ic element, and they all feel the charm of her quiet, womanly
ways. Nan is the restless, energetic, strong-minded one; they admire her
courage, and give her a fair chance to work out her will, seeing that
she has sympathy as well as strength, and the power to do much in their
small world. Your Bess is the lady, full of natural refinement, grace,
and beauty. She polishes them unconsciously, and fills her place as any
lovely woman may, using her gentle influence to lift and hold them above
the coarse, rough things of life, and keep them gentlemen in the best
sense of the fine old word."

"It is not always the ladies who do that best, Jo. It is sometimes the
strong brave woman who stirs up the boy and makes a man of him;" and
Laurie bowed to her with a significant laugh.

"No; I think the graceful woman, whom the boy you allude to married, has
done more for him than the wild Nan of his youth; or, better still, the
wise, motherly woman who watched over him, as Daisy watches over Demi,
did more to make him what he is;" and Jo turned toward her mother, who
sat a little apart with Meg, looking so full of the sweet dignity and
beauty of old age, that Laurie gave her a glance of filial respect and
love as he replied, in serious earnest,

"All three did much for him, and I can understand how well these little
girls will help your lads."

"Not more than the lads help them; it is mutual, I assure you. Nat does
much for Daisy with his music; Dan can manage Nan better than any of
us; and Demi teaches your Goldilocks so easily and well that Fritz calls
them Roger Ascham and Lady Jane Grey. Dear me! if men and women would
only trust, understand, and help one another as my children do, what a
capital place the world would be!" and Mrs. Jo's eyes grew absent, as if
she was looking at a new and charming state of society in which people
lived as happily and innocently as her flock at Plumfield.

"You are doing your best to help on the good time, my dear. Continue
to believe in it, to work for it, and to prove its possibility by the
success of her small experiment," said Mr. March, pausing as he passed
to say an encouraging word, for the good man never lost his faith in
humanity, and still hoped to see peace, good-will, and happiness reign
upon the earth.

"I am not so ambitious as that, father. I only want to give these
children a home in which they can be taught a few simple things which
will help to make life less hard to them when