"She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain."
"Stay is a charming word in a friend's vocabulary."
"I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship."
"I ask not for any crown<br />
But that which all may win;<br />
Nor try to conquer any world<br />
Except the one within."
"A faithful friend is a strong defense;<br />
And he that hath found him hath found a treasure."
"Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead."
"Good books, like good friends, are few and chosen; the more select, the more enjoyable."
"I've got the key to my castle in the air, but whether I can unlock the door remains to be seen."
"I want to do something splendid...<br />
Something heroic or wonderful that won't be forgotten after I'm dead...<br />
I think I shall write books."
"The power of finding beauty in the humblest things makes home happy and life lovely."
"Don't laugh at the spinsters, dear girls, for often very tender, tragic romances are hidden away in the hearts that beat so quietly under the sober gowns, and many silent sacrifices of youth, health, ambition, love itself, make the faded faces beautiful in God's sight. Even the sad, sour sisters should be kindly dealt with, because they have missed the sweetest part of life, if for no other reason."
"My child, the troubles and temptations of your life are beginning, and may be many; but you can overcome and outlive them all if you learn to feel the strength and tenderness of your Heavenly Father as you do that of your earthly one. The more you love and trust Him, the nearer you will feel to Him, and the less you will depend on human power and wisdom. His love and care never tire or change, can never be taken from you, but may become the source of lifelong peace, happiness, and strength. Believe this heartily, and go to God with all your little cares, and hopes, and sins, and sorrows, as freely and confidingly as you come to your mother."
"Love is a great beautifier."
"Watch and pray, dear, never get tired of trying, and never think it is impossible to conquer your fault."
"'Let us be elegant or die!' - Amy"
"Have a regular hours for work and play; make each day both useful and pleasant, and prove that you understand the worth of time by employing it well. Then youth will bring few regrets, and life will become a beautiful success."
"That is a good book it seems to me, which is opened with expectation and closed with profit."
"...the love, respect, and confidence of my children was the sweetest reward I could receive for my efforts to be the woman I would have them copy."
"Love Jo all your days, if you choose, but don't let it spoil you, for it's wicked to throw away so many good gifts because you can't have the one you want."
"Wild roses are fairest, and nature a better gardener than art."
"...for love casts out fear, and gratitude can conquer pride."
"Because they are mean is no reason why I should be. I hate such things, and though I think I've a right to be hurt, I don't intend to show it. (Amy March)"
"There are many Beths in the world, shy and quiet, sitting in corners till needed, and living for others so cheerfully that no one sees the sacrifices till the little cricket on the hearth stops chirping, and the sweet, sunshiny presence vanishes, leaving silence and shadow behind."
"I keep turning over new leaves, and spoiling them, as I used to spoil my copybooks; and I make so many beginnings there never will be an end. (Jo March)"
"'Laurie, you're an angel! How shall I ever thank you?'<br />
'Fly at me again. I rather liked it,' said Laurie, looking mischievous, a thing he had not done for a fortnight."
"Life is like college; may I graduate and earn some honors."
"Every few weeks she would shut herself up in her room, put on her scribbling suit, and fall into a vortex, as she expressed it, writing way at her novel with all her heart and soul, for till that was finished she could find no peace."
"I’m not like the rest of you; I never made any plans about what I’d do when I grew up; I never thought of being married, as you did. I couldn’t seem to imagine myself anything but stupid little Beth, trotting about at home, of no use anywhere but there. I never wanted to go away, and the hard part now is leaving you all. I’m not afraid, but it seems as if I should be homesick for you even in heaven."
"...and Jo laid the rustling sheets together with a careful hand, as one might shut the covers of a lovely romance, which holds the reader fast till the end comes, and he finds himself alone in the work-a-day world again."
"Conceit spoils the finest genius."
"Preserve your memories, keep them well, what you forget you can never retell."
"If we are all alive ten years hence, let's meet, and see how many of us have got our wishes, or how much nearer we are then than now."
