．I've been abroad a lot recent ly，and I don't know how you do things here．'
'Abroad！'said Jo．'Oh，did you go to Paris？'
'We went there last winter．'
'Can you speak French？'she asked．
He said something in French， and Jo listened carefully．'You asked，“Who is the young lady in the pretty slippers？”It's my sister，Meg，and you knew it was！Do you think she's pretty？'
'Yes
那顿饭吃得很高兴，虽然女孩子们并没有吃到东西。可没有任何人能比这些在圣诞节早晨将早餐送给别人的饿肚子的女孩子更高兴了。
马奇太太随后看到她的礼物时又惊又喜。此后是一阵大笑、亲吻和解释。然后，那天剩下的时光里女孩子们都忙忙碌碌的。琼喜欢写剧本，那天晚上她们四个就要演其中一个剧。她们已经记住了台词，还费力地为剧中的不同人物做了怪异和精彩的服装。
圣诞节晚上，其他一些女孩子都来看表演。一开始，幕后传出了四姐妹的许多低语和笑声，然后，幕帘开启，演出开始。
那是一个关于雨果、美丽的赞拉和勇敢的罗德里歌的激动人心的故事（雨果由琼扮演，她戴着一撮黑胡子！）。还有两个鬼魂、一个残暴的国王以及一个由纸和木头做成的城堡。不幸的是，当罗德里歌和赞拉从城堡中出逃时，城堡塌了下来。所有观众都尖声大笑，可演员们将城堡扶起，又历经许多的风险和神秘，最终获得了幸福的结局。
每个来访者都十分喜欢那出剧。这件令人激动、妙趣横生的事件过后，发生了一件令每个人都吃惊的事。
“你们这些年轻小姐都留下来吃晚饭好吗？”海娜问道。
当女孩子们看见餐桌的时候，她们简直不敢相信自己的眼睛！冰淇淋、蛋糕、水果和法国巧克力！在桌子正中还摆着给四位演员每人一束鲜花！
“哪来的？”艾米问。
“可能是圣诞老人送来的，”白丝说。
“妈妈做的，”麦格说。
“马奇姑妈送来的，”琼说。
“你们都错了，”马奇太太笑着说，“是老劳伦斯先生送来的！”
“是那个劳伦斯家的小男孩的祖父？”麦格问，“可我们不认识他呀。”
“海娜给他的仆人讲了你们的早餐聚会，那让他感到很高兴，”马奇太太说，“很多年前他就认识我父亲。今天下午他送来张纸条，问他可否给我的孩子送些圣诞礼物。”
“这一定是那个男孩的主意，我知道，”琼说，“他一定是想认识我们，可他很怕羞。我们在街上碰到他时麦格不让我跟他讲话。她说女孩子主动跟陌生人搭讪太没礼貌。”
“你是说住在隔壁大房子里的人吗？”其他女孩子中的一个问。“我妈妈认识劳伦斯先生。她说除了骑马和跟家庭教师散步，他总让孙子呆在屋里，让他用功学习。我们曾邀请那男孩参加我们的聚会，可他没来。”
“那个男孩需要些乐趣，”琼说。
■ 3 The Laurence boy
'Look！'said Meg，excitedly，a day or two later．
She waved a piece of paper at Jo．'An invitation to a New Year's party at Sallie Gardiner's house，and it's for both of us．Mother says we can go， but what shall we wear？'
'Our best cotton dresses，'said Jo， 'because we haven't got anything else Yours is as good as new， but mine has a burn and a hole in the back．'
Then you must keep your back out of sight，'said Meg．'I'll have a new ribbon for my hair， and my new slippers．And my gloves are all right．'
'Mine are stained，soI'll have to go without．'
'You must wear gloves to a dance， Jo！ cried Meg．
'Then we'll each wear one good one and carry a bad one，'said Jo．
Meg looked worried．'All right， but you will behave nicely，won't you？Don't stare，or put your hands behind your back．'
On New Year's Eve，the two younger sisters watched the two older girls get ready for the party．There was a lot of running up and down，and laughing and talking．Meg wanted some curls around her face，so Jo began to work on the papered ends of Meg's hair with a pair of hot tongs．
'Should they smoke like that？'asked Beth．
'It's the wetness drying，'said Jo．
'What a strange burning smell！'said Amy．
'I'll take the papers off now，'said Jo，'and you'll see lots of little curls．
She took the papers off-and，to her horror，the burnt hair came off with them！
'Oh，oh！What have you done to my hair！'cried Meg．
'I always get things wrong，'said Jo unhappily．'I'm so sorry．I suppose the tongs were too hot．'
Don't worry，'Amy told Meg， who was crying．'Just tie your ribbon so that the ends come on to your forehead a little，and it will look quite fashionable．'
At last，Meg and Jo were ready and went off to the Gardiners'house where Mrs Gardiner welcomed them kindly．Meg immediately began to enjoy herself with Sallie，but Jo wasn't interested in girlish talk and stood with her back carefully against wall，watching the dancing．Soon Meg was asked to dance，then Jo saw a big red-haired boy coming towards her and she quickly went through a door into a small room．Unfortunately， another shy person was already hiding there and she found herself looking at the'Laurence boy'．
'Oh dear，I didn't know any one was here！'Jo said．
The boy laughed．'Don't go． I came in here because I don't know any people， but I think I've seen you before，'he said，'You live near us，don't you？'
'Next door， said Jo．'We enjoyed your nice Christmas present．'
'My grandfather sent it，Miss March．'
'But you gave your grandfather the idea，didn't you， Mr Laurence？
I'm not Mr Laurence，only Laurie，'he said．
'And I'm not Miss March，only Jo，'she said．'Do you like parties？
'Sometimes，'he answered．I've been abroad a lot recent ly，and I don't know how you do things here．'
'Abroad！'said Jo．'Oh，did you go to Paris？'
'We went there last winter．'
'Can you speak French？'she asked．
He said something in French， and Jo listened carefully．'You asked，“Who is the young lady in the pretty slippers？”It's my sister，Meg，and you knew it was！Do you think she's pretty？'
'Yes