PREVIOUSLY: Gals are gabbin’ about their days. Amy saw a peer receive corporal punishment.
“I saw something that I liked this morning, and I meant to tell it at dinner, but I forgot,” said Beth, putting Jo’s topsy-turvy basket in order as she talked. “When I went to get some oysters for Hannah, Mr. Laurence was in the fish shop, but he didn’t see me, for I kept behind a barrel, and he was busy with Mr. Cutter, the fish-man.” 1
“A poor woman game in with a pail and a mop, and asked Mr. Cutter if he would let her do some scrubbing for a bit of fish, because she hadn’t any dinner for her children, and had been disappointed of a day’s work. Mr. Cutter was in a hurry, and said ‘No,’ rather crossly; so she was going away, looking hungry and sorry, when Mr. Laurence hooked up a big fish with the crooked end of his cane, and held it out to her. She was so glad and surprised she took it right in her arms, and thanked him over and over.
He told her to ‘go along and cook it,’ and she hurried off, so happy! Wasn’t it nice of him? Oh, she did look so funny, hugging the big, slippery fish, and hoping Mr. Laurence’s bed in heaven would be ‘aisy.’” 2
I saw something that I liked this morning, and I meant to tell it at dinner, but I forgot.
When they had laughed at Beth’s story, they sat for a moment. It was then it struck them, that this would be they asked their mother for one; she had not been home as of yet. In fact, the girls agreed that they could not quite remember seeing their mother in any circumstance in the past few days. Beth in particular detected an absence at the end of her mind, a space in which a person might fill, but it did not seem too troublesome that no one was there. 3 Jo decided to occupy the tug, and unspooled the yarn of what she supposed her mother might have said-
“As I sat cutting out blue flannel jackets to-day, at the rooms, I felt very anxious about father, and how lonely and helpless we should be if anything happened to him. 4 It was not a wise thing to do, but I kept on worrying, till an old man came in with an order for some things. He sat down near me, and I began to talk to him, for he looked poor, tired, and anxious.”
“ ‘Have you sons in the army?’” I asked, for the note he brought was not to me.
“‘ Yes, ma’am; I had four, but two were killed; one is a prisoner, and I’m going to the other, who is very sick in a Washington hospital,’ he answered, quietly.
“ ‘ You have done a great deal for your country, sir,’ I said, feeling respect now, instead of pity.
“ ‘Not a mite more than I ought, ma’am. I’d go myself, if I was any use; as I ain’t, I give my boys, and give ‘em free.’”5
“He spoke so cheerfully, looked so sincere, and seemed so glad to give his all, that I was ashamed of myself. I’d given one man, and thought it too much, while he gave four, without grudging them; I had all my girls to comfort me at home, and his last son was waiting, miles away, to say ‘good-by’ to him, perhaps. I felt so rich, so happy, thinking of my blessings, that I made him a nice bundle, gave him some money, and thanked him heartily for the lesson he had taught me.”
Jo then sat down, happy to have filled the vacancy.
1 Mr. Laurence is your grandpa who spends all day preparing to do a single errand that someone else in the house would have done better and faster.
2 If you were missing the challenging accent work of Chapter 2, well buddy, stay tuned for the next page!
3 This is where the rubber’s starting to hit the road with mother being dead. I’m trying to decide which of the girls will Absorb Marmee going forward. Stay tuned!
4 Yes. What would we do if there…wasn’t…Father….
5 Indeed, what IS a war if not the giving, taking, and receiving of boys?