"Simple, genuine goodness is the best capital to found the business of this life upon. It lasts when fame and money fail, and is the only riches we can take out of this world with us."
"... for it is the small temptations which undermine integrity unless we watch and pray and never think them too trivial to be resisted."
"Well, if I can't be happy, I can be useful, perhaps."
"What do girls do who haven't any mothers to help them through their troubles?"
"He was the first, the only love her life, and in a nature like hers such passions take deep root and die-hard."
"People don't have fortunes left them in that style nowadays; men have to work and women to marry for money. It's a dreadfully unjust world."
". . . for when women are the advisers, the lords of creation don't take the advice till they have persuaded themselves that it is just what they intended to do. Then they act upon it, and, if it succeeds, they give the weaker vessel half the credit of it. If it fails, they generously give her the whole."
"But the spirit of Eve is strong in all her daughters."
"You are the gull, Jo, strong and wild, fond of the storm and the wind, flying far out to sea, and happy all alone."
"Girls are so queer you never know what they mean. They say no when they mean yes, and drive a man out of his wits just for the fun of it.
- Laurie"
"Painful as it may be, a significant emotional event can be the catalyst for choosing a direction that serves us - and those around us - more effectively. Look for the learning."
"Nothing is impossible to a determined woman."
"Love is the only thing that we can carry with us when we go, and it makes the end so easy."
"Jo's eyes sparkled, for it's always pleasant to be believed in; and a friend's praise is always sweeter than a dozen newspaper puffs."
"We'll all grow up Meg, no pretending we won't."
"...for a girl with eyes like hers has a will and is not ruled by anyone but a lover."
"...Meg learned to love her husband better for his poverty, because it seem to have made a man of him, giving him the strength and courage to fight his own way, and taught him a tender patience with which to bear and comfort the natural longings and failures of those he loved."
"Love is a flower that grows in any soil, works its sweet miracles undaunted by autumn frost or winter snow, blooming fair and fragrant all the year, and blessing those who give and those who receive."
"There were six dolls to be taken up and dressed every morning, for Beth was a child still, and loved her pets as well as ever. Not one whole or handsome one among them; all were outcasts till Beth took them in; for, when her sisters outgrew these idols, they passed to her.... Beth cherished them all the more tenderly for that very reason, and set up a hospital for infirm dolls. No pins were ever stuck into their cotton vitals; no harsh words or blows were ever given them; no neglect ever saddened the heart of the most repulsive: but all were fed and clothed, nursed and caressed, with an affection which never failed."
"When Jo's conservative sister Meg says she must turn up her hair now that she is a "young lady," Jo shouts, "I'm not! and if turning up my hair makes me one, I'll wear it in two tails till I'm twenty.... I hate to think I've got to grow up, and be Miss March, and wear long gowns, and look as prim as a China aster! It's bad enough to be a girl anyway, when I like boys' games and work and manners! I can't get over my disappointment in not being a boy; and it's worse than ever now, for I'm dying to go and fight with Papa, and I can only stay at home and knit, like a poky old woman."
"...and clung more closely to the dear human love, from which our Father never means us to be weaned, but through which He draws us closer to Himself."
". . . children should draw [a husband and wife] nearer than ever, not separate you, as if they were all yours, and [your husband] had nothing to do but support them. . . . don't neglect husaband for children, don't shut him out of the nursery, but teach him how to help in it. His place is there as well as yours, and the children need him; let him feel that he has his part to do, and he will do it gladly and faithfully, and it will be better for you all. . . . That is the secret of our home happiness: he does not let business wean him from the little cares and duties that affect us all, and I try not to let domestic worries destroy my interest in his pursuits. Each do our part alone in many things, but at home we work together, always. . . . no time is so beautiful and precious to parents as the first years of the little lives given them to train. Don't let [your husband] be a stranger to the babies, for they will do more to keep him safe and happy in this world of trial and temptation than anything else, and through them you will learn to know and love one another as you should."
"[She was] kept there in the sort of embrace a man gives to the dearest creature the world holds for him."
"Her beauty satisfied [his] artistic eye, her peculiarities piqued his curiosity, her vivacity lightened his ennui, and her character interested him by the unconscious hints it gave of power, pride and passion. So entirely natural and unconventional was she that he soon found himself on a familiar footing, asking all manner of unusual questions, and receiving rather piquant replies."
"My only answer is, if my grave stood open on one side and you upon the other I'd go into my grave before I would take one step to meet you."
"Persuasive influences are better than any amount of moralizing."
"Housekeeping ain't no joke."
"Women work a great many miracles."
"I love my liberty too well to be in a hurry to give it up for any mortal man."
"Oh, Jo, how could you? Your one beauty."
"If I didn't care about doing right and didn't feel uncomfortable doing wrong, I should get on capitally."
"I never wanted to go away, and the hard part now is the leaving you all. I'm not afraid, but it seems as if I should be homesick for you even in heaven."
"Dear me! If only men and women would trust, understand and help as my children do, what a capital place the world would be!"
"....politics were as bad as mathematics, and that the mission of politicians seemed to be calling each other names."
"You have grown abominably lazy, and you like gossip, and waste time on frivolous things, you are contented to be petted and admired by silly people, instead of being loved and respected by wise ones."
"'No, dear, but speaking of Father reminded me how much I miss him, how much I owe him, and how faithfully I should watch and work to keep his little daughters safe and good for him.'<br />
<br />
'Yet you told him to go, Mother, and didn't cry when he went, and never complain now, or seem as if you needed any help,' said Jo, wondering.<br />
<br />
'I gave my best to the country I love, and kept my tears till he was gone. Why should I complain, when we both have merely done our duty and will surely be the happier for it in the end? If I don't seem to need help, it is because I have a better friend, even than Father, to comfort and sustain me. My child, the troubles and temptations of your life are beginning and may be many, but you can overcome and outlive them all if you learn to feel the strength and tenderness of your Heavenly Father as you do that of your earthly one. The more you love and trust Him, and the less you will depend on human power and wisdom. His love and care never tire or change, can never be taken from you, but my become the source of lifelong peace, happiness, and strength. Believe this heartily, and go to God with all your little cares, and hopes, and sins, and sorrows, as freely and confidingly as you come to your mother.'"
"...a capital patient, as she never died and never got well."
"Money is a needful and precious thing, and when well used, a noble thing, but I never want you to think it is the first or only prize to strive for. I'd rather see you poor men's wives, if you were happy, beloved, contented, than queens on thrones, without self-respect and peace."
"...and the most intense desire gave force to her passionate words as the girl glanced despairingly about the dreary room like a caged creature on the point of breaking loose."
"Queen of my tub, I merrily sing,<br />
While the white foam rises high,<br />
And sturdily wash, and rinse, and wring,<br />
And fasten the clothes to dry;<br />
Then out in the free fresh air they swing,<br />
Under the sunny sky.<br />
<br />
I wish we could wash from our hearts and our souls<br />
The stains of the week away,<br />
And let water and air by their magic make<br />
Ourselves as pure as they;<br />
Then on the earth there would be indeed<br />
A glorious washing-day!<br />
<br />
Along the path of a useful life<br />
Will heart's-ease ever bloom;<br />
The busy mind has no time to think<br />
Of sorrow, or care, or gloom;<br />
And anxious thoughts may be swept away<br />
As we busily wield a broom.<br />
<br />
I am glad a task to me is given<br />
To labor at day by day;<br />
For it brings me health, and strength, and hope,<br />
And I cheerfully learn to say -<br />
"Head, you may think; Heart, you may feel;<br />
But Hand, you shall work always!"
"... swept into the giddy vortex which keeps so many young people revolving aimlessly, till they go down or are cast upon the shore, wrecks of what they might have been"
"The young people were playing that still more absorbing game in which hearts are always trumps."
