Part 18 (2/2)

Her next adventure was quite different To her entleman ished a companion for his old father and sister The position offered only light work, and seeood one in every respect, and impulsive Louisa, who happened to hear the request, asked her o? Oh, do let _ the experience would not be harmful, let her accept the position, and as a result she had two of theand harda story called ”How I Went Out to Service,” in which she described the experience in a vivid way

An extract from her ”heart journal,” as she now called her diary, is a revelation of ho of human nature which has made her books so popular She says: ”Our poor little home had irls, abused wives, friendless children and weak or wicked ave their tis would make them rich they would be millionaires This is practical Christianity”

At that ti in a small house, with Beth as housekeeper, while Anna and Louisa taught, May went to school, and theall he could to add to the fa articles on his favorite subjects, so all together, they ed to live in some sort of fashi+on But Louisa had now made up her mind that she must do more for the comfort of the beloved mother, as always over-worked and worried, despite her courage and cheery manner, and she decided to try to publish a story

Full of the intention, one night, she sat down on the floor and searched through the pile of papers which included s” since her first use of a pen Plays, poems and many other closely written sheets were thrown aside At last she found what she was looking for, and read and re-read it three tireatest possible secrecy, she put it in an envelope, sealed, addressed and mailed it From that time she went about her ith the air of one whose h when it cao for the erness for letters, which she bore good-naturedly enough Then came a wonderful day when she was handed a letter from a well-known firave a suppressed cry of joy as she read the short note, and looked with amazement at the bit of paper enclosed

Later in the day, when the houseas done and school was over, she sauntered into the roo-bee

Throwing herself into a chair with an indifferent air, she asked:

”Want to hear a good story?”

Of course they did The Alcotts were always ready for a story, and Louisa read extre tale with eager attention, and at the end there was a chorus of cries: ”How fine! How lovely! How interesting!” Then Anna asked: ”Who wrote it?” With shi+ning eyes and cri the paper overhead, cried:

”_Your sister! I wrote it!_ Yes, I really did!”

One can iroup who then clustered around the authoress and asked questions all at once

That first published story was pronounced by its creator to be ”great rubbish,” and she only received the su, and fro and short began to si in the evenings, for which she was fairly well paid

In mid-winter of 1853 Mr Alcott went West on a lecture tour, full of hope for a financial success He left the horoup as busy as usual, for Mrs Alcott had several boarders, as well as her eone to Syracuse to teach in a school there, Louisa had opened a home school with ten pupils, and the calm philosopher felt that he could leave the money, and this was his opportunity to broaden the field in which the seeds of unique ideas were sown

So off he went, full of eager courage, followed by the good wishes of the girls, who fondly hoped that ”father would be appreciated at last” Alas for hopes! On a February night, when all the household were sleeping soundly, the bell rang violently All were awakened, and Louisa says, ”Mother flen, crying 'ures ery, cold and disappointed, but s bravely, and as serene as ever We fed and war to ask if he had made any money, but none did till little May said, after he had told all the pleasant things: 'Well, did people pay you?' Then, with a queer look, he opened his pocket-book and showed one dollar, saying with a smile that made our eyes fill: 'Only that!

My overcoat was stolen, and I had to buy a shawl Many pro is costly, but I have opened the way, and another year shall do better'

”I shall never forget,” adds Louisa, ”how beautifully h the dear hopeful soul had builtface she kissed hi _very_ well Since you are safely ho more'

”Anna and I choked down our tears, and took a lesson in real love which we never forgot It was half tragic and co night-cap and funny old jacket”

Surely no one ever had a better opportunity to probe to the heart of the real emotions that make up the most prosaic as well as the enerous, happy, loving Alcott fas besides the writing, which was such a safety valve for her intense nature For a short tiht and sewed and did housework, andheart could find so a dollar

The seven years spent in Boston had developed her into a capable young woer to play her part in the great drama of life of which she was an interested spectator as she saw it constantly enacted around her

Even then, before she had stepped across the threshold of her career, she unconsciously realized that the horound of the supreme world drama, and she shows this by the intimate, tender domestic scenes whichappeal to those whose homes are joyous parts of the present, or sacred memories

When she was deterenerally succeeded, even in the face of obstacles; and now having decided to take on her own broad shoulders so heavily on her beloved mother, she turned to the talent which had recently yielded her the nificent sum of five dollars In the days at Concord she had told many stories about fairies and flowers to the little Eerly drank in all the iants and fairy queens played a pro, because their teller believed absolutely in the fairy creatures she pictured in a lovely setting of woodland glades and forest dells

These stones, which she had written down and called ”Flower Fables,”

she found aain she felt that they ht interest other children as they had those to whom they were told She had no money to publish them, however, and no publisher would bear the expense of a venture by an untried writer But it took more than that to daunt Louisa when her reat enthusiasm she told a friend of the faenerously offered to pay for publication, but it was decided not to tell the family until the book should coht oil and prepared the little book for the press One can fancy the proud surprise of Mrs Alcott when, on the following Christifts she found the little volume with this note: