“Jo!Jo!Whereareyou？“criedMegatthefootofthegarretstairs。
“Here!“answeredahuskyvoicefromabove，and，runningup，MegfoundhersistereatingapplesandcryingovertheHeirofRedclyffe，wrappedupinacomforteronanoldthree-leggedsofabythesunnywindow。ThiswasJo’sfavoriterefuge，andhereshelovedtoretirewithhalfadozenrussetsandanicebook，toenjoythequietandthesocietyofapetratwholivednearbyanddidn’tmindheraparticle。AsMegappeared，Scrabblewhiskedintohishole。Joshookthetearsoffhercheeksandwaitedtohearthenews。
“Suchfun!Onlysee!AregularnoteofinvitationfromMrs。
Gardinerfortomorrownight!“criedMeg，wavingthepreciouspaperandthenproceedingtoreaditwithgirlishdelight。
“`Mrs。GardinerwouldbehappytoseeMissMarchandMissJosephineatalittledanceonNewYear’sEve。’Marmeeiswillingweshouldgo，nowwhatshallwewear？“
“What’stheuseofaskingthat，whenyouknowweshallwearourpoplins，becausewehaven’tgotanythingelse？“answeredJowithhermouthfull。
“IfIonlyhadasilk!“sighedMeg。“MothersaysImaywhenI’meighteenperhaps，buttwoyearsisaneverlastingtimetowait。“
“I’msureourpopslooklikesilk，andtheyareniceenoughforus。Yoursisasgoodasnew，butIforgottheburnandthetearinmine。WhatevershallIdo？Theburnshowsbadly，andIcan’ttakeanyout。“
“Youmustsitstillallyoucanandkeepyourbackoutofsight。
Thefrontisallright。Ishallhaveanewribbonformyhair，andMarmeewilllendmeherlittlepearlpin，andmynewslippersarelovely，andmygloveswilldo，thoughtheyaren’tasniceasI’dlike。“
“Minearespoiledwithlemonade，andIcan’tgetanynewones，soIshallhavetogowithout，“saidJo，whonevertroubledherselfmuchaboutdress。
“Youmusthavegloves，orIwon’tgo，“criedMegdecidedly。
“Glovesaremoreimportantthananythingelse。Youcan’tdancewithoutthem，andifyoudon’tIshouldbesomortified。“
“ThenI’llstaystill。Idon’tcaremuchforcompanydancing。
It’snofuntogosailinground。Iliketoflyaboutandcutcapers。“
“Youcan’taskMotherfornewones，theyaresoexpensive，andyouaresocareless。Shesaidwhenyouspoiledtheothersthatsheshouldn’tgetyouanymorethiswinter。Can’tyoumakethemdo？“
“Icanholdthemcrumpledupinmyhand，sonoonewillknowhowstainedtheyare。That’sallIcando。No!I’lltellyouhowwecanmanage，eachwearonegoodoneandcarryabadone。Don’tyousee？“
“Yourhandsarebiggerthanmine，andyouwillstretchmyglovedreadfully，“beganMeg，whosegloveswereatenderpointwithher。
“ThenI’llgowithout。Idon’tcarewhatpeoplesay!“criedJo，takingupherbook。
“Youmayhaveit，youmay!Onlydon’tstainit，anddobehavenicely。Don’tputyourhandsbehindyou，orstare，orsay`ChristopherColumbus!’willyou？“
“Don’tworryaboutme。I’llbeasprimadIcanandnotgetintoanyscrapes，ifIcanhelpit。Nowgoandansweryournote，andletmefinishthissplendidstory。“
SoMegwentawayto`acceptwiththanks’，lookoverherdress，andsingblithelyasshedidupheronereallacefrill，whileJofinishedherstory，herfourapples，andhadagameofrompswithScrabble。
OnNewYear’sEvetheparlorwasdeserted，forthetwoyoungergirlsplayeddressingmaidsandthetwoelderwereabsorbedintheall-importantbusinessof`gettingreadyfortheparty’。Simpleasthetoiletswere，therewasagreatdealofrunningupanddown，laughingandtalking，andatonetimeastrongsmellofburnedhairpervadedthehouse。Megwantedafewcurlsaboutherface，andJoundertooktopinchthepaperedlockswithapairofhottongs。
“Oughttheytosmokelikethat？“askedBethfromherperchonthebed。
“It’sthedampnessdrying，“repliedJo。
“Whataqueersmell!It’slikeburnedfeathers，“observedAmy，smoothingherownprettycurlswithasuperiorair。
“There，nowI’lltakeoffthepapersandyou’llseeacloudoflittleringlets，“saidJo，puttingdownthetongs。
Shedidtakeoffthepapers，butnocloudofringletsappeared，forthehaircamewiththepapers，andthehorrifiedhairdresserlaidarowoflittlescorchedbundlesonthebureaubeforehervictim。
“Oh，oh，oh!Whathaveyoudone？I’mspoiled!Ican’tgo!
Myhair，oh，myhair!“wailedMeg，lookingwithdespairattheunevenfrizzleonherforehead。
“Justmyluck!Youshouldn’thaveaskedmetodoit。Ialwaysspoileverything。I’msosorry，butthetongsweretoohot，andsoI’vemadeamess，“groanedpoorJo，regardingthelittleblackpancakeswithtearsofregret。
“Itisn’tspoiled。Justfrizzleit，andtieyourribbonsotheendscomeonyourforeheadabit，anditwilllooklikethelastfashion。I’veseenmanygirlsdoitso，“saidAmyconsolingly。
“Servesmerightfortryingtobefine。IwishI’dletmyhairalone，“criedMegpetulantly。
“SodoI，itwassosmoothandpretty。Butitwillsoongrowoutagain，“saidBeth，comingtokissandcomforttheshornsheep。
Aftervariouslessermishaps，Megwasfinishedatlast，andbytheunitedexertionsoftheentirefamilyJo’shairwasgotupandherdresson。Theylookedverywellintheirsimplesuits，Meg’sinsilverydrab，withabluevelvetsnood，lacefrills，andthepearlpin。Joinmaroon，withastiff，gentlemanlylinencollar，andawhitechrysanthemumortwoforheronlyornament。
Eachputononenicelightglove，andcarriedonesoiledone，andallpronouncedtheeffect“quiteeasyandfine“。Meg’shigh-heeledslipperswereverytightandhurther，thoughshewouldnotownit，andJo’snineteenhairpinsallseemedstuckstraightintoherhead，whichwasnotexactlycomfortable，but，dearme，letusbeelegantordie。
“Haveagoodtime，dearies!“saidMrs。March，asthesisterswentdaintilydownthewalk。“Don’teatmuchsupper，andcomeawayatelevenwhenIsendHannahforyou。“Asthegateclashedbehindthem，avoicecriedfromawindow……
“Girls，girls!Haveyouyoubothgotnicepockethandkerchiefs？“
“Yes，yes，spandynice，andMeghascologneonhers，“criedJo，addingwithalaughastheywenton，“IdobelieveMarmeewouldaskthatifwewereallrunningawayfromanearthquake。
“Itisoneofheraristocratictastes，andquiteproper，forarealladyisalwaysknownbyneatboots，gloves，andhandkerchief，“
repliedMeg，whohadagoodmanylittle`aristocratictastes’ofherown。
“Nowdon’tforgettokeepthebadbreadthoutofsight，Jo。
Ismysashright？Anddoesmyhairlookverybad？“saidMeg，assheturnedfromtheglassinMrs。Gardiner’sdressingroomafteraprolongedprink。
“IknowIshallforget。Ifyouseemedoinganythingwrong，justremindmebyawink，willyou？“returnedJo，givinghercollaratwitchandherheadahastybrush。
“No，winkingisn’tladylike。I’llliftmyeyebrowsifanythingiswrong，andnodifyouareallright。Nowholdyourshoulderstraight，andtakeshortsteps，anddon’tshakehandsifyouareintroducedtoanyone。Itisn’tthething。“
“Howdoyoulearnalltheproperways？Inevercan。Isn’tthatmusicgay？“
Downtheywent，feelingatrifletimid，fortheyseldomwenttoparties，andinformalasthislittlegatheringwas，itwasaneventtothem。Mrs。Gardiner，astatelyoldlady，greetedthemkindlyandhandedthemovertotheeldestofhersixdaughters。
MegknewSallieandwasathereaseverysoon，butJo，whodidn’tcaremuchforgirlsorgirlishgossip，stoodabout，withherbackcarefullyagainstthewall，andfeltasmuchoutofplaceasacoltinaflowergarden。Halfadozenjovialladsweretalkingaboutskatesinanotherpartoftheroom，andshelongedtogoandjointhem，forskatingwasoneofthejoysofherlife。ShetelegraphedherwishtoMeg，buttheeyebrowswentupsoalarminglythatshedarednotstir。Noonecametotalktoher，andonebyonethegroupdwindledawaytillshewasleftalone。Shecouldnotroamaboutandamuseherself，fortheburnedbreadthwouldshow，soshestaredatpeopleratherforlornlytillthedancingbegan。Megwasaskedatonce，andthetightslipperstrippedaboutsobrisklythatnonewouldhaveguessedthepaintheirwearersufferedsmilingly。Josawabigredheadedyouthapproachinghercorner，andfearinghemeanttoengageher，sheslippedintoacurtainedrecess，intendingtopeepandenjoyherselfinpeace。Unfortunately，anotherbashfulpersonhadchosenthesamerefuge，for，asthecurtainfellbehindher，shefoundherselffacetofacewiththe`Laurenceboy’。
“Dearme，Ididn’tknowanyonewashere!“stammeredJo，preparingtobackoutasspeedilyasshehadbouncedin。
Buttheboylaughedandsaidpleasantly，thoughhelookedalittlestartled，“Don’tmindme，stayifyoulike。“
“Shan’tIdisturbyou？“
“Notabit。IonlycameherebecauseIdon’tknowmanypeopleandfeltratherstrangeatfirst，youknow。“
“SodidI。Don’tgoaway，please，unlessyou’drather。“
Theboysatdownagainandlookedathispumps，tillJosaid，tryingtobepoliteandeasy，“IthinkI’vehadthepleasureofseeingyoubefore。Youlivenearus，don’tyou？“
“Nextdoor。“Andhelookedupandlaughedoutright，forJo’sprimmannerwasratherfunnywhenherememberedhowtheyhadchattedaboutcricketwhenhebroughtthecathome。
ThatputJoathereaseandshelaughedtoo，asshesaid，inherheartiestway，“WedidhavesuchagoodtimeoveryourniceChristmaspresent。“
“Grandpasentit。“
“Butyouputitintohishead，didn’tyou，now？“
“Howisyourcat，MissMarch？“askedtheboy，tryingtolooksoberwhilehisblackeyesshonewithfun。
“Nicely，thankyou，Mr。Laurence。ButIamnotMissMarch，I’monlyJo，“returnedtheyounglady。
“I’mnotMr。Laurence，I’monlyLaurie。“
“LaurieLaurence，whatanoddname。“
“Myfirstnameistheodore，butIdon’tlikeit，forthefellowscalledmeDora，soImadethesayLaurieinstead。“
“Ihatemyname，too，sosentimental!IwisheveryonewouldsayJoinsteadofJosephine。HowdidyoumaketheboysstopcallingyouDora？“
“Ithrashed`em。“
“Ican’tthrashAuntMarch，soIsupposeIshallhavetobearit。“AndJoresignedherselfwithasigh。
“Don’tyouliketodance，MissJo？“askedLaurie，lookingasifhethoughtthenamesuitedher。
“Ilikeitwellenoughifthereisplentyofroom，andeveryoneislively。InaplacelikethisI’msuretoupsetsomething，treadonpeople’stoes，ordosomethingdreadful，soIkeepoutofmischiefandletMegsailabout。Don’tyoudance？“