"Mac looked up with the oddest of all his odd expressions"
"A child her wayward pencil drew<br />
On margins of her book;<br />
Garlands of flower, dancing elves,<br />
Bud, butterfly, and brook,<br />
Lessons undone, and plum forgot,<br />
Seeking with hand and heart<br />
The teacher whom she learned to love<br />
Before she knew t'was Art. "
"During the fifteen minutes that followed, the proud and sensitive girl suffered a shame and pain which she never forgot. To others it might seem a ludicrous or trivial affair, but to her it was a hard experience, for during the twelve years of her life she had been governed by love alone."
"Some stories are so familiar its like going home."
"It's amazing how lovely common things become, if one only knows how to look at them."
"Strong convictions precede great actions."
"...freedom being the sauce best beloved by the boyish soul."
"I always say my life's quote is: 'Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.'"
"Let my name stand among those who are willing to bear ridicule and reproach for the truth's sake, and so earn some right to rejoice when the victory is won."
"He looked at her an instant, for the effect of the graceful girlish figure with pale, passionate face and dark eyes full of sorrow, pride and resolution was wonderfully enhanced by the gloom of the great room, and glimpses of a gathering storm in the red autumn sky."
"There is very little real liberty in the world; even those who seem freest are often the most tightly bound. Law, custom, public opinion, fear or shame make slaves of us all, as you will find when you try your experiment," said Tempest with a bitter smile. Law and custom I know nothing of, public opinion I despise, and shame and fear I defy, for everyone has a right to be happy in their own way."
"I for one don't want to be ranked among idiots, felons, and minors any longer, for I am none of them."
"So she doesn't call desertion, poverty, and hard work troubles? She's a brave little girl, and I shall be proud to know her."
"Hither, hither, from thy home, airy sprite, I bid thee come!<br />
Born of roses, fed on dew, charms and potions canst thow brew?<br />
Bring me here, with elfin speed,the fragment philter witch I need;<br />
Make it sweet and swift and stong, spirite amserw now my song.<br />
<br />
Hither i come, from my airy home, afar silver moon.<br />
Take magic spell, and use it well. or its powers will vanish soon!"
"All the worse for the undeniable talent which hides the evil so subtly and makes the danger so delightful."
"Your father, Jo. He never loses patience,- never doubts or complains, - but always hopes, and works and waits so cheerfully, that one is ashamed to do otherwise before him. He helped and comforted me, and showed me that I must try to practise all the virtues I would have my little girls possess, for I was their example. It was easier for your sakes than for my own; a startled or surprised look from one of you, when I spoke sharply, rebuked me more than any words could have done; and the love, respect, and confidence of my children was the sweetest reward I could receive for my efforts to be the woman I would have them copy."
"It is my opinion that this day will never come to an end," said Prince, with a yawn that nearly rent him assunder."
"... because I have fallen in love with so many pretty girls and never once the least bit with any man."
"'What do you want?' and Rose looked up rather surprised.<br />
'I'd like to borrow some money. I shouldn't think of asking you, only Mac never has a cent since he's set up his old chemical shop, where he'll blow himself to bits some day and you and Uncle will have the fun of putting him together again,' and Steve tried to look as if the idea amused him."
"A fit queen for that nest of roses was the human flower that adorned it, for a year of love and luxury had ripened her youthful beauty into a perfect bloom. Graceful by nature, art had little to do for her, and, with a woman's aptitude, she had acquired the polish which society alone can give. Frank and artless as ever, yet less free in speech, less demonstrative in act; full of power and passion, yet still half unconscious of her gifts; beautiful with the beauty that wins the heart as well as satisfies the eye, yet unmarred by vanity or affectation. She now showed fair promise of becoming all that a deep and tender heart, an ardent soul and a gracious nature could make her, once life had tamed and taught her more."
"In the midst of her tears came the thought, "When people are in danger, they ask God to save them;" and, slipping down upon her knees, she said her prayer as she had never said it before, for when human help seems gone we turn to Him as naturally as lost children cry to their father, and feel sure that he will hear and answer them."
"Being a domestic man, John decidedly missed the wifely attentions he had been accustomed to receive, but as he adored his babies, he cheerfully relinquished his comfort for a time, supposing with masculine ignorance that peace would soon be restored."
"Wouldn't it be fun if all the castles in the air which we make could come true and we could live in them?"
"Many of the bravest never are known, and get no praise. [But] that does not lessen their beauty..."
"Jo's breath gave out here, and wrapping her head in the paper, she bedewed her little story with a few natural tears, for to be independent and earn the praise of those she loved were the dearest wishes of her heart, and this seemed to be the first step toward that happy end."
"'Well, now there is a very excellent, necessary, and womanly accomplishment that my girl should not be without, for it is a help to rich and poor, and the comfort of families depends upon it. This fine talent is neglected nowadays and considered old-fashioned, which is a sad mistake and one that I don't mean to make in bringing up my girl. It should be part of every girl's eductation, and I know of a most accomplished lady who will teach you in the best and pleasantest manner.'<br />
<br />
'Oh, what is it?' cried Rose eagerly, charmed to be met in this helpful and cordial way.<br />
<br />
'Housekeeping!'<br />
<br />
'Is that an accomplsihment?' asked Rose, while her face fell, for she had indulged in all sorts of vague, delightful daydreams."
"Human minds are more full of mysteries than any written book and more changeable than the cloud shapes in the air."
"Rose sat all alone in the big best parlor, with her little handkerchief laid ready to catch the first tear, for she was thinking of her troubles, and a shower was expected. She had retired to this room as a good place in which to be miserable; for it was dark and still, full of ancient furniture, somber curtains, and hung all around with portraits of solemn old gentlemen in wigs, severe-nosed ladies in top-heavy caps, and staring children in little bobtailed coats or short-waisted frocks. It was an excellent place for woe; amd the fitful spring rain that pattered on the windowpane seemed to sob,'Cry away; I'm with you.'"
"Help one another is part of the religion of our sisterhood."
"I like to help women help themselves, as that is, in my opinion, the best way to settle the woman question. Whatever we can do and do well we have a right to, and I don't think any one will deny us."
"MARCH, 1846 - I have at last got the little room I have wanted so long, and am very happy about it. It does me good to be alone, and Mother has made it very pretty and neat for me. My work-basket and desk are by the window, and my closet is full of dried herbs that smell very nice. The door that opens into the garden will be very pretty in summer, and I can run off to the woods when I like."
"I sell my children, and though they feed me, they don't love me as hers do."
"I've neither beauty, money, nor rank, yet every foolish boy mistakes my frank interest for something warmer, and makes me miserable. It is my misfortune. Think of me what you will, but beware of me in time, for against my will I may do you harm."
"I do not ask for any crown<br />
But that which all may win;<br />
Nor try to conquer any world<br />
Except the world within.""
"I know whom I shall marry. He must be handsome, young, clever enough, and very rich-ever so much richer than the Lawrences. His family musn't object, and I shall be very happy, for they shall be kind, sell-bred, genrous people, and they shall like me. He shall be the oldest and have the estate, and should be a city house in a fashionable street, and twice as comfortable as anything and full of solid luxury. One of us must marry well; Meg didn't, Jo didn't, Beth can't yet, so I shall, and make everything cozy all around."
"'Don't let that young giant come near me, he worries me worse than mosquitoes,' whispered the old lady to Amy, as the rooms filled and Laurie's black head towered above the rest.<br />
<br />
'"He has promised to be very good today, and he can be perfectly elegant if he likes,' returned Amy, gliding away to warn Hercules to beware of the dragon, which warning cased him to haunt the old lady with a devotion that nearly distracted her."
"If she really had any doubt, the look in Dr. Alec's face banished it without a word, as he opened wide his arms and she ran into them, feeling that home was here."
Louisa May Alcott